By Balwant Sanghera
Prominent businessman and philanthropist Asa Singh Johal arrived in Canada with his parents on February 15, 1924. The one and one half year old baby was destined to become one of the most respected and outstanding citizens in his adopted country. Asa began to attend a school in the Marpole neighbourhood at an early age. He recalls that he was the only Indo-Canadian student in the school. The school had a large number of Japanese students. He states that during his two years at that school he didn’t learn anything. His father, Partap Singh Johal, wasn’t happy about Asa’s lack of progress in school and moved him to David Lloyd George School. Eventually, he quit school at 14 and went to work. His first job was as a spare clean up guy at the giant Fraser Mills which had 1,500 employees at that time.
After working for a few years, Asa made enough money to travel to India in 1948 and got married to Kashmir Kaur from his neighbouring town Bundala. Upon his return to Canada, Asa got busy in gaining experience in the business he liked and excelled. Initially, he bought a truck to haul wood. However, his ambition to build a sawmilling business always kept him motivated. Eventually, Asa and his family started a mill in 1962. This laid the foundation of a very successful Terminal Sawmill Group of Companies. Over the years, Asa’s hard work, business sense and expertise has made him as one of the leading businessmen in the province. In addition to the Terminal Sawmill, today Asa and his family are the proud owners of two sawmills and remanufacturing plant in the Washington State in the U.S. as well as Mainland Forest Products, a company Asa bought in 1974. Close to 500 employees work at several of these operations.
Asa Singh Johal has not only excelled in his business acumen but also e stands at the front line of philanthropy. This soft spoken stalwart of the Indo-Canadian community has donated millions of dollars to various worthwhile causes and organizations. Be it the Children’s Hospital, UBC, Cancer Society, or any other cause, Asa is there to help. He has donated more than 4 million dollars to the BC Children’s Hospital so far and has committed to donated $100,000 in each of the following four years. Furthermore, Asa and his family have donated $1.5 million to the Cancer Centre beside the VGH. On top of that he has donated generously to UBC for various projects including scholarships for students. He donated land substantial funding for the India Cultural Centre of Canada’s Gurdwara Nanak Niwas on Richmond’s Highway to heaven (#5 Road).
The Johal Family answered the call/request for an auditorium in Asa’s hometown Jandiala (Jalandhar) by building an impressive auditorium at a cost of $165,000 at Girls Higher secondary School. This school serves more than 750 students over an 18 kilometer radius around Jandiala. Along with Balbir Jawanda and Sohan Basi I had the honour to participate in the opening ceremonies at the school last February. It is an impressive facility designed to serve the growing needs of the school. The school principal and other prominent members of the town expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Asa and his family for this generous gift to the school. Not only that, whenever there is a worthwhile cause Asa and his family are there to help. Once talking to this writer, Asa mentioned that it gives him great pleasure when he is able to help the causes dear to his heart.
Asa keeps himself active physically, mentally and socially. He is an avid traveller. After getting married in India in 1948 he didn’t visit the country of his birth for 24 years. So he went back in 1972 and liked it so much that he went every year after that for ten years. He has travelled widely all around the globe. In a recent conversation with this writer Asa stated that Venice (Austria) and Switzerland are some of his favourite places. The family go to their condo in Palm Springs quite regularly. The family is looking forward to visiting a number of places in South and Central America including the Panama Canal.
The Johal family’s acts of kindness have earned Mr. Johal various awards and recognitions. These include Order of British Columbia, Order of Canada. He was awarded Doctor of Law by the University of British Columbia for his generosity and community service. In short, Asa Singh Johal and his loving and dedicated wife Kashmir Kaur Johal and their family continue to work hard in making not only their community but also this province and Canada a better place to live.
Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.
