Chand, Nirakshik

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, 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: 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

Creator: Chand, Nirakshik

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.