Moving Image

Creator: Hara, Balraj Singh

Creator: Hara, Daljeet Kaur

Creator: Hara, Tina

Interview with Balraj and Daljeet Hara. Mrs. Daljeet Kaur Hara came to Canada on October 6, 1972 to visit her brother and with the thought of settling down in the country. She describes how the biggest struggle for her was talking in English. Her first job was as a maid in a hotel. She felt a culture shock when she went to the Gurdwara and no one would cover their heads. She found it hard to wear dresses and skirts. She also describes how they had to go to Vancouver to get spices and clothes. Mr. Hara came to Canada in 1974 on a marriage basis. When he came, he did not like the food and could not speak English. Mr. Hara came to Canada because of economic and employment reasons. They bought a restaurant, but due to racism, no one would come. After some time, their business finally took off and was successful. This is a full-length interview conducted on July 4, 1996.

Creator: Gill, Sewa Singh

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Sewa Singh about his move to Canada as well as his father's story of working in Canada in the early 1900s. Sewa Singh spent his childhood tutoring and helping out at school, as well as working on his 15-acre family farm. His father came to Canada in 1906, to work on the railroad, while sending money frequently to his family in India. After losing his job, he went to the United States and worked as a farm labourer and lived in a barn. He returned to India to attend to his family in 1932. He returned to Canada in 1935. When he came back, Sewa Singh was with him. Sewa Singh and his father stayed in San Francisco for two months before they finally reached Canada. Sewa Singh found a job as a janitor in a sawmill in North Vancouver. Both of them lived in the bunkhouses with 12 others and one cook. Sewa then got another job at the mill and a raise of 5 cents. Sewa Singh always kept short hair and was clean shaven. Sewa married a Canadian woman and settled down. This is a full-length interview recorded on June 27, 1996 conducted by Nirakshik Chand in Abbotsford, BC.

Creator: Gill, Indar Singh

Interview with Indar Singh Gill about his move from India to Canada. Indar Singh Gill was born on 5th April 1913 In Punjab. He came to Canada on December 12th, 1930 via a steamer ship called "Empress of Japan" with his two brothers. His uncle was already a resident in Canada therefore, he sponsored them here and helped them in their initial days. According to Mr. Gill, farming in India was tough in those days as there was a lack of resources and technologies. Because of these situations, seventeen-year-old Indar Singh decided to move abroad in search of a financially stable life. This is a full-length interview recorded on August 27, 1996.

Creator: Gill, Najar

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Mr. Najar Singh Gill was thirty years old when he moved to Canada in 1963 from Punjab. He was a farmer in India and also the first member of his family to come to Canada. Mr. Najar's wife was a Canadian citizen and she sponsored him. He then moved to Canada with his daughter who was only one and a half years old at that time. Further, Mr. Gill knew several friends and acquaintances in Canada who were from the same village, all of whom helped him to start his new life. He first started to work in Mission in a mill and then came to Abbotsford.This is a full-length interview recorded on June 4, 1996, conducted by Nirakshik Chand at Mr. Fateh Chand's residence in Abbotsford.

Creator: Gill, Nash

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Nash Gill about his life growing up in Canada. Nash Gill's family immigrated in 1949. Nash's father, Indar Singh Gill, was already a Canadian resident therefore, Nash got his citizenship directly. Gill was only one and a half years old when he moved from Punjab to Canada with his mother. He grew up in Mission and his family used to visit the gurdwara in Abbotsford weekly. He was one of the few South Asian Canadians in his school. In high school, during graduation, he was the only South Asian Canadian in his class. He spent his summers berry picking. Nash Gill describes how during the Great Depression, his father started working for Kapoor Lumber, and later on, he built his own mill, calling it Fraser Valley Sawmill. This is a full-length interview recorded on August 30th, 1996 conducted by Nirakshik Chand at Mr. Gill's law office in Abbotsford.

Creator: Gill, Indar Singh

Interview with Indar Singh Gill about his experiences moving to Canada. Indar Singh Gill's uncle was already a resident in Canada therefore, he helped Indar Singh with the government documentation. Eventually, with his uncle's guidance, Indar immigrated to Canada in the year 1930, when he was only 17 years old. Gill's uncle used to feed them even though he did not have a job. Indar Singh used to stay at Mayo Lumbers. He was then sent to Kamloops to pick tomatoes for three months, $54 was his wage. In 1932, he started to work at Kapoor Lumber Company. Indar Singh took over the lumber mill after the previous lumber owner retired. At one point in the interview, Indar Singh speaks about the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, and talks about the forced removal of Japanese Canadians. This is a full-length interview recorded on January 6th, 1994.

Creator: Gill, Dalip Singh

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Dalip Singh Gill. Dalip Singh moved to Canada in 1982 to attend his nephew's wedding. He traveled around Canada and noticed that there were no independent schools that had been founded by a South Asian Canadian. He found that South Asian Canadian children did not have the opportunity to know about their culture, which led him to start his school that combined both the BC curriculum plus heritage/culture and language courses. He wanted to create a school that had a purpose of providing quality education with South Asian cultural elements included. In 1983, Dalip Singh was invited to a meeting regarding the possibility of having a school as part of their new temple. After the meeting, he found a great deal of people supported his idea. That day he started to contact the parents that were interested in putting their kids in school. On the first day of school, there were 80 students. Khalsa Diwan decided to form a separate committee for the school which led to the establishment of Dasmesh Punjabi school. He prematurely retired from the training teacher's school in India. In 1986 they introduced the tuition fee. In 1996, they had two buildings for the school. This interview was recorded at Dasmesh Punjabi School by Nirakshik Chand.

Creator: Gill, Lucy Tej

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Lucy Tej Gill about her life growing up in Canada. Lucy Tej Gill's father migrated to Canada in 1905 when he was 14. He was sent to Canada by his brother and his wife. In Canada, he was allowed to live with a white couple for a short period. Lucy Tej Gill describes how her father was discriminated against on almost a daily basis. In the 1920s he used to own a car, but in the 1930s he could no longer afford it. He worked in various labour jobs and soon he owned a cattle farm. After getting married in the early 1920s his wife joined him in Canada in 1925. She was one of the first South Asian Canadian women in their neighborhood, but was soon joined by another South Asian Canadian woman from Vancouver who heard about her. Lucy Tej Gill and her siblings used to help at the dairy farm after coming back from Sabers. She and her siblings were the first South Asian Canadians going to school, but found no difficulty in making friends there. It was not until she was in high school that she saw other South Asian Canadians in school. Lucy Tej Gill and her sister used to talk in English to keep secrets, which helped their mother in learning English as well as spelling. Lucy Tej did not speak Punjabi until she got married and had to talk in Punjabi with her in-laws. This is a full length interview which was conducted on June 27, 1996.

Creator: Gidha, Daljeet Kaur

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Mrs. Daljeet Gidha describing her move to Canada. Mrs. Daljeet Gidha came to Canada on August 6, 1995, at the age of 24. She was a teacher in India and taught maths and science to kids from grades 2-8. Her family owns land in Haryana and a house in Bhopal where she lived and completed her education. She came to Canada because her father had arranged her marriage to a man who was in Canada. Daljeet's husband moved to Canada in 1993, after changing many jobs in India. She was very nervous while traveling alone to Canada as she knew no one except her in-laws. Mrs. Gidha's family thought that life in Canada would be very advanced with more success opportunities. Because of this, they sent their daughter to Canada. In the interview, Daljeet speaks about the struggles she has faced since her move to Canada.

Creator: Dhaliwal, Paul Singh

Interview with Mr. Paul Singh Dhaliwal describing his life, particularly focusing on his move to Canada and the changes he faced. Mr. Dhaliwal's father lived in Canada for several years but died before bringing his family to Canada. Paul Singh came to Canada in 1932 at the age of 16 and lived with his uncle, Bhagat Singh. While on his journey to Canada he met some people who helped him cook his food and get his health examination done. He and his uncle used to work at Greenlake Mill. After that mill shut down in winter, he lived with his uncle in Abbotsford where his uncle had property and a house, before going to Ducan to work at Hillcrest mill. During the Second World War, Dhaliwal attempted to sign up for service, but was denied after taking the medical exams. During the war, it was easy for him to find work. After the war, and after the British left, it was easier for him to travel to India and back. In 1945, he was spotted by an American promoter while wrestling and he was given a passport, allowing him to travel. He went from place to place and wrestled in high profiled matches. He made hundreds of dollars per match. In 1950 he decided to quit wrestling and was married. Afterward, he focused mostly on his trucking business. This is a full length interview recorded at Mr. Paul's residence.