Unveiling during Remembrance ceremony at military grave of Canadian WWI hero Private Buckam Singh
A special Remembrance Day theme stamp honouring Sikh Canadian soldiers produced by Canada Post will be unveiled to the general public for the very first time at the 18th annual Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony hosted by the Sikh community on Sunday, November 2.
The Canada Post stamp honours the service of Sikh soldiers in the Canadian military for over 100 years dating back to the 10 Sikh soldiers accepted in the military during the First World War. The stamp also pays tribute to Sikhs serving in today’s Canadian Armed Forces.
The annual Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony, where the stamp will be officially unveiled, is now in its 18th year. Hosted by the Sikh community, the ceremony remembers the Canadian soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country as well as Sikh soldiers who fought and died fighting alongside their Canadian allies in the World Wars as part of the British Indian Army. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Police Services, Royal Canadian Legion branches, veterans and elected officials will join the general public for this annual ceremony of Remembrance.
The Remembrance Ceremony is held at a very special place, the military grave of Canadian World War I hero, Private Buckam Singh, the only known military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier from the World Wars. While thousands of Sikhs tried to join the Canadian military at the advent of the First World War, most were turned away and told that they were not wanted; only 10 Sikh soldiers would be accepted in all of Canada.
Private Buckam Singh was one of those 10 and the first to join an Ontario regiment. He fought with the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion in France and Belgium during the First World War and was wounded in two separate battles. He died at a Canadian military hospital in Kitchener, Ontario in 1919 and was buried by the military with full honours.
The Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony allows all Canadians the opportunity to appreciate the inclusive nature of our country and the sacrifices made by heroes from diverse backgrounds in keeping our nation safe. It is the largest annual gathering of active Sikh soldiers and veterans in North America.
Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, along with Senator Baltej Singh Dhillon, who was the first RCMP officer in Canada allowed to wear a turban, will be joined by Sikh members of the Canadian Armed Forces for the stamp unveiling following a wreath laying during the ceremony program.
