Prem Vinning may have been passed over due to recent controversy where he was accused of selling his Ottawa connections to the City of Surrey in a “chump-change” consulting contract worth a pittance $28,000.
By R. Paul Dhillon
With News Files
TORONTO – Former Scotiabank’s vice chairman Sarabjit Singh “Sabi” Marwah has become the first Sikh to be appointed to the Canadian Senate, making history for the vibrant Sikh-Canadian community.
However, the choice stunned many political observers who were sure that long-time Liberal party man Prem Vinning, who brought Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s winning team, was supposed to make history by finally becoming a Senator after he was offered the same post by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
But Vinning may have been passed over due to recent controversy where he was accused of selling his Ottawa connections to the City of Surrey in a “chump-change” consulting contract worth a pittance $28,000.
Toronto-based Marwah, who retired from Scotiabank in 2014, was among six people from Ontario who were appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the weekend.
Trudeau lauded Marwah for his efforts for showcasing the “rich diversity of Sikh and South Asian art and culture”.
Marwah is one of the founders of the Sikh Foundation of Canada that promotes culture and art among the diaspora community.
Marwah, who was born in Kolkata in 1952, did his his schooling from St Xavier’s School. He is an alumnus of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and the Delhi School of Economics, and holds an MBA degree from the University of California – Los Angeles, US.
Marwah joined Scotiabank in Toronto as a financial analyst in 1978. Rising through the ranks, he went on to become the chief financial officer (COO) in 1998. In 2002, he was made the bank’s senior executive vice president and chief financial officer.
In 2005, he was elevated as the vice chairman and chief administrative officer. In 2008, he was re-designated.
Marwah has served on the boards of many famous Canadian institutions such as the Toronto Star daily newspaper, the Toronto International Film Festival, the CD Howe Institute, the Royal Ontario Museum, the United Way Campaign, and the Hospital for Sick Children.
Marwah joins two other turbaned Sikhs — Defence Minister Harjeet Sajjan and Science Minister Navdeep Bains — in the Canadian Parliament.
While Marwah will be the only Sikh-Canadian member of the Senate (upper house), there are over 20 elected Indo-Canadian-Sikh MPs in the House of Commons (lower house).
