SOUTH VANCOUVER - The South Asian Canadians in Metro Vancouver are the third largest ethnic group in the region, comprising 300,000 as per 2016 census.  It is about 12% of the total population of Metro Vancouver.  The main hub of this population is Vancouver and the adjoining city of Surrey.  Surrey is one of the world’s largest South Asian enclaves.  South Asians are quite conspicuous in Burnaby, Richmond and Delta as well. 

South Asians have been living in the Vancouver region since the late 19th century, initially working in the forestry industry.  In early 20th century there was a first wave of immigration which created a panic for the government.  As a result, immigration from the Indian subcontinent was curtailed.  It had its own effect.  The local population started stagnating.  The federal government relaxed the racial and national immigration restrictions resulting in a continuous flow of immigration. Today, Metro Vancouverhas become the primary cultural, social and religious centre of Indo-Canadians.  It has the largest South Asian Indian-origin population of any city of North America. Most ofthem are the Punjabi Sikhs.  Almost 67% of this population live in the Toronto and Vancouver areas, together making up nearly 30% of the combined population of these cities. 

With the passage of time, the number of seniors has increased.  Today, seniors outnumber children.  A recent report of the World Health Organization stated that one in two people holds ageist attitudes that lead to poor health, greater isolation and reduced quality of life of older persons. The seniors are the repository of experience.  That is why seniors have been adored and respected across geographical and religious boundaries. The Bible emphatically says, “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged.”  Similarly, in Sikhism the service and respect for elders has been given high recognition and status. If a person does not serve his parents, his service (sewa) at Gurudwara is not accepted. 

A vision for founding the Sunset Community Association(SCA) was conceived as early as in 1945.  The City of Vancouver donated land between Main and Prince Edward streets at 52nd Avenue. The funding was arranged through community donation.  Fund raising by Bing Crosby Radio show is praiseworthy. The Centre was opened in 1950.  Overtime, the existing building could not host the increasing number of populations. In 2007 it was replaced with a new two-storied out-of-the-art unique structure on the Park Board’s Nursery land along Main Street between 51st and 53rdAvenues. Fortunately, in successive years, with more relaxed and attractive immigration policy, the number of immigrants, especially from India swarmed the city.  As a result, the Sunset Community Centre building finds it difficult to cope with the increasing demands of the public, especially the Indo-Canadian Seniors who have formed their own society named “The Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors Society”.  At present, the Centre is hosting scores of programmes on daily basis in educational, physical and cultural fields for all sections and age-groups of the Sunset Community. 

The Indo-Canadian Seniors’ Society is a registered body with one hundred plus membership. The purpose of this Society is to promote cross-cultural affinity, to disseminate day-to-day information on welfare measures regarding seniors and gather at least twice a week to talk to each other as a larger family to overcome isolation at home. It gives the seniors a stage to share their life experiences in the form of prose, poetry and self-help texts. The Society is apolitical and has ‘no profit’ motive. Anyone, of 65 years and above can become a member with $10/- annual membership.

The voice of the Society to have its own exclusive space from the Sunset Community Centre caught the attention of the City authorities and in 2016, with the recommendation of the Provincial and Federal elected representatives and a hard work of Mr. Bhalwinder Singh Waraich, President of SCA,Mr. Sucha Claire, President, late Sardar Gurnam Singh Ranu, General Secretaryand other volunteers like Manjit Dhillon, Master Gurcharan Singh and others, the City of Vancouver passed unanimously a Motion “Building a Seniors’ Centre in South Vancouver in Sunset Area.” To pursue the project further, the Vancouver City Council ordered a feasibility study. Based on the Feasibility Report, an administrative decision was taken that the new Centre for Seniors’ will be housed at an adjacent building to the SCA covering 10,000 sq.ft. space. The cost of construction is estimated $13.7 million. The federal government announced 5.2 million in aid. The City has agreed to pay one thirds of the cost. The rest will be the share of the B.C. government. According to the latest information, the BC government has not paid attention to their share. Efforts are on to persuade them for help.   Their positive decision is awaited. In this pious endeavour the names of Hon’ble Harjit Sajjan, MP and Michael Lee and George Chow, MLAs demand a mention. 

On August 4, His Worship Kennedy Stewart, the Mayor of City of Vancouver visited the Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors’ Society. Mr. Amrik Mann, General Secretary welcomed the honourable guest.  Before taking his charge in 2018, the Mayor promised that he would make the things rolling, which at one stage had stuck at the Park’s Board. He proved ‘A Mayor of his words’.  Not only he got the file cleared from the Park’s Board, but he also committed the share of the City towards construction cost. The members of the Society in attendance applauded him heartily and wished that the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new building,as and when completed, be by his noble hands. Mr. Sucha Claire read a ‘Thank You Note ‘for the Mayor.  Among others, Mr. Daljit Sidhu and Mr. Harinder Toor of Punjabi Market, Sardar Joginder Sunnar from Khalsa Diwan Society and Sikh scholar Dr. Kala Singh were present. The Mayor answered questions also.   On questions by Mr. Sagan Gandhi about more toilet facilities and control of noise pollution by two and four wheelers the Mayor informed that this matter is alreadyon his priority list.  But due to COVID-19 the project on toilets construction was kept on hold.  For noise control he said that he would pass instructionstoPolice authorities to handle the situation appropriately. 

A ‘Congratulatory’ note to each member of the Sunset Community Association and a ‘Thank You’ note to Bhalwinder for his leadership as an advocate for seniors was handed over with a group photograph. 

Edward Charles Kennedy Stewart, a politician and academic is the 40th serving Mayor of Vancouver since 2018. He was Member of Parliament from 2011-18 from Burnaby South. He received his master’s degree in Political Science from Simon Fraser University and a PhD in government from the London School of Economics. He has published research on citizen participation, democratic reform and municipal governance. 

Mr. Zile Singh, one of the Directors of the Society made the Mayor feel at home and happy in thecompany of Indo-Canadian seniors by informing that several prominent Indians also are associated with his alma mater, i.e. London School of Economics. These famous Indians are, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution, K.R. Narayanan, former President of India, V.K Krishna Memon, former Indian Defence Minister, Jyoti Basu, the longest serving Chief Minister of Bengal, Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate, Dr. I.G. Patel and Urjit Patel, former Governors, Reserve Bank of India and many more. 

All seniors wished him well in the ensuing elections on October 15. The meeting ended with a happy note with tea and snacks.