Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism), announced on Friday inter-action funding of up to $89,500 for the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada (SHMC) to create the “Lions of the Sea” exhibit.
The national exhibition with original artifacts made available by the SHMC will travel across Canada, bringing the story of the Komagata Maru to life and allowing Canadians from coast to coast to learn about its historical significance.
Once completed, this exhibition will be made available to schools, libraries and places of worship across Canada.
“The story of the Komagata Maru is a tragic moment in Canada’s history, and the lessons we have learned from it should be remembered by all Canadians. Through our government’s support for this project, we are recognizing Canada’s past and helping educate Canadians on the Komagata Maru incident to ensure that tragedies like this do not occur again,” said Uppal.
“The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada is proud to take the lead to share the story of the Komagata Maru with all Canadians. From being barred by the tug boat Sea Lion, to being courageous “Lions of the Sea,” the remarkable story of the primarily Sikh passengers on the Komagata Maru will come to life with a national exhibition and lecture series. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this legacy, the support from the Government of Canada will enable the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada to engage this historical Canadian story across our beautiful country,” said Pardeep Singh Nagra, Executive Director, Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada.
