1904: The arrival of the first wave of Sikh immigrants. The census listed 258 Sikhs. Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Sikh Holy book was first brought to Canada by Bhai Arjan Singh. The scriptures were located at a house in Port Moody.
1905: For the next three years, 5,000 Sikhs came to Canada.
1906: A house was rented in Vancouver to start a Gurdwara or Sikh place of worship.
1907: Foundation stone of the Gurdwara for Khalsa Diwan Society was laid at 1866 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver.
1908: On Jan. 19, the first Sikh parade (Nagar Kirtan) took place to celebrate the opening of the Gurdwara on West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver. The first Granthi or priest was Bhai Balwant Singh.
1909: Establishment of Guru Nanak Mining and Trust company and plans to buy 440 acres of land in West Vancouver.
1911: The census for that year listed 2,342 Sikhs, less than half of that in 1908. Only three were women.
1912: Gurdwaras were built in Victoria, Fraser Mills and Abbotsford. Hardial Singh Atwal was the first Sikh born in Canada on Aug. 28. Hardial is the son of Balwant Singh Atwal, the first priest of the 2nd Avenue Gurdwara.
1914: The Komagata Maru, with 376 passengers, mostly Sikhs, under the leadership of Bhai Gurdit Singh, May 23, arrives in Vancouver. The Komagata Maru was escorted out of Vancouver under the guard of the Canadian Navy.
1918: Sikh population in British Columbia dropped to as low as 700. Mayo Lumber Company built a Sikh temple near Duncan at Paldi. This town was named after the village in India.
1919: Immigration restrictions on bringing wives and children under eighteen years old from India were lifted. Sikh women and children started arriving from India.
1925: Khalsa Diwan Society had autonomous branches at Vancouver, Abbotsford, New Westminster, Golden, Duncan, Coombs and Ocean Falls.
1929: Khalsa Diwan Society invited Charles Andrew, a friend of Mahatma Gandhi and Sir Rabindranth Tagore, Nobel laureate, to see firsthand the unfair treatment of the Sikhs.
1944: Survey of Sikhs in Canada showed that there were 1,756; 98% of them lived in British Columbia.
1947: Sikhs were granted franchise to vote and become Canadian citizens.
1949: Indian Prime Minister Nehru visited the Vancouver Sikh temple with his daughter Indira Grandhi.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/life/Some+dates+century+Sikhism/4613004/story.html#ixzz1JdMQMZL5
1905: For the next three years, 5,000 Sikhs came to Canada.
1906: A house was rented in Vancouver to start a Gurdwara or Sikh place of worship.
1907: Foundation stone of the Gurdwara for Khalsa Diwan Society was laid at 1866 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver.
1908: On Jan. 19, the first Sikh parade (Nagar Kirtan) took place to celebrate the opening of the Gurdwara on West 2nd Avenue in Vancouver. The first Granthi or priest was Bhai Balwant Singh.
1909: Establishment of Guru Nanak Mining and Trust company and plans to buy 440 acres of land in West Vancouver.
1911: The census for that year listed 2,342 Sikhs, less than half of that in 1908. Only three were women.
1912: Gurdwaras were built in Victoria, Fraser Mills and Abbotsford. Hardial Singh Atwal was the first Sikh born in Canada on Aug. 28. Hardial is the son of Balwant Singh Atwal, the first priest of the 2nd Avenue Gurdwara.
1914: The Komagata Maru, with 376 passengers, mostly Sikhs, under the leadership of Bhai Gurdit Singh, May 23, arrives in Vancouver. The Komagata Maru was escorted out of Vancouver under the guard of the Canadian Navy.
1918: Sikh population in British Columbia dropped to as low as 700. Mayo Lumber Company built a Sikh temple near Duncan at Paldi. This town was named after the village in India.
1919: Immigration restrictions on bringing wives and children under eighteen years old from India were lifted. Sikh women and children started arriving from India.
1925: Khalsa Diwan Society had autonomous branches at Vancouver, Abbotsford, New Westminster, Golden, Duncan, Coombs and Ocean Falls.
1929: Khalsa Diwan Society invited Charles Andrew, a friend of Mahatma Gandhi and Sir Rabindranth Tagore, Nobel laureate, to see firsthand the unfair treatment of the Sikhs.
1944: Survey of Sikhs in Canada showed that there were 1,756; 98% of them lived in British Columbia.
1947: Sikhs were granted franchise to vote and become Canadian citizens.
1949: Indian Prime Minister Nehru visited the Vancouver Sikh temple with his daughter Indira Grandhi.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/life/Some+dates+century+Sikhism/4613004/story.html#ixzz1JdMQMZL5
