South Asian Canadian settlers

Newspaper clipping titled, Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies Hosts Udaari Exhibit written by Daan Van Der Kroon, published in the Arts & Life section of the Cascade News on 30th October, 2008. The article talks about the Udaari Photo Exhibit which told the stories of the lives of Indo-Canadian families over three generations.

Invitation to the Udaari Pioneer Exhibition, an exhibition about early Indo-Canadian immigrants and their families, scheduled for October 24th, 2008 from 10 am to 5 pm at the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, University of the Fraser Valley.

Handwritten life history of Hardial Singh Atwal, son of Bhai Balwant Singh Atwal and Kartar Kaur. Hardial Singh was the first Sikh born in Canada. In the writing, Hardial Singh describes Balwant Singh Atwal's story including from he arrived in Canada in 1906. Hardial Singh describes Balwant Singh's involvement in the Ghadr movement, the Komagata Maru incident, and his work advocating for the allowance of Indian families to Canada. During a trip back to India, Bhai Balwant Singh was arrested and sent to prison in Lahore. He was eventually hanged to death in 1916. After his death, the family remained in India. Hardial Singh describes how as a Canadian citizen he was able to return to the country without trouble, and came back in 1928.

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.

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, 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.

Creator: Bains, Darshan

Interview with Mrs. Darshan Bains, who was born in Duncan and raised in Chilliwack after her father (Gayani Harlal Singh Bains) migrated to Canada in 1906. The interview focuses on her stories as well as the stories of her family, particularly her father, an early Sikh settler in Canada. Her father was a devoutly religious Sikh man. He taught his children and others in the community to be proud of who they were, no matter how they appeared to others. Darshan Bains and her siblings were taught everything about their culture and religion even though they never went to India. Her father was heavily involved in working at the Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in various locations in Canada. Moreover, during that time, he was the head Granthi in Canada. Mrs. Bains's family first moved to Abbotsford and then to Agassiz in 1945. Due to floods, they settled in Chilliwack in 1945. She was the first South Asian Canadian woman to become baptized Sikh. This is a full-length interview that was conducted by Nirakshik Chand on 22nd February 1997.