By R. Paul Dhillon
KELOWNA – The interior city of Kelowna, which is often touted as the ‘White’ city in Canada, has elected its first Indo-Canadian city councillor.
The honour of being first goes to Order of BC recipient, Mohini Singh, who will be sworn in together with seven other elected councillors on Monday, December 5th.
The only other councillor of minority background to serve on Kelowna City Council was Mr. Ben Lee, who was born in Armstrong, BC and who served on Kelowna Council from 1973 to 1996.
Singh moved to Kelowna 22 years ago after immigrating to Canada from New Delhi, India with her mother and sister in 1983.
“I am proud to blazing a trail for other immigrants to follow. We all need to engage in the future of Kelowna and contribute,” Singh said
A former broadcaster and journalist, Singh was also named Kelowna’s Woman of the Year in 2009. Singh followed her lifelong dream to become a journalist by studying Broadcast Journalism at the British Colombia Institute of Technology. After a brief stint in radio and television in Vancouver she moved to CHBC TV in Kelowna. Over the course of her career as a radio and television journalist, Mohini Singh became widely known in the Okanagan from Osoyoos to Shuswap, and beyond.
Singh has consistently looked for opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of the people of her region. Her journalistic work has consistently been to a high standard, showing integrity, dedication and a motivation to make the lives of people in her home region and elsewhere safer, more just and better.
As a community activist, Singh has participated in a wide range of activities, many involving helping those who are disadvantaged or building bridges within and between communities. Those activities include: –
• advocating for women and children who have experienced violence.
• promoting cultural tolerance and understanding.
• and, working on issues as diverse as avalanche safety, spousal abuse, literacy, and the plight of orphans in India.
Even as her own struggle with multiple sclerosis became more challenging, Singh adopted a young child from India which led her to establish a federally regulated charity that helps abandoned children suffering from medical challenges in Kolkata, West Bengal India called the East meets West Orphans foundation. She has also dedicated her efforts as a clay artist and creates clay sculptures which she donates to local charities and foundations for fundraisers.
Through these community endeavours and many others, Ms. Singh has a long-standing history of leadership in volunteer service, professional excellence, arts and culture, and social tolerance and inclusion.
In 2008 she received the Order of British Columbia for her service to the community and then in 2009 she was awarded recognition as Kelowna’s Woman of the year.
