Moving Image

Creator: Dhaliwal, Jaspal Singh

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Jaspal Singh Dhaliwal describing his life and his move to Canada. Jaspal Singh was born on December 22, 1968, in Sangrur, Punjab and he came to Canada in 1993 by being sponsored by his wife. Although it was an arranged marriage, they both knew each other since his wife used to live in the same village as Jaspal's uncle. His wife moved to Canada in the year 1990 and came back to India after 3 years to marry Jaspal. It was Mr. Dhaliwal's parents who decided to send him to Canada as they saw Canada as the land of opportunities and believed it would lead to his success. This is a full-length interview recorded on July 18, 1996.

Creator: Budzunski, Evelyn

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Evelyn Budzunski. Evelyn Budzinski was the first teacher hired at Dasmesh Punjabi School in 1986. She had always been interested in the Sikh community, but did not know if her beliefs and religion would be a problem in her being employed at a Sikh school. The school taught all necessary subjects stated under the BC curriculum, as well as some extra subjects related to the Sikh faith, such as Punjabi. In the initial days, being the only teacher meant she did not have any breaks, not even have a break to eat her lunch. After hiring more teachers she was able to take breaks and enjoy professional input. She has learned a lot about the Sikh community and hopes that different cultures can learn about each other as well. This is a full-length interview recorded on May 28, 1996.

Creator: Brar, Pritam

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Mr. and Mrs. Brar came to Canada on May 31, 1959. They were sponsored by Mr. Brar's sister. Mr. Brar started working at his brother-in-law's farm in his earlier days. Soon after, he took a job at the Calgary Public Library and he worked there for 2 years and 10 months. He then started teaching and continued to do so for another 60 years. Mrs. Pritam Brar worked at a monastic institution and took care of the elderly. She was allowed to bring her kids to her work and was able to study in a Catholic school. In 1979, the family moved to Abbotsford and bought a raspberry farm. Before coming to Canada, Mr. Brar planned to start a law degree but was unable to do so. He then served in the air force, before getting his Bachelor of Arts and moving to Canada. Mrs. Brar used to work as a Headmistress of a high school for 3 years in India. The couple decided to come to Canada because they did not see any future in India due to the violence that occurred during the partition. This is a full-length interview recorded on July 12, 1996, at Mr. Brar's residence in Abbotsford, BC. The interviewer is Nirakshik Chand.

Creator: Bhardwaj, Binder

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Mrs. Binderpal Bhardwaj about her move to Canada. Mrs. Binderpal Bhardwaj was born in Punjab on September 8th, 1971. Although she comes from a Hindu background, she was married in a Gurdwara as there were no mandirs in the area. Because of this, she also retains some Sikh beliefs. After her arranged marriage, Binder was sponsored by her husband and she immigrated to Canada in 1990. She brought clothes, jewelry, and her dowry from India.The moving experience was new for her, as she found that Canada was quite different from India. She took English classes from a church to improve her fluency and she also learned to drive, which was also a hard task for her. Further, it was not easy to find a job in the initial days, as every employer expected some experience. She had one daughter. This is a full-length interview recorded on May 28th, 1996 at Mrs. Bhardwaj's residence in Abbotsford, BC. The interviewer is Nirakshik Chand.

Creator: Banga, Bim

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Bim Banga. Bim Banga was born in New Westminster on December 3, 1932. In the interview, Bim Banga speaks about his father and his experience coming to Canada. Bim Banga also recalls what it was like growing up in British Columbia. He and his 5 siblings went to the Queen Elizabeth Elementary, while his father worked in Mohawk Lumber Company. In 1938, his family went to India except for his father, his older brother, and himself, who stayed back to work. When Banga was 24 he stopped wearing a turban. In 1950, Mr. Banga, along with his brother and father went to India so Bim and his brother could find potential spouses to get married to. When they came back, he started working on Sunder Singh's dairy farm. Later on, he was able to open his own. They moved to Mission and when he wanted to work in a mill, his father took over the dairy farm. In 1960, his fiancee came and they were married. This is a full-length interview that was recorded on July, 30th 1996 at Mr. Banga's residence.

Creator: Banga, Nand Singh

On the 90th Birthday of Nand Singh Banga, people gathered at the Gur Sikh temple, Abbotsford, to be a part of this occasion. The celebration began with prayers that are written in The Guru Granth Sahib (The Sikh Holy Book). Further, a kirtan was organized for everyone sitting inside the main hall. Mr. Banga received a siropa (an orange turban) as a gesture of respect from the Head Granthi.

Creator: Banga, Nand Singh

Interview with Mr. Nand Singh Banga. Mr Nand Singh Banga moved to Canada in 1906 when he was 14 years old with his father. His father used to work as green chain lumber sorters. Nand Singh used to pick up cordwood waste so it would not be in the way. He used to work for fifteen cents per hour in the year 1920. Around that time, there was a minimum of 100 men in the Sikh community. Nand Singh describes a time when the cars were driven on the left side of the road. In the building they lived in, 56 people lived in the one building, all of whom did all their chores. After the families came to Canada, they then started living in the house that was bought by the lumber company. Nand Singh returned to India in 1924 for his wedding to Dan Kaur then returned to Canada in same year. This is a full length interview which was recorded on January 4th, 1994. Nand Singh Banga is speaking in Punjabi and his son is acting as an interpreter between the interviewer and Nand Singh.

Creator: Bains, Satwinder

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Mrs. Satwinder Bains. Mrs. Satwinder Bains came to Canada on 16th November 1975. Migrating to Canada was a decision taken by her parents. When they travelled to Canada, Satwinder and her family did not bring anything except clothes and quilts. She was 19 when she moved to Canada. She cried while leaving India as her friends and family were there but, she was also excited to explore new places and experience new adventures. While traveling on a plane with the other Indians, she and her father were the only ones who spoke English and helped to guide everyone through the whole flight. Satwinder Bains recalls how in Canada, she was discriminated against for her race, was frequently asked if she could speak English, and had her academic credentials not recognized. It took some time before she was comfortable in Canada. She wanted her children to know where their parents came from so she and her husband took them to India for a year, but the kids could not settle there. This is a full length interview which was conducted on 7th August 1996 by Nirakshik Chand.

Creator: Bains, Paramjit

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

Interview with Mr. Paramjit Bains. In December of 1962, Mr. Paramjit Bains came to Canada when he was just 8 years old with his younger sister and his mother. While he was studying at the University of British Columbia, his family moved to California and settled in the United States of America. After finishing his studies, he got married and moved to Delta, BC, Canada. Afterward, he moved to Abbotsford to raise his kids and started a business in blueberry farming. In the interview, Paramjit Bains recalls various memories from his time growing up in British Columbia. For instance, he recalled having to get a haircut so that he was not teased for wearing a turban. He also remembered a time when a gurdwara was more like a church with chairs and no one used to cover their heads. This interview was taken on 30th July 1996 by Nirakshik Chand.

Creator: Bains, Darshan

Interview with Mrs. Darshan Bains about her mother. Mrs. Darshan Bains' mother was Jagdish Kaur. She was a devout Sikh and was very family oriented. She taught her kids about the Sikh culture and religion. This is a full-length interview that was conducted in February 1997.