By Balwant Sanghera
RICHMOND – Richmond is one of the most multicultural communities in Canada. It is home to the famous Highway to Heaven, also formally known as Number Five Road in Richmond. India Cultural Centre of Canada (ICCC) was the first organization to build a place of worship along this road- Gurdwara Nanak Niwas at 8600 No. 5 Road in 1985. In 2010, ICCC celebrated its 25 th anniversary with great enthusiasm. For the past several years, Gurdwara Nankak Niwas has become the first choice for weddings. Its beautiful park, elegant lobby, spacious Langar Hall and Diwan Hall have made this place of worship as one of the most visited places by students and citizens from other communities.
On December 31, ICCC Chairman and well-known industrialist and philanthropist Asa Singh Johal and his wife Kashmir Kaur Johal honoured its retiring manager Mohan Singh Sandhu. They were accompanied by president Balbir Jawanda, members of the committee and well wishers After serving the Gurdwara for more than eleven years Mr. Sandhu has decided to retire. During his eleven years as manager of the Nanak Niwas Gurdwara, MSandhu has worked tirelessly to serve this great institution.
I have the privilege of being a long time friend and fellow classmate of Mohan Singh Sandhu and Sohan Singh Basi, a prominent member of the Gurdwara’s management committee. We went to school to-gather at Khalsa High School Bundala (Jalandhar) in early 1950s. It was hard to imagine that all three of us will meet again in Vancouver almost half a century later. Mohan departed for U.K. After spending almost 20 years in the U.K. he decided to move to Canada in 1973 and settled in Kamloops. In 1994, Mohan and his family made the move to Richmond. Here, he became quite active in the community as a volunteer. Mohan was baptized in 1999 at the Nanak Niwas Gurdwara.A year later he was offered and accepted the position of manager at the Gurdwara.
At the ceremony honouring Sandhu, Secretary, Chain Batth stated that Mohan Singh has proven himself to be a very dedicated individual. His work at the Gurdwara is very much appreciated. Sandhu will be sorely missed not only by the management but also by the entire congregation. In thanking the management, Sandhu stated that though he is formally retiring, he would continue to volunteer at the Gurdwara from time to time. It was a very fitting tribute to a fine gentleman.
Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.
