Kitchener, Nov 7, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
The 18th annual Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony was held at the historic military grave of Canadian War hero Private Buckam Singh’s military grave. This is the only known military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier from the World Wars.
The solemn and inspirational Remembrance Ceremony hosted by the Sikh community honours the service and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers as well as pay tribute to the Sikh tradition of military service.
A highlight was the keynote speech by Senator Baltej Singh Dhillon – a former RCMP officer, who fought for the right for Sikhs to wear their turban while serving in uniform.
“As a historian, if you look at the timeline, Baltej Singh Dhillon is as much a pioneer and milestone figure in Canadian history as Buckam Singh was 100 years ago,” said Sandeep Singh Brar, curator and chief organizer of the event.
“That is because, Baltej engaged in a challenge as a young man, which lasted from 1988 to 1991 to successfully become the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, allowed to wear his religious article of faith – his turban, as part of his uniform.
His absolute insistence that you can be a loyal Canadian serving your country in uniform as well as practicing your religion, was groundbreaking and shattered the barriers that prevented turban-wearing Sikhs from being allowed to join the Canadian Armed Forces or police services in Canada. Every single Sikh wearing a turban and in uniform today, have an incredible debt that they owe to this Sikh pioneer.”
During his powerful address, Senator Dhillon said that what brings us together is not to only recall and remember, but to reflect on what service represents.
“Private Buckam Singh’s life reminds us that courage and belonging are not bound by race, by religion or by birthplace,” said Senator Dhillon. “He served a country that had not yet fully accepted him. Yet, he never hesitated to give himself for its defence. This act of devotion stands as a shining example of what it truly means to serve Canada, while staying rooted in one’s faith and identity.
“As someone who has worn a uniform, and committed his own life to service, both in policing and now in public office, I understand that in a small way, what the weight of this call is. Service asks much of us – it demands that we place duty before comfort, principle before personal pursuits, and the collective good above the individual.
Private Buckam Singh lived that truth – not for recognition but because it was right. And yet, for decades, his story was lost – hidden beneath the dust of forgotten records and untold histories. This is what holds us accountable to ‘lest we forget,’
“For too long, our remembrance as a nation has sometimes been selective,” said Senator Dhillon. “True remembrance means seeing the whole story of Canada – the Indigenous soldiers who defended a country that denied them full citizenship.
The Black, the Asian, and the Sikh Canadians who fought for freedoms not yet afforded to them. So today, as we stand before Private Buckam Singh’s resting place, we do more than honour one man – we affirm our collective responsibility to ensure that history remembers all who served fully, truthfully and with gratitude.
To that, I am grateful to have a national effort in the form of the unveiling of a stamp, one that acknowledges the sacrifices Sikh soldiers made in defence of our nation and honours their rightful place in the memory and fabric of Canada.”
Canada Post officially unveiled a special Remembrance Day-themed stamp, commemorating over a century of Sikh military service, beginning with the 10 Sikh soldiers accepted into the Canadian military during the First World War, and honours those who continue to serve in today’s Canadian Armed Forces.
The stamp features a Sikh soldier from the modern Canadian Armed Forces at the military grave of Canadian war hero Private Buckam Singh.
The ceremony brought together members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Police Services, Royal Canadian Legion branches, veterans, elected officials, and the public to pay tribute to Sikh Canadian soldiers and their enduring contributions to Canada’s military history. The event remains the largest annual gathering of active Sikh soldiers and veterans in North America.
The Hon. Jill McKnight, Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence was the chief guest and spoke during the ceremony, stating that most Sikhs did not have the right to vote in Canada until 1947.
“Generations of Sikh Canadians continued to face discrimination through much of Canada’s history,” said Minister McKnight.
“Thankfully, the Canadian Armed Forces has made progress in recognizing and shifting the culture which fostered discrimination and racialization. And we will continue to improve this culture as we move forward. Today, Sikh members serve with skill and distinction in every branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. And like Private Singh, they carry forward a proud legacy of courage, sacrifice and service to this country.”
The ceremony took place at a site of deep national significance—the military grave of Canadian war hero Private Buckam Singh, one of only ten Sikh Canadians allowed to enlist in the Canadian military at the outset of the First World War.
Despite widespread rejection of Sikh volunteers at the time, Singh was accepted into the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion, fought bravely in France and Belgium, and was wounded in two separate battles before dying in 1919 at a military hospital in Kitchener, Ontario.
The Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony continues to serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by Canadians of all backgrounds and the inclusive spirit that defines our nation’s military legacy.
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