Punjabis all the way in Canada civic polls
Tuesday, 18/11/2014
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
VANCOUVER: Punjabis have made a significant impact in the British Columbia (BC) civic elections. At least two Punjabis have been elected mayors and many city councillors and school trustees during the November 15 municipal elections held across the province.
Collin Basran has been elected as the youngest mayor in the city of Kelowna, while Akbal Singh Mund has won the mayoral election in Vernon. In Williams Lake, Surinderpal Singh Rathore was defeated in the mayoral race.
Ten Punjabi or South Asian candidates have been elected as city councillors in different municipalities. Moe Gill has been re-elected in Abbotsford, which has also elected Kelly Chahal as city councillor. Preet Rai has been re-elected as school trustee in the same city.
In Burnaby, Sav Dhaliwal has been re-elected as city councillor, while Baljinder Narang and Harman Pandher have been reelected as school trustees.
Dave Birdi has been re-elected as city councillor in Fort Saint James and Tom Gill has been re-elected for the same position in Surrey.
Terry Gidha, a long-time city councillor in Mission, was defeated. Mission had once elected first Indo-Canadian mayor Niranjan Singh Grewal. There is a street renamed after him in the city. Garry Thind has been elected as school trustee in Surrey. Both in Kamloops and Kelowna, Arjun Singh and Mohini Singh have been elected as city councilors, respectively.
From Prince Rupert, Gurvinder Singh Randhawa was elected as city councillor. Also elected as city councillors are Sarabjit Rai from Osoyoos, Tarak Sayeed from Penticton, Sushil Thapar from Quesnel and Dalvir Nahal from Vernon.
