Khalsa Day procession marks Sikh celebration
By Bhagwant Sandhu
If you were around Lansdowne on May 4, you would have seen the start of the Khalsa Day procession hosted by the Sikh Society of Ottawa. It eventually wound its way to City Hall, where a free kitchen and displays were set up.
The term Khalsa refers to the initiation ceremony first held by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. It gave Sikhs a shared vision anchored on the principles of social justice, equality and the defence of all oppressed people. Sikhs first arrived in Canada in 1897 as soldiers. There are now nearly 800,000 Sikh-Canadians, fully integrated and participating in all aspects of Canadian life.
Bhagwant Sandhu, originally from British Columbia, is a member of the Glebe Sikh community. He is also the new chair of the Glebe Report Board.