Kartar Kaur Gill

Indar Singh, Kartar Kaur Gill, and Nachattar (Nash) Singh, are shopping in downtown Vancouver. Kartar Kaur is holding a patterned bag and wearing a long, black fur-lined coat with her head covered by a chunni. Indar Singh is wearing dress pants and a collared shirt with a sweater. In the background, there is a sign for McLeod's Restaurant amongst the buildings and other pedestrians. more

Photo of Indar Singh Gill and his uncle and cousin as they are walking along a street. Left to right: Ganga Singh Gill, Naranjan Singh Gill, and Indar Singh Gill. They are all wearing dark coloured suits, and Naranjan Singh Gill is wearing a black turban.

This document details the story of Kartar Kaur Gill. This document describes the 17 years of separation Kartar Kaur had from her husband, Indar Singh Gill. When Indar Singh left for Canada in 1930 to find work, he left behind Kartar Kaur and their infant daughter, Gurcharan Kaur. Unfortunately, during this period of separation, Gurcharan Kaur passed away. Eventually, the Gill couple resided in… more

Photograph taken outside the Vancouver Airport. Indar Singh Gill is standing in front of a fence wearing a three-piece suit. Behind the fence, there are several people possibly including Ran S. Butch[?], Har K. Koka[?], Narangan[?], Sardana S. Gill, Ranjit K. Gill, and Najan S. Gill[?]. The Vancouver Airport building can be seen in the background. The women are wearing chunnis on their heads,… more

Indar Singh Gill and Kartar Kaur Gill are standing beside each other in a house in January 1961. The background wall has a portrait of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Kartar Kaur is wearing a white dress with a white head covering, while Indar Singh is wearing a light-coloured suit with a light turban.

Professional photograph of Indar Singh Gill and Kartar Kaur Gill taken in Canada in 1952. Kartar Kaur is dressed in a dress and jacket, with a chunni. Indar Singh is wearing a suit. They are standing in a studio setting and the background is a light-coloured curtain.

Indar Singh Gill is standing on the wooden staircase leading up to a house located on Wood St. in New Westminster. He had purchased the home and lot in around 1940. He is wearing a suit with a white-collared shirt and a checkered turban. The house had at least two stories with a white porch. It was located near a gurdwara.

There are four men in front of the Mainliner, a name given to many aircrafts operated by United Airlines. A man, possibly Indar Singh Gill, is posing by the aircraft's stairs, wearing a dark-coloured suit. Two men are entering the aircraft while another man is walking away. The picture was taken in May 1947 at the old Vancouver Airport with its flight route to San Francisco, then India. more

Indar Singh Gill is standing outside by a car in January 1960. The background has a few houses and a truck. Indar Singh is wearing a hat, a sweater vest, a long coat, and dress pants. There is a shadow of the photographer.

Photograph of five children standing outside. Three girls are wearing dresses with their hair in braids. They are wearing a religious bracelet called karhas. An older boy is wearing a white shirt with black pants, holding a baby. The background is a house with a car in a neighbourhood.

Photograph of the Empress of Japan II (1929-1966) going along the Fraser River a bridge. The Empress of Japan II was a passenger vessel that travelled west of Canada to the Far East. There are houses and logging seen in the background. Indar Singh Gill came to Canada in 1930, at 17 years old, on the Empress of Japan for a fare of $90 USD, from Hong Kong. He travelled with his younger brother… more

Prime Minister Chrétien visited Abbotsford's Gur Sikh Temple to declare it a National Historic Site of Canada. Prime Minister Chrétien is inside the Gurdwara wearing a head covering, called rumāl, and a formal suit. This was the first time a Canadian Prime Minister came to the Gurdwara. South Asian Canadian men are surrounding him with formal suits. On the left of Prime Minister Chrétien is… more

On July 31, 2002, Abbotsford's Gur Sikh Temple was declared a National Historic Site of Canada. Indar Singh Gill (front row, second to the left) is outside the Gurdwara wearing a light-blue turban, a formal suit, and a yellow-and-blue "Khalsa Diwan Society VIP" ribbon. Right to Indar Singh is Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, wearing a pink salwar suit with a scarf, called chunni,… more

Photograph of a plaque being presented in a Gurdwara. Left to right: Abbotsford mayor George Ferguson, an unidentified man, Indar Singh Gill, and Heritage Minister Sheila Copps. They are standing inside the Gurdwara's Darbar Sahib, the praying hall. George Ferguson and the unidentified man are wearing formal suits and rumāls. Indar Singh Gill is wearing a formal grey suit with a light-blue… more

(Left to right) Naranjan Singh Gill, Indar's Taiya Ji [elder uncle], Joginder Singh Gill, Indar's Chacha Ji [younger uncle], Ganga Singh Gill, Indar's cousin, and Indar Singh Gill.The family is from the village of Dhudike, District Moga, Punjab, India. The picture was taken in Canada in 1934. Naranjan Singh sponsored Indar Singh to come to Canada in 1930. The men are dressed in… more

Photograph taken of Indar Singh Gill and some of his relatives. Top row, left to right: Indar's cousins, Pal Singh Gill and Ganga Singh Gill, as well as, Indar Singh Gill. Second row, left to right: Naranjan Singh Gill, Indar's Taiya Ji [elder uncle], Phangan Singh Gill, and an unidentified man. Bottom row, left to right: an unidentified young boy, and unidentified girl, Bhagwant Kaur… more

Professional photograph taken of Indar Singh and Kartar Kaur Gill are posing for a photograph in a studio. This picture was taken in 1952. Indar Singh is wearing a formal suit. Kartar Kaur is wearing a long coat covering her dress with a light-coloured, black-trimmed head covering called a chunni and black heels. The background is a curtain draping to the floor.

Indar Singh Gill is dressed in a formal suit and a light-blue turban. The background is in the front yard of a white house. There are red and yellow tulips, green grass, and a cherry blossom tree.

Indar Singh Gill is seated outside a house's front yard on a chair. On the chair next to Indar Singh is a chest that Indar Singh is holding. Indar Singh wears a formal grey suit, a red-patterned tie, and a blue turban. more

Item is a picture of a unidentified man with a baby, who is sitting on car. The man is wearing a white-collared shirt and a wristwatch. They are outside in the driveway of a house.

Nacchatter (Nash) Singh and Rajinder Kaur Thind were married on June 18, 1972, at the Abbotsford Gur Sikh Temple. The bride and groom stand behind four girls, who are dressed in identical orange Indian lehengas. Rajinder Kaur is wearing a pink bridal lehenga with her head covered by a dupatta. Nash Singh is wearing a formal pin-striped suit. Both the bride and groom have varmalas around their… more

Photo taken at the wedding of Nachattar Gill and Rajinder Thind. The Gill family are standing in front of the light-blue car in a row. Included in the photo are Malkit Kaur, Baljit Kaur, Kartar Kaur, Indar Singh, and Khem Singh. Rajinder Kaur, the bride, is wearing a pink wedding lehenga with a dupatta covering her head. Nash Singh, the groom, is wearing a formal suit, a pink turban, and carrying… more

Nachhattar (Nash) Singh and Rajinder Kaur Thind were married on June 18, 1972, at the Abbotsford Gur Sikh Temple. The newly wedded couple is standing in front of a light-blue car. Rajinder Kaur is wearing a pink wedding lehenga with a dupatta, a head cover. Nash Singh is wearing a formal pin-stripped suit and a pink turban. Nash Singh carries a sword, a tradition in Sikh weddings; to protect… more

Nacchattar (Nash) Singh Gill is sitting on top of his father, Indar Singh Gill's company truck. His sister, Malkit Kaur, is standing in front of the truck. She is wearing a rumāl , a head covering, and a white dress. The background includes another truck and a building structure. The truck's BC license plate number is "C71-693," with a serial number of "56." The 56… more

Indar Singh Gill is inside his red 1954 Pontiac with his son, Nash Singh, standing outside. In 1954, Indar Singh ordered this car from General Motors, Oshawa, Ontario. His worker, Johnny Billin, picked up and drove the vehicle to British Columbia. It was rare to own a car in 1954. In the background there is a house.

Photograph of the Gill family taken in a photography studio with a long, light-coloured curtain as the background. Left to right: Ganga Singh Gill, Indar's cousin, Malkit Kaur Gill, Kartar Kaur Gill, Indar Singh Gill, Nacchattar (Nash) Singh Gill, and Joginder Singh Gill Standing: Kartar Singh Sidhu, Indar Singh's brother-in-law, Mohinder Singh Gill, Indar Singh's brother, and Pal… more

Item is a picture of a man putting wood into an Indar Fuel truck for transportation at Albert McMahon's sawmill, located at Suicide Creek, Mission. Indar Fuel Company was founded by Indar Singh Gill, where he carried fuel until 1958. His business declined when natural gas was starting to be used instead of fuel. The landscape includes evergreen trees and the mountains of the Fraser Valley. more

Four Indar Fuel trucks parked alongside each other. Indar Fuel Company was founded by Indar Singh Gill, where he carried fuel until 1958. The company closed once natural gas started being used instead of fuel. A man is standing on the left of the picture by the edge of the large puddle. Three young children, one girl, and two boys, are in the puddle. One boy is riding a bike through the puddle.… more

Photo of an Indar Fuel Company GMC truck is carrying wood over a water puddle. The background contains a transmission tower, lumber piles, and several building structures.

The Weekender (The Abbotsford News) writes about Indo-Canadian heritage featured at MSA Museum. The articles starts out by describing the story of Sunder Singh. Sunder Singh was interviewed about his immigration to Canada from his village of Daulatpur, Punjab, in 1906. Sunder Singh mentions owning a dairy farm near Whatcom Road in 1942 and his role in the building of the first Gur Sikh Temple in… more

The text describes Indar Singh's collage B images. The text describes the six images' history: The beginning of Indar Fuel Company (1951) Gill family shopping in downtown Vancouver Gill family men in Canada (1931) Kartar Kaur's passport picture (1949) Indar Singh's passport picture (1935) Gill family photo more

Collage B consists of six black and white pictures of the Gill family. The photograph on the bottom left corner depicts Indar Fuel Company trucks (1951). The photograph above it shows the Gill family shopping in downtown Vancouver. Behind that photograph is another of Kartar Kaur's passport picture (1949). Next to this is Indar Singh's passport picture (1935). In the top right corner is… more

A photograph depicting two framed watercoloured paintings, one of Kartar Kaur Gill, alongside another framed watercoloured sketch of Indar Singh Gill. The sketch depicts Kartar Kaur in her adulthood, dressed in an orange Panjabi salwar suit and chunni. The sketch of Indar Singh shows him wearing a dark suit and turban.

Collage A consists of two pictures of the Gill family. The top left picture is a black and white photograph of Indar Singh and Kartar Kaur Gill in 1952. The large bottom picture is a colour photograph from Nash Singh (Indar's son) and Rajinder Kaur wedding, surrounded by wedding guests at the Abbotsford Gur Sikh Temple. more

Nash Singh Gill is seated in an armchair after giving his interview about his father, Indar Singh Gill.

Nash Singh Gill is seated in an armchair after giving his interview about his father, Indar Singh Gill.

The text describes Indar Singh Gill's story of moving to Canada. The text also describes the photographs in collage A. The text describes the two images' history: Indar Singh and Kartar Kaur Gill in 1952 and Nachhatter (Nash) Singh and Rajinder Kaur Thind's 1972 wedding picture. more

Kartar Kaur is writing to her husband, Indar Singh, possibly in 1939 from Punjab to Canada. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. Kartar Kaur explains she had not responded to Indar Singh's letters because her hand was infected, and it was very painful to write. As the letter progresses, Kartar Kaur tells her husband not to give her false hope because he previously had written about the… more

Kartar Kaur is writing to her husband, Indar Singh, from Punjab to Canada possibly in 1942. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. Kartar Kaur writes about Indar Singh always giving her false hope about returning home (India) after 12 years. Further, Kartar Kaur writes about how it has been four years since their daughter, Gurcharan Kaur's death and how it still weakens her. Lastly,… more

First, Mahinder Singh is writing on behalf of a weakened Kartar Kaur, who is grieving the death of Gurcharan Kaur (Indar Singh and Kartar Kaur's daughter), to Indar Singh. Mahinder Singh implores Indar Singh to return to India from Canada to support Kartar Kaur. Second, Kartar Kaur expresses how Gurcharan Kaur consumes her thoughts. She tells Indar Singh to accept Gurcharan Kaur's death… more

Item consists of a newspaper article about Nash Gill and Gurdev Singh Brar, who were working towards starting an Abbotsford-based Punjabi Credit Union. They were asking for investors in this business venture.

Kartar Kaur is writing to her husband, Indar Singh, possibly in 1939 from Punjab to Canada. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. Kartar Kaur wrote about her happiness when she received Indar Singh's last letter. Later in the letter, Kartar Kaur expresses her anger that she is still separated from her husband and how she is losing her will to live without Indar Singh. Also, Kartar Kaur… more

Kartar Kaur is writing to her husband, Indar Singh, on November 16, 1939, from Punjab to Canada. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. Kartar Kaur writes about her longing for her husband and hopes to reunite with him soon. Kartar Kaur explains how she has not been happy for a long time since their daughter's death. Also, Kartar Kaur tells her husband she received his letter on November… more

Document is a letter written by Kartar Kaur. Kartar Kaur wrote to her husband, Indar Singh, on July 14, 1937, from Punjab, India. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. In the letter, Kartar Kaur begins by expressing her pleasure that Indar Singh wrote to her, which eased her pain. However, Kartar Kaur is heartbroken that she has been separated from her husband for seven years; she talks… more

This is a document about Indar Singh Gill's immigration journey told by his son, Nash Singh Gill. It explans why Indar Singh immigrated to Canada in 1930 at 17-years-old, while leaving behind his wife and young daughter. He was sponsored by Naranjan Singh Gill (Indar Singh's uncle), who was already in Canada. Because of the 1930s depression, Indar Singh found it hard to find work, but… more

Kartar Kaur is writing to her husband, Indar Singh, possibly in 1946, from Punjab to Canada after WWII. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. Kartar Kaur writes about how the community taunts her about having no sons and her 20-year separation from her husband. Kartar Kaur expresses anger towards Indar Singh in this letter. She writes that Indar Singh is treating his family like dirt, and he… more

Kartar Kaur is writing to her husband, Indar Singh, possibly after 1942, from Punjab to Canada. Indar Singh had been in Canada since 1930. Kartar Kaur writes about how her separation from Indar Singh and their daughter, Gurcharan Kaur's death, devastates her. Further in the letter, Kartar Kaur writes about how her uncles always ask her for money, which she cannot give them. She explains how… more

This is a document of Indar Singh's biography, where the information was given by his son, Nash Gill. The biography begins with a 17-year-old Indar Singh leaving India for Canada in 1930, while his wife and daughter were left behind. Because of the 1930s depression, Indar Singh had difficulty finding work but eventually did in Kamloops. Indar Singh worked as a sawmill worker and eventually… more

This is a document of Indar Singh's biography, where the information was given by his son, Nash Gill. The biography begins with a 17-year-old Indar Singh leaving India for Canada in 1930, while his wife and daughter were left behind. Because of the 1930s depression, Indar Singh had difficulty finding work but eventually did in Kamloops. Indar Singh worked as a sawmill worker and eventually… more

Audio recording of Nash Gill being interviewed by Rishi for the Canadian Sikh Heritage project. He was interviewed about his family's journey from India to Canada, where the interview primarily talked about his father, Indar Singh Gill. The interview revealed why the Gill family came to Canada, how Indar Singh earned money in Canada, and the Gill family's legacy in British Columbia. more

This is a document of Nash Gill being interviewed by Rishi for the Canadian Sikh Heritage project. He was interviewed about his family's journey from India to Canada, with the interview primarily focusing on his father, Indar Singh Gill. The interview revealed why the Gill family came to Canada, how Indar Singh earned money in Canada and the Gill family's legacy in British Columbia. more

This is a document of Indar Singh's biography, where the information was given by his son, Nash Gill. The biography begins with a 17-year-old Indar Singh leaving India for Canada in 1930, while his wife and daughter were left behind. Because of the 1930s depression, Indar Singh had difficulty finding work but eventually did in Kamloops. Indar Singh worked as a sawmill worker and eventually… more