Calgary Sikhs join Canadian soldiers in honouring fallen comrades
Wednesday, 19/11/2014
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CALGARY: Sikhs from across the city gathered with Canadian soldiers at a northeast temple on Sunday for a ceremony to honour Cpl Nathan Cirillo and warrant officer Patrice Vincent, who were killed on home soil last month.
“As Canadian Sikhs, we share the pain that these soldiers’ families are going through,” said Harbinder Singh Sewak, the Canadian Sikh community military liaison. The special Remembrance Day ceremony at a northeast temple, held on the first Sunday after November 11, was the first time that Canadian military joined the Sikh community in Alberta to recall the service of those who died defending their country.
Lt Col Eppo van Weelderen told the crowd at the Dashmesh Culture Centre that Sikhs had played an important role in both World Wars and other modern-day conflicts.
About 83,000 Sikh soldiers we rekilled and an other 1,09,000 were injured while fighting with the British Commonwealth forces in the two World Wars.
“Canadian Sikhs played a pivotal role in moder n- day operations of your Canadian forces and continue to serve with pride and distinction in defence of Canada and our interests,” van Weelderen said.
Van Weelderen, deputy commander of 41 Canadian Brigade Group which has 1,200 reservists in Calgary and across the country, said Canadians owed it to their veterans to never forget their service.
To mark the occasion, Gurinder Singh Sidhu, president of the centre, presented van Weelderen with a kirpan, the highest honour Sikhs can bestow on someone from a different community.
