Ron Brar and TJ Brar, local Punjabi farmers and owners of the Surrey Eagles hockey team, will be organizing a Punjabi hockey night in South Surrey Arena on November 18
By Surbhi Gogia
People of Surrey and the surrounding communities will be able to feel the warmth of Canada’s Punjabi culture on a cold night in South Surrey’s Ice Hockey Arena in the coming week. Ron and TJ Brar, the Surrey-born farming brothers, and owners of Surrey’s BCHL team Surrey Eagles are organizing a Punjabi night during the hockey game on November 18 at South Surrey Arena.
Surrey Eagles will host Vernon Vipers.
King of Bhangra Jazzy B and local Surrey singer Luv Randhawa, along with dhol artists, will be performing at the event. Jazzy B will drop the puck and Randhawa will sing Canada’s national anthem. In one of the firsts, the spectators will see their favorite Surrey Eagles players wearing jerseys displaying the rustic beauty of Punjab with farms and tractors. The jerseys are specially designed for this night by a local Punjabi artist Simran from A1 sports.
The Brar brothers, local businessmen, recently bought Surrey Eagles when the BC Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) board of governors approved the team’s sale from local real-estate developer Chuck Westgard.
The Brars own and operate Evergreen Herbs, a Surrey-based provider of fresh herbs and vegetables to grocery stores across the country.
Ron Brar informed that the decision to buy Surrey Eagles came up during a conversation with the previous owner of Surrey Eagles. “Buying Surrey Eagles aligned with how we wanted to contribute and give back to our community. My brother and I were born and raised in Surrey, where our passion for hockey started. Our love for community and family has always played a significant role in our lives. The Surrey Eagles will allow us to continue to grow and to give back to our cherished community.”
TJ Brar said, “We want to encompass our priorities around hockey, academics, community and most importantly, building new leaders. We are grateful to Chuck Westgard and the BCHL family for allowing us to be a part of the best junior hockey program in Canada.”
Ron explained that how hockey arenas in other parts of Canada have played an important role in raising national level athletes and he too wants young people to get involved and inspired. “I have seen, in many parts of Canada, that hockey arenas are a place for the community to make connections, celebrate and raise athletes. All these great players come out of these cities because they have incredible connection with their community.”
The Brar brothers, too, want to bring elementary and high school kids to these games. “Our kids are spending too much time on screen and social media. They might get inspired by coming out of the enclosed rooms and watching hockey players.”
Ron also believes that as Surrey’s population is growing, so is the problem of gangs and drugs. “It is time we bring our kids back to sports.”
Through Punjabi night, the Brar brothers want to demonstrate the beauty and innocence of the Punjabi culture, which he feels people have forgotten due to adverse media reports.
“We want to ensure that people outside our culture see the beauty of Punjabi culture.”
Ron’s vision is also to create South Surrey Arena a hub that reflects the beauty of multiculturalism in Canada. For example, after Punjabi night, they will organize a night to celebrate Chinese New Year with Chinese food, music and players’ uniforms.
Ron said that sports attract two categories of fans. Some fans come to watch the game and have a good time with their families. Then there are serious hockey fans who come for the love of the game. “We want to offer a space to both the fans. We want to build a community center for players from all backgrounds and ethnicities to call home.”
Talking about his vision for the Surrey Eagles team, he wants them to play at the NHL level. The brothers have invested $250,000 in upgrades in the new gym facility and a new dressing room, medical room, and coaches’ room.
It is an investment, he says, not just for the players but for the community, where he wants kids to watch the players and get inspired to play for Surrey.
