Komagata Maru exhibit travels to Western Canada to commemorate 100th anniversary

PEOPLE across Western Canada will soon be able to experience “Lions of the Sea,” a powerful and visually-engaging exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident, announced Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism), on Tuesday.

The exhibit kicked off in Halifax on September 21 and will soon be available for public viewing in three Western Canadian cities. From October 2-4, “Lions of the Sea” will be at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. On October 5, it will move north to Edmonton, Alberta, and be featured at the Days Inn & Suites, West Edmonton, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Finally, the exhibit will be available in Winnipeg at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on October 27, 2014.

In June, Uppal announced Government of Canada funding for the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada (SHMC) through the Inter-Action program to create this exhibit. The national exhibition, with original artifacts made available by the SHMC, tells the story of the Komagata Maru and explores contributions of Sikh immigrants to Canada. Once completed, “Lions of the Sea” will be made available to schools, libraries and places of worship across Canada.

“Through our government’s investment in 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 happen again. I’m proud to see that this powerful exhibit is being featured across the country, and I encourage all Canadians to visit the exhibit and to remember the lessons we have learned from this tragic moment in Canada’s history,” said Uppal.

“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 truly come to life with a national exhibition and lecture series. The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada is proud to take the lead in sharing the legacy of the Komagata Maru and invites all Canadians to come see this exhibit first hand,” said Pardeep Singh Nagra, Executive Director, Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada.