Sikh News Khalsa Elementary School In East Vancouver Destroyed By Fire!

[Archived_Member16]

Khalsa School blaze suspicious, firefighters continue to battle


By Staff reporter, The Province - July 30, 2009

A fire that destroyed the Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver is being investigated as suspicious.

"We have three buildings instantaneously combusting," said Deputy fire Chief Tim Armstrong. "That's unusual."

Flames have engulfed the buildings in the complex as hundreds of area residents watch from the sidelines and the plumes of smoke could be seen in downtown Vancouver. No injuries are reported.

Armstrong said the buildings are unsafe to enter at this point but accelerants have not been found.

Almost a dozen emergency vehicles are on the scene. The battle is difficult in the record temperature as firefighters must be hydrated and their vital signs frequently checked as they gulp bottled water and have oxygen administered.

One woman, whose two children attend the school, said the temple, which is housed in the complex, contains all the scripts and songs that are used to educate the students, but has been destroyed.

"I can't hold back my tears," says Amarjit Dhillon. "How could someone do this?"

Firefighters have surrounded the area, battling flames from all sides. The concern now is to contain the fire so it doesn't spread to neighbouring buildings and houses, somce of which are about 30 metres away.

The fire started earlier this morning and firefighters arrived on the scene at about 8 a.m.

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The following is the major Khalsa School, in Surrey, B.C.:

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in Vancouver destroyed by fire !

This is tragic. I remember several years back when I visited Vancouver there was a similar happening -- a Sikh complex, gurdwara and school, set afire with hate messages painted onto the walls. It was covered in the news and we actually drove by the site that day on our way to the university museum. We did not realize until coming back to the hotel that evening that these were the same incident.

There seems to be no end to hatred. It continues for years. And the danger of the fire-spreading adds to the problem this time of year.

Do they ever apprehend the people who perpetrate this kind of hatred?

 

[Tejwant Singh]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in Vancouver destroyed by fire !

It is tragic indeed. My brother Ripudaman Singh Malik has put his heart and soul in building Khalsa Schools in Vancouver from scratch.

This is what I told my brother's daughter in law Sandeep who is devastated and would like to share with you all.

"We will get the blooody culprits. People can burn Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji if they want to but they can never erase, burn, eliminate the message that makes us Sikhs. The teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji makes the sparrows fight with the hawks and the jackals can give the run for the money to the lions. Now the message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji has become Sava Lakh times stronger."

Tejwant Singh

 

[paz.y.amor]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in Vancouver destroyed by fire !



Picture and story here:http://www.canada.com/Vancouver+school+blaze+suspicious/1845416/story.html

 

[paz.y.amor]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.{censored}/life/vancouver+religious+school+totally+destroyed+suspicious+fire/1845059/1845210.bin?size=620x400

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.{censored}/life/vancouver+religious+school+totally+destroyed+suspicious+fire/1845059/1845161.bin?size=620x400
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.{censored}/life/vancouver+religious+school+totally+destroyed+suspicious+fire/1845059/1845151.bin?size=620x400

pictures and story here: http://www.{censored}/life/Vancouve...+destroyed+suspicious+fire/1845059/story.html

-Jaskeerat Kaur

 

[Admin]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

First in Britain and now in Canada... what is happening... Sikhs seem to be a soft target for the extremists... there seems to be a collective and comprehensive conspiracy against Sikhs going on worldwide... and i am far from being sarcastic... :advocate:

 

[Archived_Member16]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

source: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Khalsa+School+fire+under+control+priceless+holy+book+salvaged+from+flames/1844852/story.html

Khalsa School fire under control, priceless holy book salvaged from flames


By Sam Cooper, The Province - July 30, 2009 - 12:01 PM



A fire that destroyed the Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver is under control and firefighters have salvaged a priceless holy book from the charred temple.

"It's an answer to our prayers, God showed us he was there," said Rina Kaur Chawla, a former principal at the school. "It's a miracle in this fire that He could save the book."

Chawla said the same book also had survived a 2004 fire at the school.
Firefighters handed the heavy book to white-cloaked elders, who began to sing a holy song.

Deputy fire chief Tom McEwan said: "It's the first holy book I've ever saved from a fire. "It touches the heart whenever you see people gather around with such emotion," he said of the community's appreciate reaction.

The fire, which had engulfed several buildings when firefighters arrived early this morning, is being investigated.

A devastated Jasbir Bhalia, the school's principal, said: "I have absoutely no idea how it started. It's a big loss. Of course my staff will co-operate with (fire investigators.)"

Bhalia said he has no idea where the 180 students will go now.
Firefighters had surrounded the area, battling flames from all sides for several hours this morning. Plumes of smoke could be seen from downtown Vancouver.

Hundreds of residents and onlookers watched as firefighters battled the flames that engulfed almost all of the buildings in the complex in the 5000-block of Prince Albert Street. Of nine buildings, one single building was saved by firefighters carrying long-length hoses into close range, McEwan said.

Fire investigators now will be able to enter the compound to look around, said McEwan.

"It's very suspicious in nature," he said.

© Copyright (c) The Province

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

First in Britain and now in Canada... what is happening... Sikhs seem to be a soft target for the extremists... there seems to be a collective and comprehensive conspiracy against Sikhs going on worldwide... and i am far from being sarcastic... :advocate:

I couldnt agree more.....the evidence is far too overwhelming...such fires cannot be individual work...not when spread over continents..:8-:8-

 

[Tejwant Singh]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

This was a small elementary school for the local Vancouver kids with lots of portables because the original building was very small.

The main school with 2 buildings from nursery to high school are in Surrey. As more space was needed due to growth and demand. a brand new school was built from scratch whose picture is on the left hand side in the thread.

As I was telling Sandeep, my nephew's wife that,"Sandeep, Yes.We will rebuilt a bigger and better facility for the kids would crop up with His Kirpa.Phoenix rises from the ashes and thanks to our Gurus he has created us as Phoenixes who have come back from many ashes, much stronger and more determined than before.

Tejwant Singh

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

Vancouver police say Sikh school blaze deliberate

By David Carrigg and Sam Cooper, The Province
August 1, 2009




More Images »

Firefighters douse a suspicious blaze that razed most of the buildings on the Vancouver campus of Khalsa School early Thursday morning.

Photograph by: Sam Cooper (from video), The Province

Police confirmed Friday that the Vancouver Khalsa School had been deliberately torched. Const. Jana McGuinness, of the Vancouver Police Department, said police are now ramping up their call for witnesses to Thursday's fire at the East Vancouver elementary school.

The fire, on the 5900-block of Prince Albert Street, erupted at 7:45 a.m. when a staff member entered the school and smelt smoke. Another person in the building pulled the fire alarm.

The fire spread quickly, the school was heavily damaged but no one was injured.
Arson investigators are appealing for the woman who pulled the fire alarm to contact them as she may have important information relating to this investigation.

Earlier, Sikh community members involved in the school were rejoicing over the "miracle" rescue of a priceless holy book from a blaze.

Amid the charred ruins of the Sikh school there was a touching scene as a group of firefighters carried a heavy holy book — wrapped in a protective white shroud — from a portable that served as a community temple.

The firefighters handed the book to white-cloaked elders, who held it overhead and chanted a holy song. Community members, many swooning and crying, surrounded the elders as they carried the book to a waiting vehicle.

"It's an answer to our prayers, God showed us he was there," said Rina Kaur Chawla, a former principal at the school, as she pointed toward the ruins. "It's a miracle when you look at that building; it was all in flames."

Chawla said the same book also had survived a 2004 fire at the school.

Chawla said the fire department made a special effort to save the book Thursday when the community informed McEwen where it was located.

McEwen said he was touched by the communities appreciation.

"It's the first holy book I've ever saved from a fire," he said with a laugh. "It touches the heart whenever you see people gather around with such emotion."

The fire had engulfed several buildings when firefighters arrived early Thursday morning.

"It's suspicious due to the fact buildings were fully involved instantaneously," McEwen said. Some area residents said there have been vandals in the area, but McEwen could not say if vandals were involved in starting the blaze.

A devastated Jasbir Bhatia, the school's principal, said: "I have absolutely no idea how it started. It's a big loss. Of course my staff will co-operate with (fire investigators.)" Bhatia said he has no idea where the 180 students will go for the upcoming school year.

In a media report Friday, Bhatia was quoted saying an office in the school was

ransacked, and a school employee had found the office in disarray and called 911 at 7:45 a.m., before being told to leave the school as the fire department was on the way.

On Thursday, McEwen told The Province he could not comment on whether a school employee was in fact in the building before the fire department arrived.

McEwen also said he could not comment on whether the 2004 fire at the school was believed to be suspicious.

It's reported three portable classrooms were destroyed in 2004 and no one was arrested in the following investigation.

School facility manager Andy Khattar told The Province the private school was started in 1986.

It's reported the school was started by Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was found not guilty in the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182.

About 15 vehicles and 60 firefighters attended the fire. No injuries were reported.

 

[Archived_Member4]

Re: Khalsa Elementary School in East Vancouver destroyed by fire !

Some people see this as an opportunity to get more people behind them and promote their cunning agendas. Truly a sad day and truly sad people who try to benefit off acts of hatred.