By Zile Singh
Seniors are the backbone of communities. They are the repository of experience. In Sikhism the service and respect for elders has been given high recognition and status. If a person does not serve his parents, his service (sewa) at Gurudwara is not accepted.
However, a recent report of the World Health Organization stated that one in two people holds ageist attitudes that lead to poor health, greater isolation and reduced quality of life of older persons. Many societies work to contribute towards welfare of seniors.
The Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors Society is one of them. The Indo-Canadian Seniors’ Society is a registered body with one hundred plus membership. The purpose of this Society is to promote cross-cultural affinity, to disseminate day-to-day information on welfare measures regarding seniors and gather at least twice a week to talk to each other as a larger family to overcome isolation at home. It gives the seniors a stage to share their life experiences in the form of prose, poetry and self-help texts. The Society is apolitical and has ‘no profit’ motive. Anyone, of 65 years and above can become a member with $10/- annual membership.
The Sunset Community Association (SCA) has been hosting scores of programs on daily basis in educational, physical and cultural fields for all sections and age-groups of the Sunset Community.
With more relaxed and attractive immigration policy, the number of immigrants, especially from India swarmed the city. The South Asian Canadians in Metro Vancouver are the third largest ethnic group in the region, comprising 300,000 as per 2016 census. It is about 12% of the total population of Metro Vancouver. The main hub of this population is Vancouver and the adjoining city of Surrey. Surrey is one of the world’s largest South Asian enclaves. South Asians are quite conspicuous in Burnaby, Richmond and Delta as well.
As a result, the Sunset Community Centre building finds it difficult to cope with the increasing demands of the public, especially the Indo-Canadian Seniors who have formed their own society named “The Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors Society”.
The voice of the Society to have its own exclusive space from the Sunset Community Centre caught the attention of the City authorities.
The Society came into existence in 2016, with the recommendation of the Provincial and Federal elected representatives and hard work of Mr. Bhalwinder Singh Waraich, President of SCA, Mr. Sucha Claire, President, late Sardar Gurnam Singh Ranu, General Secretary and other volunteers like Manjit Dhillon, Master Gurcharan Singh and others, the City of Vancouver passed unanimously a Motion “Building a Seniors’ Centre in South Vancouver in Sunset Area.”
To pursue the project further, the Vancouver City Council ordered a feasibility study. Based on the Feasibility Report, an administrative decision was taken that the new Centre for Seniors’ will be housed at an adjacent building to the Sunset Community Association (SCA) covering 10,000 sq.ft. space.
The cost of construction is estimated $13.7 million. The federal government announced $5.2 million in aid. The City has agreed to pay one thirds of the cost. The rest will be the share of the B.C. government. According to the latest information, the BC government has not paid attention to their share. Efforts are on to persuade them for help. Their positive decision is awaited. In this pious endeavor the names of Hon’ble Harjit Sajjan, MP and Michael Lee and George Chow, MLAs demand a mention.
On August 4, Kennedy Stewart, the Mayor of City of Vancouver visited the Sunset Indo-Canadian Seniors’ Society. Mr. Amrik Mann, General Secretary welcomed the honourable guest. Before taking his charge in 2018, the Mayor promised that he would make the things rolling, which at one stage had stuck at the Park’s Board. He proved ‘A Mayor of his words’.
Not only he got the file cleared from the Park’s Board, but he also committed the share of the City towards construction cost. The members of the Society in attendance applauded him heartily and wished that the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new building, as and when completed, be by his noble hands.
Mr. Sucha Claire read a ‘Thank You Note ‘for the Mayor. Among others, Mr. Daljit Sidhu and Mr. Harinder Toor of Punjabi Market, Sardar Joginder Sunnar from Khalsa Diwan Society and Sikh scholar Dr. Kala Singh were present. The Mayor answered questions also.
On questions by Mr. Sagan Gandhi about more toilet facilities and control of noise pollution by two and four wheelers the Mayor informed that this matter is already on his priority list. But due to COVID-19 the project on toilets construction was kept on hold. For noise control he said that he would pass instructions to Police authorities to handle the situation appropriately.
A ‘Congratulatory’ note to each member of the Sunset Community Association and a ‘Thank You’ note to Bhalwinder for his leadership as an advocate for seniors was handed over with a group photograph.
I as one of the Directors of the Society informed that several prominent Indians also are associated with the school he went to ie London School of Economics. These famous Indians are, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution, K.R. Narayanan, former President of India, V.K Krishna Memon, former Indian Defence Minister, Jyoti Basu, the longest serving Chief Minister of Bengal, Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate, Dr. I.G. Patel and Urjit Patel, former Governors, Reserve Bank of India and many more.
All seniors wished him well in the ensuing elections on October 15.
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