Gur Sikh Temple
Though the oldest existing gurdwara on the continent, having opened in 1911, it is the third-oldest to be built in Canada and North America. The first Gurdwara in Canada was built by early Sikh-Canadian settlers in Golden, British Columbia in 1905, which would later be destroyed by fire in 1926. Meanwhile, the second-oldest Gurdwara to be built in Canada opened in 1908 in Kitsilano (Vancouver), aimed at serving a growing number of Sikh settlers who worked at nearby sawmills along False Creek at the time. It would later be closed and demolished in 1970, with the temple society relocating to the newly built Gurdwara on Ross Street in South Vancouver.
History
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The first Sikh pioneers came to the Abbotsford area in 1905 and originally worked on farms and in the lumber industry. First plans to build a gurudwara were made in 1908. After a property situated on a hill was acquired, the settlers carried lumber from a local mill on their backs up a hill to construct the gurdwara.
When the Gurdwara opened on February 26, 1911, Sikhs and non-Sikhs from across British Columbia attended the ceremony and a local newspaper reported on the event. The temple was a two-floor building that from the outside looked like the contemporary wood houses often seen in local frontier towns. Features and decoration typical for Sikh architecture and design were only used in the interior. The first floor contains the Langar and common dining room for the community, and the second floor contains the prayer hall. The building was extended twice in 1932 and in the 1960s. Until 1975 the Gurdwara belonged to the Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver (founded in 1905), then it was transferred to the Khalsa Diwan Society Abbotsford, who wished for greater autonomy. In 1983, a new, much larger temple with a completely different architectural style was built on the opposite side of the road. The old temple was designated a National Historic Site in 2002, with the designation declared by Prime Minister Jean Chretien at a ceremony on July 26. In 2007, the temple reopened after renovation. For 2011, a small museum in the basement was planned in connection with the temple's 100-year anniversary. To mark the centennial (1911-2011) of Gur Sikh Temple, Prime Minister Stephen Harper inaugurated the Sikh Heritage Museum on the ground floor of the Temple.
On May 19, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Canada 150 exhibit at the Sikh Heritage Museum.
Notes
- ^ Abbotsford Sikh Temple National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Sikhs celebrate history in Golden". April 26, 2018.
The original temple in Golden sat on a corner of a lot, in the south western area of town at the end of the street looking toward where Rona is now. The largest influx of men came from South Asia around 1905, which would be the time period that the temple in Golden would have began services. In 1926, a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where the South Asian men worked.
- ^ "Golden's Sikh heritage recognized on new Stop of Interest sign". November 9, 2016.
"We acknowledge the Gurdwara in Golden as the first in B.C., and quite likely the first in North America," said Pyara Lotay, on behalf of the local Sikh community. "We thank the B.C. government for recognizing Golden's Sikh pioneers and their place of worship with this Stop of Interest."
- ^ "Golden Gurdwara is recognized for its historical significance". June 7, 2017.
The original temple sat on the corner of a lot, which is now owned by Gurmit Manhas, at the end of the street past the School Board Office looking towards the Rona. Plans are being put together to erect a kiosk there that would share information about the original building, the first South Asian people to Canada, the importance of the Gurdwara to the Sikh people and the history of why they left and what brought them back. The largest influx of men came from South Asia in about 1905-06, which would be the time period that the Temple would have begun services. In 1926 a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where all the South Asian men worked and the men left for the coast having no work to do. When the forest started to grow back the men came back and soon it was necessary to build the present Gurdwara on 13th Street South.
- ^ "First Sikh Temple • Vancouver Heritage Foundation".
- ^ Baker, Rochelle (December 13, 2010). "Abbotsford's Gur Sikh Temple celebrates 100 years". Abbotsford Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)() - ^ Satwinder Bains: Gur Sikh Temple (archived) at canadiansikhheritage.ca (retrieved 7 April 2011)
- ^ "Budh Singh and Kashmir Kaur Dhahan" (Archive). Carleton University. Retrieved on April 13, 2015.
- ^ Marelle Reid. Abbotsford celebrates Sikh temple's centennial with Harper at sikhnet.com
- ^ Neil Corbett: PM and premier join Abbotsford Gur Sikh Temple celebration Archived 2017-12-10 at the Wayback Machine. BC Local News, 2011-08-28
- ^ Kelvin Gawley Trudeau touts multiculturalism, acknowledges ‘black mark in our history’ at Abbotsford temple. The Abbotsord News, 2017-05-19
See also
References
- Rochelle Baker: Abbotsford's Gur Sikh Temple celebrates 100 years Archived 2012-03-11 at the Wayback Machine. In Abbotsford Times of 2010-12-13
- Canada's 100-Year-Old Temple - report on Al Jazeera English (video,2:10 min.)
- Satwinder Bains: Gur Sikh Temple at canadiansikhheritage.ca
- Oldest Sikh temple reopens. South Fraser Way was transformed into a sea of saris yesterday. at canada.com on 2007-4-2
External links
- 1911 Gurdwara: A National Historic Site - some basic information and pictures on a website of the MSA Museum Society
- Sikh Temples And Societies Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine at abbotsfordtoday.com on 2009-4-1
- Government Supports Grant to Historic Temple
- [1], [2] - images on Flickr
- Abbotsford Sikh Gurdwara Launches Centennial Anniversary With Special Proclamation: 2011 Year of the Gurdwara Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Douglas Todd: B.C. Sikhs have had a long, hard road for 100 years Archived 2013-10-24 at the Wayback Machine. Website of The Vancouver Sun, 2011-1-10
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