The First Turbaned Sikh Alberta Minister Bhullar Died In Tragic Accident While Trying To Help Someone!
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi in an online statement said he is “utterly gutted” to hear of Bhullar’s death, calling Bhullar a “true warrior for fairness and justice, a big man with a giant heart, a friend.” “Manmeet’s accomplishments are well-known. He was a powerful community advocate from a young age and first elected to the Alberta legislature at 28. He was brave and unrelenting in his role, particularly when it came to forcefully advocating for children in care – the least powerful people in our society,” Nenshi wrote.
CALGARY — The much beloved Alberta Conservative MLA and former Minister Manmeet Singh Bhullar died in a tragic accident while trying to help a fellow Albertan whose car have gone off the road during the province’s first big snow fall on Monday.
Bhullar, who coined the phrase “A Great Beard Comes With Great Responsibility”, was so well liked and was a true warrior for justice, freedom and child poverty.
Condolences began pouring in Monday following Bhullar’s death and Alberta’s NDP government announced Thursday that the MLA for Calgary would get a state funeral.
Bhullar’s family released a statement Monday night, saying their beloved son-husband left them doing something he loved – helping someone else.
“The light in our lives went dark today. Manmeet Singh left us while he was doing what he loved more than anything – helping someone else. We know he would want us to be thankful for the countless blessings he was given by God. Just as his faith, wife, family, friends, and community gave him strength, it will give us strength now. We thank you for your support during this difficult time and ask for privacy,” the statement read.
The State funeral for Manmeet Bhullar is scheduled for Sunday and will take place in Calgary.
The funeral, which will include both a viewing and a service, will be open to the public, according to a notice from the provincial government.
The viewing will take place at the Jubilee Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m on Sunday, Nov. 29. The service begins at noon.
MLAs paid their respects to Bhullar in the legislative assembly on Wednesday.
“We have all lost a dear friend to a tragic accident, and we can only pay him the tribute he so richly deserves in his absence,” said Premier Rachel Notley.
The last Alberta state memorial service was held in 2012 for former premier Peter Lougheed.
“He demanded excellence of himself and those around him. We are all better because of him.” The family finished the statement with the hashtag #nicetomanmeetyou.
The Alberta government set up a memorial webpage in Bhullar’s honour, where you can share condolences.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi posted a statement online saying he is “utterly gutted” to hear of Bhullar’s death.
Nenshi called Bhullar a “true warrior for fairness and justice, a big man with a giant heart, a friend.”
“Manmeet’s accomplishments are well-known. He was a powerful community advocate from a young age and first elected to the Alberta legislature at 28. He was brave and unrelenting in his role, particularly when it came to forcefully advocating for children in care – the least powerful people in our society,” Nenshi wrote.
“I will miss him so much. We all will,” he continued. “And all of us are reaching out to his family and friends now. We will be there for you now the way he was always there for us.”
The World Sikh Organization of Canada said in a press release that it was shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of MLA Manmeet Singh Bhullar.
“Our deepest condolences to Manmeet’s wife and family. Words simply cannot do justice to the loss we are feeling and the void his passing has created,” said Dr. Amritpal Singh Shergill said.
In a very short life of just 35 years Manmeet accomplished things most do not in a lifetime. He was the first turbaned Sikh to serve as a cabinet minister in Alberta and dedicated himself to creating real change on issues that matter such as support for victims of sexual abuse.
“The WSO had the privilege to work with Manmeet on achieving the accommodation of the kirpan in Alberta courthouses and more recently in holding the Sikh Youth Leadership Institute this past summer in Calgary.
“Neither would have been possible without his support and assistance. Over the past six months, Manmeet had been working tirelessly on the issue of Sikhs and other minority communities in Afghanistan that are facing persecution. We will honour his memory by continuing where he left off,” Shergill said.
“I had the honour of working closely with Manmeet on several files and calling him a friend. He genuinely cared about serving others and dedicated his life to making his community and country a better place. Manmeet’s honest and straightforward approach will be sorely missed. We have lost one of our brightest stars today,” WSO legal counsel Balpreet Singh said.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson took to Twitter to offer his condolences.
“Very sad news. Condolences to the Bhullar family and to Mr. Bhullar’s #ableg colleagues from all of us at City Hall.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his condolences: Duane Bratt, who taught Bhullar at Mount Royal University, said he was a big man with a huge heart.
“I think that was illustrated with the way that he died – sitting on the side of the road, in a blizzard, trying to help somebody.”
Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice said he was heartbroken and found it hard to express the loss in a statement issued Tuesday.
“I know of no person in public life who cared more deeply and passionately about serving others. Indeed that is how he died. He was a pillar of strength for everyone who knew him. He certainly was to me,” Prentice said in the statement. “Knowing Manmeet, he would now want us to carry on with his work. Karen and my thoughts and prayers are with Namrita and the Bhullar family.”
The interim leader of the PC Party also issued a statement Monday night, saying Bhullar’s “passion and dedication will live on in our hearts.”
“We will greatly miss him. To Manmeet’s family: many of our colleagues are dear friends of Manmeet and his family, and it breaks our hearts to know we have lost such a great soul. Manmeet accomplished more in his brief time than most people accomplish in their lifetimes,” Ric McIver said.
“Manmeet was much-loved as a husband to Namrita and a dear friend, not just to his colleagues but also to anyone who came to know him,” McIver said. “He was well-known for his humanitarian work at home and abroad, most recently advocating tirelessly on behalf of Sikh and Hindu Afghan refugees.”
Premier Rachel Notley said all Albertans should be proud of the significant contributions Bhullar made to public life.
“We have lost our colleague, Calgary-Greenway has lost a friend and effective voice in the legislature, and most of all, we have all lost a passionate advocate for Alberta,” Notley said in a statement. “Mr. Bhullar worked tirelessly in service of this province.”
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta echoed Notley’s praise in a Tuesday statement, saying MLAs entered Chamber with heavy hearts.
“When Mr. Bhullar was first elected in 2008 he was, at the time, the youngest member to be elected at the age of 28. He quickly showed a political acumen that earned him the respect of other Members and made him a trusted advocate for his constituents and all Albertans. He will be missed by many.”
“May you find comfort in knowing that Manmeet touched many lives. Our province had lost a good person,” Wanner said.
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said the absence of Bhullar will be felt right across Alberta.
“Words cannot express the incredible sadness we all feel over the sudden and tragic loss of our dear colleague,” Jean said in a statement Monday night.
“On behalf of the Wildrose, our deepest thoughts and prayers are with Manmeet, and with his beautiful wife, his parents, and his entire family. We hope that comfort beyond understanding will surround them during this incredibly difficult time.”
Bhullar, a member for Calgary-Greenway, was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in March 2008.
After a dispute between the party and the local constituency association in the run-up to that election, Bhullar was appointed by then premier Ed Stelmach to carry the Tory banner in the riding of Calgary Montrose.
“I know the issues of the riding,” said Bhullar at the time, then a 27-year-old law student. “I’ve been working in east Calgary for 10 years now, working with young people at risk, working on issues that affect people’s lives there.”
Redford first named Bhullar to cabinet in 2011, when he was appointed as Service Alberta minister.
In December 2013, Redford moved Bhullar to replace veteran minister Dave Hancock as human services minister.
While he headed that department, Bhullar helped rewrite a law that placed an automatic ban on the release of the names of children who died in provincial care.
That controversial ban had prevented even parents from speaking out.
“For those that feel that they have been wronged and their child has died as a result, they have an inherent right to speak up about that,” Bhullar said at the time.
In September 2014, he became infrastructure minister in the short-lived Prentice government.
Bhullar was re-elected twice and narrowly avoided being caught up in the NDP tide that swept the province in May, winning his riding by about 800 votes.
Born in Calgary, he earned a bachelor of arts from Athabasca University and a bachelor of laws from the University of Windsor.
Before running for office, he founded the Inspire Youth Development Society, which works with at-risk youth, and worked on several political campaigns. He was active in the Sikh community.
