MSA Museum Society

 

The first Indo-Canadians, mostly Sikh men, who settled in Abbotsford, came from rural areas of Northern India. Although they constitute only 2% of the population in India, immigration from India to Canada was 90% Sikh up to 1905. They first learned about Canada from Indian soldiers who had traveled across Canada to and from Queen Victoria’s jubilee in London, England. The landscape and vegetation in parts of British Columbia were inviting to men from the Punjab who were used to golden wheat fields and pine forests at home. In order to migrate to Canada, travelers had to go by train from their villages to larger coastal cities in India. From there, they often traveled by boat to Hong Kong. Some worked as policemen, watchmen and caretakers in Hong Kong and Singapore while they waited to pass medical tests and acquire enough money for passage to Canada.

They were usually young men who had to temporarily leave their wives and children to earn money. The vast majority were Jat Sikhs but there were also Indians of other religions. They had to overcome language and cultural obstacles. In 1908 there was an attempt to “keep Canada white” and banish all of the “Hindus” and Chinese population. Although Indian men were ruled as British subjects, they weren’t acknowledged as such under Canadian law. Discrimination against Indians was blatant in Canada’s immigration policy throughout the early 1900’s. Nevertheless, more than 5000 men arrived between 1904 and 1908.

On May 23, 1914, a Japanese freighter called the Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver carrying 376 Indian subjects. After impounding the vessel in Vancouver harbour for three months it was finally turned away based on the immigration requirement of direct travel from country of origin to Canada. As ships were incapable of this at the time, it was clearly a regulation aimed at Indian immigrants. In addition to unfair immigration policy, there was also discrimination as well as pioneer hardship to contend with. The Sikh pioneers were steadfast in their goals to establish rights and freedom for their community in Canada and to become an integral part of their new country.

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