Sikh Community Honours those who served our country in uniform

Parliamentary Secretary Parm Gill attends Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony

Kitchener, ON, Nov. 10, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - On behalf of the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Parm Gill, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, yesterday attended the Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony, held at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario.

During the ceremony, Parliamentary Secretary Gill laid a wreath on behalf of the Government of Canada and highlighted the importance of remembering and honouring those who have served our country in uniform, including those of the Sikh faith.

Quick Facts

• The Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony takes place at Private Buckam Singh's military grave, at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario. Now in its seventh year, the ceremony has become one of the largest annual gatherings of active serving Sikh soldiers and Veterans in North America.
• Private Buckam Singh came to Canada from Punjab in 1907, enlisting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the spring of 1915. He fought in France and Belgium with the 20^th Canadian Infantry Battalion, where he was wounded in two separate battles, and eventually died in a military hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1919. Private Singh's Victory Medal and military grave were discovered almost 90 years later due to the research efforts of the SikhMuseum.com.
• More than 65,000 Sikh soldiers fought in the First World War as part of the British Expeditionary Force, and more than 300,000 Sikhs fought alongside Allied Forces in the Second World War.
• During the month of November, Canadians come together to honour those who have sacrificed so much to make our world a safer place. Learn more at veterans.gc.ca/iremember.

Quotes

"Today we honour the contributions and accomplishments of Canadians of Sikh faith who fought for our great country. It is important that we remember the sacrifice of those, like Private Buckam Singh, who courageously defended our freedoms during the First World War."
The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs

"It is a particular privilege to be able to gather at the final resting place of Private Buckam Singh, which is the only known military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier from the World Wars. We owe it to Private Singh, and to the generations of brave men and women who have served our country, to remember their contributions and sacrifices."
Parm Gill, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

"Our ceremony allows Canadians the opportunity to appreciate the inclusive nature of our country and the sacrifices made by Canadian heroes from diverse backgrounds in keeping our nation strong and secure."
Sandeep Singh Brar, Curator, SikhMuseum.com

Photo and/or Video

Veterans Affairs Canada Flickr photo gallery (Photos will be posted as soon as they become available.)

SOURCE: Veterans Affairs Canada

Contacts: Barbara Mottram, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, 613-996-4649; Media Relations, Veterans Affairs Canada, 613-992-7468