CAF members join Victoria Sikh community in Vaisakhi celebration

Lieutenant (Navy) Harjot Deol, Petty Officer First Class Kanwar Nijjer, and Sub-Lieutenant Mehak Dhinsa attend Khalsa Day celebrations at Victoria’s Gurdwara Singh Sabha temple on Apr. 30. Photo: HMCS Malahat.

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer — The largest Vaisakhi festival on Vancouver Island saw military members join Victoria’s Sikh community to celebrate the birth of the Sikh Nation.

Petty Officer First Class (PO1) Kanwar Nijjer arranged for a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) booth to be at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha temple on Apr. 30.

“Our presence here allows us to share our experiences with the wider population,” PO1 Nijjer said. “We have been getting a very good response from the community and some are even applying to become members, which is very important for the growth of our organization.”

PO1 Nijjer, a Human Resources Manager with HMCS Malahat, attended the ceremony with his wife Gurdeep Nijjer. He said wearing his uniform to the temple was a proud moment since Sikh people played such an important role fighting for India in the First and Second World Wars.

Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) Nancy Rheaume said the Pacific Recruiting Centre’s attendance generated more public interest in CAF careers than any other single event her unit has attended so far this year.

“It is essential that the CAF [membership] be better represented by current Canadian demographics as people from all cultural groups will provide us with new insight and greater breadth of knowledge in the future,” PO2 Rheaume said.

The event was also an opportunity for the Sikh community to display its charitable nature and goodwill preparing meals for everyone who arrived at the celebration. These gestures included some charitable work and the preparation of over 500 meals for Our Place Society, a non-profit that supports the homeless and people living in poverty.

Also known as Khalsa Day, the holiday was founded by Guru Gobind in 1699. More than 5,000 people attended the Khalsa Day parade along Douglas and Finalyson Street, downtown Victoria.