Punjabi Canadians Explained

Group:	Punjabi Canadians Canadiens d'origine penjabaise (French)
Population:	942,170^[1] 2.6% of the total Canadian population (2021)
Region1:	Ontario
Pop1:	397,865 (2.8%)
Region2:	British Columbia
Pop2:	315,000 (6.4%)
Pop3:	126,385 (3.0%)
Pop4:	42,820 (3.3%)
Pop5:	34,290 (0.4%)
Langs:	Canadian English • Punjabi and its dialects
Rels:	Predominantly: Sikhism (81.4%) Minorities: ^[2]

Punjabi Canadians number approximately 950,000 and account for roughly 2.6% of Canada's population, as per the 2021 Canadian census. Their heritage originates wholly or partly from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.

Punjabis first arrived in Canada during the late 19th century to work in the forestry industry. Primarily concentrated in the western province of British Columbia, the Punjabi population initially peaked in 1908 before an ensuing period of population decline and stagnation followed. In the mid 20th century Canadian immigration laws were relaxed, fostering rapid population growth into the present day.

Today, the largest Punjabi communities in Canada are situated in the province of British Columbia, concentrated in Vancouver, and the province of Ontario, particularly in Toronto.

History

Late 19th century

In 1897, the first persons of Punjabi origin visited British Columbia. They were soldiers transiting from India to the United Kingdom during the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.^[3] The Punjabis ultimately became the first South Asian-origin group to settle in Canada.

Early 20th century

In 1900, the population of Punjabis in Canada increased to 100.^[3] By 1906, this number increased to 1,500. The vast majority were Sikhs and came from Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ferozpur, and Ludhiana.^[4] At the turn of the century the Mayor of Vancouver did not permit cremation, so when the first Sikh died in 1907 he could not be cremated in the Vancouver city limits. Christian missionaries did not permit him to be buried with whites. Even though the missionaries promoted burial, the Sikhs instead cremated the man in a distant wilderness. This prompted Sikhs to establish their own religious institutions.^[5]

Initially, Punjabis were guaranteed jobs by agents of big Canadian companies like the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Hudson's Bay Company. Overcoming their initial reluctance to go to these countries due to the treatment of Asians by the white population, many young men chose to go, having been assured that they would not meet the same fate. They were British subjects and Canada was a part of the British Empire.^[6]

A notable moment in early Punjabi Canadian history was in 1902 when Punjabi Sikh settlers first arrived in Golden, British Columbia to work at the Columbia River Lumber Company.^[7] This was a theme amongst most early Punjabi settlers in Canada to find work in the agricultural and forestry sectors in British Columbia.^[8] Punjabis became a prominent ethnic group within the sawmill workforce in British Columbia almost immediately after initial arrival to Canada.^[9]

The early settlers in Golden built the first Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) in Canada and North America in 1905,^{[10] [11]} which would later be destroyed by fire in 1926.^[12] The second Gurdwara to be built in Canada was in 1908 in Kitsilano (Vancouver), aimed at serving a growing number of Punjabi Sikh settlers who worked at nearby sawmills along False Creek at the time.^[13] The Gurdwara would later close and be demolished in 1970, with the temple society relocating to the newly built Gurdwara on Ross Street, in South Vancouver.

As a result, the oldest existing Gurdwara in Canada today is the Gur Sikh Temple, located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Built in 1911, the temple was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 2002 and is the third-oldest Gurdwara in the country. Later, the fourth Gurdwara to be built Canada was established in 1912 in Victoria on Topaz Avenue, while the fifth soon was built at the Fraser Mills (Coquitlam) settlement in 1913, followed a few years later by the sixth at the Queensborough (New Westminster) settlement in 1919,^{[14] [15] [16]} and the seventh at the Paldi (Vancouver Island) settlement, also in 1919.^{[17] [18] [19] [20]} Oftentimes, upon arrival to British Columbia, early Punjabi immigrants and settlers faced widespread racism by other ethnic groups who had also immigrated and settled in Canada in prior decades, including English Canadians, Scottish Canadians, or Irish Canadians. Most of the white Canadians feared workers who would work for less pay, and that an influx of more immigrants would threaten their jobs.^{[21] [22]}

The continued tensions caused the Punjabi population to fall from a high of 4,700 in 1907, to less than 2,000 by 1914.^[23] In 1908 the British Columbia government passed a law preventing Indian men from voting. Because eligibility for federal elections originated from provincial voting lists, East Indian men were unable to vote in federal elections.^[24] Punjabis were later faced by one of the most infamous racial exclusion acts in Canadian history. In 1914, The Komagata Maru, a steamliner carrying 376 passengers from Punjab docked in Vancouver. Of them, 24 were admitted to Canada, but the other 352 passengers were not allowed to disembark in Canada, and the ship was forced to return to India. The passengers comprised 337 Punjabi Sikhs, 27 Punjabi Muslims and 12 Punjabi Hindus.^[25]

Mid 20th century

By 1923, Vancouver became the primary cultural, social, and religious centre of Punjabi Canadians as it had the largest ethnic Indian population of any city in North America.^[26] The Punjabi population in Canada would remain relatively stable throughout the mid 20th century as the exclusionary immigration policies practiced by the Canadian government continued. However, a shift began to occur after World War Two. The Canadian government re-enfranchised the Indo-Canadian community with the right to vote in 1947.

A significant event in Punjabi Canadian history occurred in 1950 when 25 years after settling in Canada and nine years after moving to British Columbia from Toronto, Naranjan "Giani" Singh Grewall became the first individual of Punjabi ancestry in Canada and North America to be elected to public office after successfully running for a position on the board of commissioners in Mission, BC against six other candidates.^{[27] [28] [29] [30] [31]} Grewall was re-elected to the board of commissioners in 1952 and by 1954, was elected to became mayor of Mission.^{[27] [30] [31]} A millwright and union official, and known as a sportsman and humanitarian philanthropist as well as a lumberman, Grewall eventually established himself as one of the largest employers and most influential business leaders in the northern Fraser Valley, owned six sawmills and was active in community affairs serving on the boards or as chairman of a variety of organizations, and was instrumental in helping create Mission's municipal tree farm.^{[27] [29] [30] [31]} With strong pro-labour beliefs despite his role as a mill-owner, after a scandal embroiled the provincial Ministry of Forestry under the-then Social Credit party government, he referred to holders of forest management licenses across British Columbia as Timber Maharajahs, and cautioned that within a decade, three or four giant corporations would predominantly control the entire industry in the province, echoing similarities to the archaic zamindar system in South Asia.^[30] He later ran unsuccessfully for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (the precursor of today's New Democratic Party) in the Dewdney riding in the provincial election of 1956.^{[31] [32]}

While by the 1950s, Punjabi Canadians had gained respect in business in British Columbia primarily for their work in owning sawmills and aiding the development of the provincial forestry industry, racism still existed especially in the upper echelons of society.^{[30] [33]} As such, during the campaign period and in the aftermath of running for MLA in 1956, Grewall received personal threats, while the six mills he owned along with his house were all set ablaze by arsonists.^[33] One year later, on July 17, 1957, while on a business trip, he was suspiciously found dead in a Seattle motel, having been shot in the head.^{[33] [34]} Grewall Street in Mission was named in his honour.^[35]

During the 1950s, immigration restrictions were loosened and Vancouver remained the centre of Punjabi immigration through the mid-20th century. In the post-war years into the early 1950s, Punjabis were geographically dispersed in the Lower Mainland, however two concentrations soon developed; first in South Vancouver (Sunset neighbourhood) during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s,^[36] followed by South Burnaby (Edmonds neighbourhood).^[37] Out of these two newly formed ethnic enclaves, it was South Vancouver which began to flourish as the Punjabi Market was soon founded in the late 1960s.

In 1967, all immigration quotas based on specific ethnic groups were scrapped in Canada, thus allowing the ethnic Punjabi population in Canada to grow rapidly thereafter. Most continued to settle in across British Columbia, notably in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the interior. As many Punjabis worked in the forestry industry, interior and northern regions of British Columbia began to see a rise in Punjabi immigration in the 1960s. Prince George, the economic centre of Northern BC, became a secondary hub for early Punjabi immigration.^[38]

Later in the 1970s, Punjabi population concentrations began appearing in North Delta, East Richmond, and Surrey. Vandalism against houses owned by Indo-Canadians and a Sikh gurdwara occurred in the 1970s, especially from 1974 to 1975 in Richmond.^[39]

Late 20th century to present

In 1986, following the British Columbia provincial election, Moe Sihota became the first Canadian of Punjabi ancestry to be elected to any provincial legislature in Canada. Sihota, who was born in Duncan, British Columbia in 1955, ran as the NDP Candidate in the riding of Esquimalt-Port Renfrew two years after being involved in municipal politics, as he was elected as an Alderman for the city of Esquimalt in 1984.

By the 1980s, the traditional Punjabi immigration patterns began to shift. Ontario soon became an important centre of immigration to Canada. Large Punjabi populations began to appear across the Greater Toronto Area, especially in Scarborough, Markham, Mississauga, Brampton, and Ajax. At the same time, Alberta also became another important immigration destination for Punjabis, with the third and fourth largest Punjabi Canadian populations in metropolitan areas now situated in Metro Calgary (primarily Northeast Calgary) and Metro Edmonton (primarily Southeast Edmonton in Mill Woods).

As of the 2011 census, 5.5% of residents reported speaking Punjabi at home in Metro Vancouver, while 21.3% of Surrey residents speak it as their primary language at home.^[40]

Today, the Punjabi population of Canada is 942,170^[1] with the largest community located in Ontario (397,865),^[41] followed by British Columbia (315,000),^[42] and Alberta (126,385).^[43] In addition, Punjabi is the third most spoken language of the Parliament of Canada.^[44]

Demography

Population

Punjabi Canadian Population History
1981−2021

Year	Population	% of total population
1981	73,810
1986	95,470
1991	167,930
1996	248,695
2001	338,715
2006	456,090
2011	545,730
2016	668,240
2021	942,170

Punjabi Canadian Proportion of the South Asian Canadian Population (1981−2021)

Province/territory	Percentage
	2021	2016	2011	2006	2001	1996	1991	1986	1981
British Columbia
Manitoba
Yukon
Alberta
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan
New Brunswick
Quebec
Ontario
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Canada

Religion

During the early stages of Punjabi immigration to Canada, most pioneers were of the Sikh faith.^[45]

A census report detailing the religious proportion breakdown of the Punjabi Canadian community was done between 2005 and 2007 by Statistics Canada, with results derived from the 2001 Canadian census. This report found that 86% of Punjabi Canadians were adherents of the Sikh faith, while the remaining 14% followed other religions such as Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity.

The 2021 Canadian census revealed that 81.4 per cent of the Punjabi Canadian community were adherents adherents of the Sikh faith, followed by Hinduism (6.9 per cent) and Islam (6.8 per cent), with smaller minorities adhering to Irreligion (3.7 per cent), Christianity (1.1 per cent), and Buddhism (0.02 per cent).^[2]

Religious group! colspan="2"

2021
Sikhism	227,955
Islam	18,980
Hinduism	19,320
Irreligion	10,430
Christianity	3,005
Buddhism	50
Judaism	40
Indigenous spirituality	15
Other	145
Total Punjabi Canadian responses	279,950
Total Punjabi Canadian population	942,170

Geographical distribution

The largest Punjabi populations in Canada are located in British Columbia and Ontario. Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec are also home to significant populations with Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia featuring small but rapidly growing Punjabi communities.

Provinces & territories

Punjabi Canadians by province and territory (1981−2021)

Province/territory	2021		2016^[46]		2011^[47]		2006		2001		1996		1991		1986		1981
Ontario	397,865		282,065		238,130		201,720		146,250		99,135		64,105		26,280		18,050
British Columbia	315,000		244,485		213,315		184,590		142,785		112,365		77,830		54,075		45,000
Alberta	126,385		90,485		62,815		44,480		28,460		20,660		15,165		8,755		6,250
Manitoba	42,820		22,900		12,555		7,600		6,305		5,445		4,150		2,845		1,935
Quebec	34,290		17,860		14,480		15,435		13,050		9,155		4,850		2,455		1,510
Saskatchewan	13,310		8,300		3,250		1,210		925		760		635		555		530
Nova Scotia	6,730		1,010		800		625		525		765		705		285		305
New Brunswick	2,475		205		115		130		135		80		55		60		100
Prince Edward Island	1,550		185		40		15		0		30		90		15		25
Newfoundland and Labrador	1,040		485		115		150		150		140		235		90		105
Yukon	490		150		105		100		90		95		50		45		30
Northwest Territories	175		105		30		25		35		60		65		30		15
Nunavut	30		15		15		10		10
Canada	942,170		668,240		545,730		456,090		338,715		248,695		167,930		95,470		73,810

Metropolitan areas

According to the 2021 census, metropolitan areas with the highest proportions of Punjabi Canadians included Abbotsford–Mission (23.3%), Vancouver (9.2%), Toronto (5.2%), Winnipeg (4.9%), Calgary (4.7%), Edmonton (3.8%), Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo (2.8%), Regina (2.5%), Kelowna (2.2%), Hamilton (1.8%), Saskatoon (1.7%), and Victoria (1.5%).^[1]

Punjabi Canadians by metropolitan areas (2016−2021)

Metro Area	Province	2021		2016
		Pop.		Pop.
Toronto	Ontario	318,135		243,875
Vancouver	British Columbia	239,205		187,530
Calgary	Alberta	68,240		51,070
Edmonton	Alberta	53,280		36,190
Abbotsford– Mission	British Columbia	44,745		35,075
Winnipeg	Manitoba	40,105		21,905
Montreal	Quebec	33,640		17,580
Kitchener– Cambridge– Waterloo	Ontario	16,155		6,770
Hamilton	Ontario	13,535		9,270
Ottawa– Gatineau	Ontario- Quebec	10,850		6,440
London	Ontario	6,225		2,030
Windsor	Ontario	6,100		3,270
Regina	Saskatchewan	6,065		3,675
Victoria	British Columbia	5,980		5,310
Saskatoon	Saskatchewan	5,430		3,570
Halifax	Nova Scotia	5,025		815
Kelowna	British Columbia	4,740		2,460
Oshawa	Ontario	3,680		1,715
St. Catharines– Niagara	Ontario	3,280		1,010
Barrie	Ontario	1,880		720

Subdivisions

British Columbia

According to the 2021 census, subdivisions in British Columbia with the highest proportions of Punjabi Canadians included Surrey (29.3%), Abbotsford (27.3%), Delta (19.4%), Cawston (16.4%), Okanagan−Similkameen Subdivision A (14.9%), Okanagan−Similkameen Subdivision C (14.3%), Mission (8.9%), Oliver (8.4%), Squamish (5.4%), Okanagan−Similkameen Subdivision G (5.4%), and New Westminster (5.1%).

• Subdivisions with Punjabi Canadian populations greater than 100 listed below.

Punjabi Canadians by subdivisions in British Columbia (2016−2021)

Subdivision	Regional District	2021^[48]		2016
		Pop.		Pop.
Surrey	Metro Vancouver	164,825		128,515
Abbotsford	Fraser Valley	41,145		32,510
Delta	Metro Vancouver	20,810		14,690
Vancouver	Metro Vancouver	19,130		17,960
Burnaby	Metro Vancouver	7,860		6,785
Richmond	Metro Vancouver	7,060		6,940
Langley	Metro Vancouver	5,410		3,240
Kelowna	Central Okanagan	4,115		2,080
New Westminster	Metro Vancouver	3,955		2,955
Mission	Fraser Valley	3,595		2,565
Saanich	Capital	3,700		3,390
Prince George	Fraser– Fort George	2,635		1,750
Kamloops	Thompson– Nicola	2,285		1,480
Maple Ridge	Metro Vancouver	2,215		1,135
Coquitlam	Metro Vancouver	2,060		1,680
Chilliwack	Fraser Valley	1,810		625
Nanaimo	Nanaimo	1,640		1,075
Port Coquitlam	Metro Vancouver	1,440		1,130
Squamish	Squamish– Lillooet	1,280		1,080
Langley (City)	Metro Vancouver	1,160		260
White Rock	Metro Vancouver	1,025		535
Penticton	Okanagan– Similkameen	850		740
Langford	Capital	670		450
Fort St. John	Peace River	645		245
North Vancouver (District)	Metro Vancouver	620		475
North Vancouver (City)	Metro Vancouver	590		355
Vernon	North Okanagan	580		550
Victoria	Capital	575		520
Okanagan-Similkameen Subdivision C	Okanagan– Similkameen	565		540
Pitt Meadows	Metro Vancouver	555		480
Prince Rupert	North Coast	485		290
Terrace	Kitimat– Stikine	475		235
North Cowichan	Cowichan Valley	430		565
Oliver	Okanagan– Similkameen	415		385
Williams Lake	Cariboo	340		310
West Kelowna	Central Okanagan	315		145
Okanagan-Similkameen Subdivision A	Okanagan– Similkameen	310		270
Central Saanich	Capital	255		225
View Royal	Capital	250		425
Osoyoos	Okanagan– Similkameen	245		200
Port Alberni	Alberni– Clayoquot	240		370
Dawson Creek	Peace River	240		170
Quesnel	Cariboo	235		455
Merritt	Thompson– Nicola	235		360
Courtenay	Comox Valley	230		135
Cranbrook	East Kootenay	230		60
Campbell River	Strathcona	225		100
Sechelt	Sunshine Coast	185		30
Castlegar	Central Kootenay	180		135
Cawston	Okanagan– Similkameen	180		110
Lake Country	Central Okanagan	175		110
North Saanich	Capital	160		30
Summerland	Okanagan– Similkameen	155		115
Trail	Kootenay Boundary	150		15
West Vancouver	Metro Vancouver	140		135
Okanagan-Similkameen Subdivision G	Okanagan– Similkameen	125		125
Oak Bay	Capital	120		75
Smithers	Bulkley– Nechako	120		10
Port Moody	Metro Vancouver	115		135
Nelson	Central Kootenay	110		35
Salmon Arm	Columbia– Shuswap	105		40

Prairies

According to the 2021 census, subdivisions in the Prairies with the highest proportions of Punjabi Canadians included Chestermere (14.7%), Winnipeg (5.3%), Edmonton (5.0%), Thompson (4.9%), Calgary (4.7%), Regina (2.7%), Airdrie (2.4%), Saskatoon (2.0%), Portage La Prairie (1.9%), Grande Prairie (1.2%), and Yorkton (1.2%).

• Subdivisions with Punjabi Canadian populations greater than 100 listed below.

Punjabi Canadians by subdivisions in the Prairies (2016−2021)

Subdivision	Province	2021		2016
		Pop.		Pop.
Calgary	Alberta	61,205		47,135
Edmonton	Alberta	49,965		34,305
Winnipeg	Manitoba	39,215		21,585
Regina	Saskatchewan	5,940		3,625
Saskatoon	Saskatchewan	5,220		3,425
Chestermere	Alberta	3,265		1,900
Airdrie	Alberta	1,760		685
Strathcona County	Alberta	1,045		730
Grande Prairie	Alberta	760		370
Fort McMurray	Alberta	725		630
Thompson	Manitoba	630		415
Brandon	Manitoba	590		235
Red Deer	Alberta	585		370
Lethbridge	Alberta	455		260
Medicine Hat	Alberta	445		120
Prince Albert	Saskatchewan	415		275
Lloydminster	Alberta− Saskatchewan	355		330
Portage La Prairie	Manitoba	240		25
Spruce Grove	Alberta	235		100
Yorkton	Saskatchewan	190		75
St. Albert	Alberta	185		175
Leduc	Alberta	145		215
Moose Jaw	Saskatchewan	140		110
North Battleford	Saskatchewan	125		30

Ontario

According to the 2021 census, subdivisions in Ontario with the highest proportions of Punjabi Canadians included Brampton (29.1%), Caledon (15.1%), Mississauga (5.3%), Mono (5.0%), Milton (4.6%), Woodstock (4.2%), Cambridge (3.8%), Kitchener (3.2%), Brantford (3.1%), Oakville (2.6%), Ajax (2.3%), Halton Hills (2.1%), and Waterloo (2.0%).

• Subdivisions with Punjabi Canadian populations greater than 100 listed below.

Punjabi Canadians by subdivisions in Ontario (2016−2021)

Subdivision	2021		2016
	Pop.		Pop.
Brampton	189,235		141,995
Toronto	41,430		33,785
Mississauga	37,835		34,345
Caledon	11,515		4,410
Hamilton	10,420		6,645
Ottawa	10,240		6,235
Kitchener	8,160		3,060
Markham	6,095		6,615
Milton	6,085		3,820
London	5,970		1,920
Oakville	5,570		3,805
Cambridge	5,195		2,230
Windsor	4,125		2,540
Brantford	3,160		1,665
Ajax	2,860		1,990
Burlington	2,885		2,565
Guelph	2,775		2,110
Waterloo	2,370		1,165
Woodstock	1,930		100
	1,785		440
Oshawa	1,755		650
Barrie	1,685		665
Pickering	1,645		1,445
Whitby	1,420		895
Halton Hills	1,335		545
Richmond Hill	1,120		1,365
Sudbury	805		175
Kingston	745		345
Peterborough	550		130
	535		120
St. Catharines	515		245
Cornwall	510		235
Orangeville	465		140
Mono	465		130
Sarnia	455		165
Thunder Bay	395		95
Sault Ste. Marie	365		40
Timmins	325		15
Chatham− Kent	310		55
Stratford	160		120

Quebec

• Subdivisions with Punjabi Canadian populations greater than 100 listed below.

Punjabi Canadians by subdivisions in Quebec (2016−2021)

Subdivision	2021		2016
	Pop.		Pop.
Montreal	22,580		10,615
Laval	3,595		2,495
Vaudreuil– Dorion	1,980		885
Dollard–des– Ormeaux	1,855		1,400
Brossard	675		605
Gatineau	345		155

North

• Subdivisions with Punjabi Canadian populations greater than 100 listed below.

Punjabi Canadians by subdivisions in Northern Canada (2016−2021)

Subdivision	Province	2021		2016
		Pop.		Pop.
Whitehorse	Yukon	455		140
Yellowknife	Northwest Territories	150		90

Notable people

Academics

• Hardial Singh Bains, microbiologist
• Harjot Singh Oberoi, academic
• Munir Sheikh, economist
• Naranjan Singh Dhalla, scientist
• Naweed Syed, scientist
• Sajida Alvi, academic
• Sandeep Singh Brar, academic
• Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, academic
• Sheena Iyengar, academic

Activists

• Darshan Singh Canadian, trade unionist and communist organizer
• Harmeet Singh Sooden, anti-war activist
• Jaggi Singh, anti-globalization activist
• Mewa Singh, assassin, anti-British Colonialism activist, Azad Punjab(Free Punjab) Movement Ghadarite

Athletes

• Andrew Singh Kooner, boxer
• Akam, professional wrestler
• Amarveer Singh Dhesi, wrestling gold medalist
• Arjun Singh Bhullar, wrestler and mixed martial artist
• Arjun Gill, wrestling gold medalist
• Arshdeep Bains, ice hockey player
• Balraj Panesar, field hockey player
• The Bollywood Boyz, Gurv Singh and Harv Singh Sihra, professional wrestling tag team
• Haninder Dhillon, cricket player
• Harinder Jit Singh Rai, field hockey player
• Harpal Singh Talhan, boxer
• Jasvir Rakkar, baseball player
• Jasvir Singh, weightlifter
• Jimmy Hansra, cricket player
• Shaan Hundal, soccer player
• Jinder Mahal, professional wrestler
• Jujhar Khaira, ice hockey player
• Kenny Singh Lally, Boxing bronze medalist
• Manny Malhotra, retired ice hockey player and current coach
• Nick Sandhu, former field hockey player
• Nicolas Gill, judoko
• Nishan Singh Randhawa, wrestling gold medalist
• Nuvraj Bassi, football player
• Obby Khan, former football player
• Paul Chohan, former field hockey player
• Qaiser Ali, cricket player
• Robin Bawa, ice hockey player, first Indo-Canadian in the NHL
• Rizwan Cheema, cricket player
• Saad Bin Zafar, cricket player
• Sim Bhullar, basketball player
• Sukh Chungh, football player
• Sukhdeep Singh Chakria, boxer
• Sukhi Panesar, field hockey player
• Tiger Ali Singh, professional wrestler
• Tiger Jeet Singh, professional wrestler
• Umar Bhatti, cricket player
• Yogi Singh Johl, Olympic wrestler

Businesspeople

• Nav Bhatia, businessman
• Baljit Singh Chadha, businessman
• Harbanse Singh Doman, industrialist
• Manjit Minhas, entrepreneur, Dragon's Den panelist
• Spoony Singh, entrepreneur
• Suneet Singh Tuli, tech entrepreneur
• Shivon Zilis, venture capitalist

Criminals

See main article: Punjabi-Canadian organized crime.

• Jaspal Atwal, attempted assassin of Malkiat Singh Sidhu
• Ranjit Cheema, gangster
• Bindy Johal, gangster
• Gurmit Singh Dhak, gangster

Film and television

• Neeru Bajwa, Pollywood actress
• Rubina Bajwa, Pollywood actress
• Parveen Kaur, actress
• Karam Singh Batth, Pollywood actor and producer
• Rupan Bal, Pollywood actor and YouTube personality
• Vekeana Dhillon, Pollywood screenwriter and series creator
• Vikram Dhillon, filmmaker and producer
• Balinder Johal, actress
• Akshay Kumar, Bollywood actor
• Sunny Leone, Bollywood and adult actress
• Deepa Mehta, film director
• Omar Majeed, film director and producer
• Zarqa Nawaz, film director/producer and author
• Alex Sangha, social worker and documentary film producer
• Zaib Shaikh, actor
• Jasmeet Singh, comedian
• Veena Sood, actress
• Lilly Singh, comedian
• Supinder Wraich, actress

Journalists

• Suroosh Alvi, journalist and filmmaker
• Monika Deol, VJ and news anchor
• Tara Singh Hayer, newspaper publisher
• Tarek Fatah, journalist
• Monita Rajpal, journalist
• Ali Amjad Rizvi, journalist and political activist
• Harnarayan Singh, journalist and sports announcer
• Adnan Virk, sports announcer

Musicians

• Karan Aujla, singer
• Jazzy B, singer
• Fateh, rapper
• Humble the Poet, rapper
• Jonita Gandhi, singer
• Qurram Hussain, singer
• Rup Magon, singer-songwriter
• Deep Jandu, rapper and producer
• Harbhajan Mann, singer, actor, film producer
• Nav, rapper and singer
• Musarrat Nazir, singer/actress
• Sidhu Moose Wala, rapper and singer
• Nimrat Khaira, singer
• AP Dhillon, singer

Politicians

• Amarjeet Singh Sohi, Mayor of Edmonton, former Minister of Natural Resources
• Anita Anand, MP for Oakville, cabinet minister
• Anju Dhillon, MP for Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle
• Bardish Chagger, MP for Waterloo, cabinet minister
• Bob Saroya, MP for Markham—Unionville
• Deepak Anand, politician MPP for Mississauga-Malton
• Gagan Sikand, MP for Mississauga-Streetsville
• Gurbax Singh Malhi, former MP for Bramalea—Gore—Malton, first turban-wearing Sikh elected to a national legislature in the Western world
• Gurmant Grewal, former MP for Newton—North Delta
• Gurratan Singh, MPP for Brampton East
• Harinder Takhar former MPP for Mississauga—Erindale, former cabinet minister
• Harjit Sajjan, MP for Vancouver South, cabinet minister
• Harry Bains, MLA for Surrey-Newton
• Herb Dhaliwal, former MP for Vancouver South, cabinet minister
• Iqra Khalid, MP for Mississauga—Erin Mills
• Jag Sahota, MP for Calgary Skyview
• Jagmeet Singh, MP for Burnaby South, leader of the New Democratic Party
• Jas Johal, former MLA for Richmond-Queensborough
• Jasbir Sandhu, former MP for Surrey North
• Johnder Basran, former Mayor of Lillooet, British Columbia, first Indo-Canadian mayor
• Kamal Khera, MP for Brampton West
• Kash Heed, former police chief and MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview
• Ruby Dhalla, former MP for Brampton—Springdale
• Maninder Sidhu, MP for Brampton East
• Manmeet Bhullar, MLA for Calgary-Greenway
• Mintu Sandhu, MLA for The Maples
• Moe Sihota, former MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin, first Indo-Canadian elected to a provincial legislature
• Nina Grewal, former MP for Fleetwood—Port Kells
• Navdeep Bains, MP for Mississauga—Malton, cabinet minister
• Parm Gill, MPP for Milton
• Peter Sandhu, former MLA for Edmonton Manning
• Peter Singh, MLA for Calgary-East
• Raj Grewal, former MP for Brampton East
  • Raj Saini, MP for Kitchener Centre Rachna Singh, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers
• Ramesh Sangha, MP for Brampton Centre
• Ruby Sahota, MP for Brampton North
• Sara Singh, MPP for Brampton Centre
• Sukh Dhaliwal, MP for Surrey—Newton
• Shafiq Qaadri, former MPP for Etobicoke North
• Sonia Sidhu, MP for Brampton South
• Tim Uppal, MP for Edmonton Mill Woods, former cabinet minister
• Ujjal Dosanjh, former MP for Vancouver South, former MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, former Premier of British Columbia, first Indo-Canadian premier
• Wajid Khan, former MP for Mississauga—Streetsville
• Wally Oppal, former MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview

Writers and Authors

• Gurjinder Basran, novelist
• H. S. Bhabra, writer
• Navtej Bharati, poet
• Ranj Dhaliwal, novelist
• Rupinder Gill, writer and humourist
• Rupi Kaur, author and poet
• Rukhsana Khan, writer
• Shaun Mehta, writer

Other

• Buckam Singh, former soldier

See also

• Indo-Canadians
• Pakistani Canadians

Notes and References

1. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-08-17 . Knowledge of languages by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts . 2022-10-12 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
2. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2023-05-10 . Religion by ethnic or cultural origins: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts . 2024-03-17 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
3. Walton-Roberts, Margaret. 1998. "Three Readings of the Turban: Sikh Identity in Greater Vancouver" (Archive). In Urban Geography, Vol. 19: 4, June. - DOI 10.2747/0272-3638.19.4.311 - Available at Academia.edu and at ResearchGate. p. 316.
4. Lal, p. 29.
5. Hans, p. 221-222.
6. Singh. Khushwant. The Ghadr Rebellion. Illustrated Weekly of India. Feb 26 – Mar 12, 1961. Feb 26 – Mar 12. 2 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140324035007/http://www.sikhpioneers.org/rebellion.html. 24 March 2014. dead.
7. Web site: FIRST SIKH TEMPLE IN NORTH AMERICA. March 10, 2021. The first Sikhs came to Golden about 1902, arriving to work in the sawmill of the Columbia River Lumber Company. When the Sikhs arrived in Golden the community was in its infancy and the sawmill had recently opened. The Columbia River Lumber Company recognized the value of these tall strong men and had no problem with the men. They hired them to work in the lumberyard, planer, and sawmill. The first documented proof that we have of South Asians of the Sikh faith being residents of Golden is a copy of a telegram sent to G.T. Bradshaw, Chief of Police, New Westminster from Colin Cameron, Chief of Police, Golden, BC on July 20, 1902. It was sent collect and reads: Geha Singh of Golden sent a telegram to Santa Singh care of Small and Bucklin for one thousand dollars..
8. "Country Brief – Canada" (Archive). Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. p. 4/7. Retrieved on October 21, 2014. "Emigrants from India today enjoy success in all fields within the economy while there are some concentration in British Columbia in agriculture and forestry."
9. Nayar, The Punjabis in British Columbia, p. 28. "In fact, early in the twentieth century, when many Chinese and Japanese men were working in sawmills, lumber labour had become associated with ethnicity."
10. Web site: 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..
11. Web site: 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.".
12. Web site: 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..
13. Web site: First Sikh Temple • Vancouver Heritage Foundation.
14. Web site: New Westminster Sikh temple celebrates 100-year anniversary. March 3, 2019. The Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar is one of the oldest Sikh temples in the country and its members are celebrating the milestone anniversary by reflecting on its historic significance to the local Sikh community. The temple was actually founded more than 100 years ago when a pioneering Sikh named Bhai Bishan Singh bought a house next door to where the building is now. Singh paid $250 for the house, which served as a place of worship until the congregation grew too large. In 1919, Singh bought the neighbouring lot at 347 Wood Street and the Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar was born..
15. Web site: New Westminster Sikh temple welcomes community to celebrate its centennial anniversary. February 27, 2019. The Khalsa Diwan Society New Westminster is inviting community members to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar in Queensborough. Since opening in 1919, the temple has become an integral part of the Queensborough and New Westminster communities, and has provided a place for Sikhs from New Westminster and the Lower Mainland to gather and to worship. “It is starting up on Thursday and it will be four days, with the main event on Sunday. It's open to anyone within the community – in Queensborough and in New West. It's to show support, learn about each other and the heritage,” said Jag Sall, a member of the committee that's organizing the celebration. “I don't think a lot of people know that the Sikh community has been in Queensborough for over 100 years, and/or the gurdwara itself has been there that long. Not just the Sikh community, but other communities in Queensborough have been living there for a century.”.
16. Web site: The Gurdwara of New West Shares a Century of Stories. January 23, 2020. Every Sunday in 1919, the Sikhs of Queensborough on the Fraser River would stroll over to the house of Bhai Bishan Singh for worship. Singh, like many Punjabi immigrants, settled in the New Westminster neighbourhood because he worked upriver at a sawmill. A devout Sikh, he had the holy scripture installed in his home, the Guru Granth Sahib. Singh was a bachelor and gave much of his earnings to the local Khalsa Diwan Society, which in 1908 had built B.C.'s first gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, in Vancouver. In March 1919, Singh helped the Sikhs of New Westminster start a gurdwara of their own. For $250, Singh bought the property next door and donated it to the society. Later, he would donate his house as well..
17. Web site: Paldi Sikh Temple in Cowichan celebrating 100 years. June 26, 2019. The town's cultural centres were the Japanese community hall and the Sikh Temple, which officially opened July 1, 1919, to coincide with Dominion Day..
18. Web site: Sikh temple celebrates 100 years of acceptance in Vancouver Island ghost town. June 29, 2019. Paldi's Gurdwara was built in 1919 and soon became one of the most important fixtures of the community, even surviving several town fires..
19. Web site: THE FOUNDING OF PALDI. In 1919, Mayo built a Sikh temple, or a gurdwara..
20. Web site: PALDI: Town soaked in Sikh History. Wherever there are five or more Sikh's there will be Sikh Temple even just a spare room in some ones house. Therefore it was only that once the natural that once the mill and bunkhouses were erected the next building should be a Temple. The first official Temple in Paldi was built in 1919. On the same spot where the present Temple is located..
21. "SOME SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN SIKH-CANADIAN HISTORY" (Archive). ExplorAsian. Retrieved on November 10, 2014.
22. http://sikhs.org/100th/part1a.html Century of Struggle and Success The Sikh Canadian Experience
23. Pg. 79. White Canada Forever. By W. Peter Ward. 2002. McGill, Quebec, Canada.
24. Nayar, The Punjabis in British Columbia, page 15.
25. Web site: Komagata Maru.
26. Das, p. 20-21 (Archive).
27. Web site: Naranjan Singh Grewall: first NRI Mayor of Mission, BC, Canada. NRI Naranjan Singh Grewall was the first (Indo Canadian) Mayor of Mission, B.C., Canada and the first Indo Canadian mayor within any city in Canada, in 1954. He was elected Canada's first Sikh city councilor, to a public office in Mission, not only in Canada, but all of North America in 1950. In 1941, he came to Mission, B.C. from Toronto, Ontario. He purchased and became the operator of six lumber companies across the Fraser Valley. Referring to holders of forest management licenses as 'Timber Maharajahs', he warned that within 10 years 3 or 4 giant corporations would effectively control the industry in B.C. Mr. Grewall became a voice for the growing industry and openly critiqued the then government's policies of granting licenses to their friends. Throughout his life, Naranjan Grewall remained incredibly charitable..
28. Mahil, Lovleen. "Indo-Canadian Community in Mission"(Archive). Mission Community Archives, Mission Museum. Retrieved on March 16, 2015.
29. Web site: SOUTH ASIAN PIONEERS: NARANJAN SINGH GREWAL. May 19, 2015. Known as "Giani" to his friends, Naranjan Grewall is believed to be the first Indian ever elected to political office in North America. Grewall was born in East Punjab. He came to B.C. in 1925 and in 1941 moved to Mission City, a small mill town in the Fraser Valley. Grewall worked as a millwright at Fraser Mills and was elected a union official. He came to own and operate six sawmill companies and established himself as one of the largest employers and most influential business leaders in the area. After being in Mission for almost a decade, Grewall decided to run for political office in 1950. He competed against six other candidates in Mission's board of commissioners election..
30. Web site: SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY: PROMINENT INDO-CANADIAN PIONEERS. Already a popular and well-respected man, he topped the polls, beating out seven candidates in a historic victory, especially given that Indo-Canadians had only been given the right to vote three years before. While Indo-Canadians had gained respect in business, racism still existed, especially regarding elite positions in society. The Vancouver Daily Province newspaper ran an article with the headline, “First in BC and believed first East Indian in Canada to hold public office.” He was re-elected in 1952, and again in 1954. The same year the Board unanimously voted to name him Chairman of the Board, which gave him similar duties and influence to that of a Mayor. During his years in public office, he continued his community involvement and large-scale business ventures. He also fought for the building of a new Mission bridge as well as against prohibitive diking taxes [...] Naranjan Singh Grewall was even more passionate about the Forestry industry. At that time, the SoCred government in provincial power was embroiled in a corruption scandal. The Minister of Forestry was suspected of giving away significant amounts of timber rights to previously declined lumber corporations, often his personal friends. Worse, the premier W.A.C. Bennet seemed to be purposefully looking the other way. This infuriated Mr. Grewall, who termed the present holders of forest management licenses “timber maharajas”, believing that the current system could revert to a form of feudalism he had left behind in India.. 2022-08-27. 2022-08-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20220826235556/https://www.missionmuseum.com/local-history/shaping-our-community-prominent-indo-canadian-pioneers/. dead.
31. Web site: Diversity flourishes in Mission. May 12, 2017. In 1950, Naranjan Grewall became the first Hindu (as it was phrased at that time) in Canada to be elected to public office, after the voting franchise was extended to visible minority groups in 1947. In 1954, he was appointed to the position of mayor of Mission City by the board and later ran for the CCF in the Dewdney riding in 1956 [...] The two most legendary personalities from the Sikh community who graced Mission, and both employed hundreds of people, owning several large mills in the area, were Herman Braich Sr. and Naranjan Grewall..
32. Web site: Grewall first Indo-Canadian to hold office of mayor in Canada. February 6, 2014. He was later nominated as a provincial candidate for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1956, making him also the first visible minority to run as a candidate in Canada. He was narrowly defeated by Socred Labour Minister Lyle Wicks. [...] And one of those legacies he left behind was the Mission Tree Farm. In 1958, Mission was the first municipality to be given responsibility to monitor their own forest called Tree Farm License #26. [...] During the much-heated 1956 provincial election, Grewall, as a CCF candidate, commonly addressed the issues of taxes, bridges, farmers and the forestry industry, which he claimed were being “monopolized” by a handful of large companies in the province. Grewall referred to these stakeholders as “timber maharajahs,” and said the system would revert to a “form of feudalism, which I left 30 years ago.”.
33. Web site: Remembering Former Mission Mayor Naranjan Singh Grewal. July 14, 2017. [...] Naranjan Grewall was a polarizing figure. He was a wealthy man who gave freely and generously to worthy causes yet fought against many of the practices that were responsible for the wealth of many of the businessmen whom he rubbed shoulders with every day. He was well respected in the community of Mission and beyond – yet there were 14 suspicious fires in sawmills he was part owner of and his own house was set ablaze by an unknown arsonist. His wife was well aware of the dangers he faced although he kept his suspicions as to who was behind the threats to himself. True to his self-reliant and honorable reputation, he refused to name anyone or make any official complaints without proof. Naranjan Grewall's death which occurred on a business trip to Seattle was officially labelled a suicide. Some of his close friends went to Seattle to try and make sense of the tragedy. What they discovered only raised more questions and indicated that the police investigation was certainly very limited in scope. There were reports of a loud quarrel in his room at the Star Motel and later that same night he moved to a different motel. There was alcohol found in the same room as his body and Grewall was never known to have drank alcohol, yet the police insist that he was alone in the room at all times..
34. Web site: Was Grewall Murdered And If Yes Then By Who?. July 15, 2017. “It's murder!” Those words of Helen Grewall were echoed by many friends of her late husband – former Mission Mayor Naranjan Singh Grewall – after his suspicious death in a Seattle hotel in the summer of 1957..
35. "Streets Stories: Grewall Street" (Archive). Mission District Historical Society, Mission Community Archives website. Retrieved on March 16, 2015.
36. Campbell, Michael Graeme. 1977. "The Sikhs of Vancouver : a case study in minority-host relations". In UBC Theses and Dissertations
37. Nayar, The Sikh Diaspora in Vancouver, p. 327.
38. "The Indo-Canadian Community" (Archive). Report on the Quality of Life in Prince George. 1997. University of Northern British Columbia. p. 254 (PDF 3/17). Retrieved on October 19, 2014.
39. Johnston . Hugh . 1984 . The East Indians in Canada . Canada's Ethnic Groups . Ottawa . Canadian Historical Association . 8 September 2022 . mdy-all .
40. Web site: Census: Punjabi-speaking population growing in Metro Vancouver. Vancouver Sun. October 24, 2012.
41. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-08-17 . Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table Ontario [Province] ]. 2022-08-18 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
42. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-08-17 . Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table British Columbia [Province] ]. 2022-08-18 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
43. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-08-17 . Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table Alberta [Province] ]. 2022-08-18 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.
44. Web site: Oye hoye! Punjabi is now the third language in Parliament of Canada. Firstpost. 3 November 2015. Firstpost.
45. Nayar, The Punjabis in British Columbia, p. 9. "It is interesting to note that, in the BC Lower Mainland (Vancouver and surrounding municipalities, including Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, and Surrey), Sikhs raised outside the Punjab refer to themselves as Punjabi and use the term interchangeably with "Sikh," understanding the two as synonymous."
46. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census Canada [Country] and Canada [Country]]. 8 February 2017.
47. Web site: NHS Profile, Canada, 2011. 8 May 2013.
48. Web site: Government of Canada . Statistics Canada . 2022-08-17 . Knowledge of languages by age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions . 2022-10-12 . www12.statcan.gc.ca.