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The prime minister is paying tribute to the Fraser Valley's Sikh community. Stephen Harper was on hand in Abbotsford on 28th August 2011 mark the 100th anniversary of the Gur Sikh Temple.
He was wearing a traditional headcover as he congratulated hundreds of Sikhs at the national historic site. Harper says reaching the milestone shows how welcoming Canada is to immigrants, but it hasn't always been that way.
"Even as hardworking Sikhs, like the volunteer loggers who built this temple, were making their mark in forestry, mining, construction this community was singled out for discriminatory immigration, labour and citizenship treatment."
He urged members of the community to remember the hardships previous generations had to endure in order to be recognized as equal members of society.
To mark the anniversary the temple, which is the longest standing of its kind in North America, is getting a new museum, mural and monument.
Harper in Abbotsford for Sikh temple
Welcome to CanadianSikhHeritage.ca. The mission of this website is to bring the 100 Year History of the British Columbian Sikh community to the world. This is being accomplished under the auspices of the Gur Sikh Temple, the National Heritage Site, and the Khalsa Diwan Society Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Canadian Sikh Heritage Sponsors
Through the support of Canadian Culture Online, Government of Canada, the Khalsa Diwan Society, Abbotsford, the Canadian Sikh Heritage Research Team, WebSix: the web developers, as well as supporters from the local community and the University College of the Fraser Valley’s Centre for Indo Canadian Studies, this website has brought Canada’s unique history to the forefront.
As you explore this website, there are a number of detailed sections, some of which will provide you with an understanding of the history of the first Sikh pioneers to migrate to British Columbia, their amazing life stories, experiences, and accomplishments; and finally, the major role which the Khalsa Diwan Society and the Gur Sikh Temple has played in such an intrinsic and colourful history.
The focus of the website centers around the establishment of the Gur Sikh Temple in Abbotsford as a National Heritage Site of Canada. However, in order to understand the full context of British Columbia’s past, please do explore the sections explaining the history of Sikhism and the Passage to Canada, which includes interviews with Sikh pioneers and images from their past.
We hope that in exploring the many aspects of this website, that you, the audience, will gain a live, visual, and historical understanding on the 100 year history of Sikh migration to British Columbia and the significance of such a history to the historical framework of Canadian history.