New Heritage Minute Tells the Story of Paldi, British Columbia

TORONTO, April 19, 2023 /CNW/ - April is Sikh Heritage Month, and Historica Canada is marking it with the release of a new Heritage Minute exploring the rich cultural heritage of Paldi, a welcoming and inclusive mill town founded by South Asian immigrants in British Columbia.

April is Sikh Heritage Month, and Historica Canada is marking it with the release of a new Heritage Minute.

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This Heritage Minute introduces the mill town of Paldi, BC, through the eyes of a Sikh woman, Bishan Kaur. Today, the historic site of the Paldi gurdwara remains a symbol of this inclusive, multicultural community.

This new Heritage Minute is the first to highlight the history of South Asian Canadians. South Asian men began immigrating to British Columbia at the turn of the 20th century, with many working at lumber camps. By 1917, Mayo Singh and 35 other Sikh lumbermen established the Mayo Lumber Company on Vancouver Island with a culturally diverse workforce of South Asian, Chinese, Japanese, and white workers. Soon after, buildings were erected, including a Sikh gurdwara and a Japanese temple, as well as bunkhouses, cookhouses, and a school. Known as "Mayo" or "Mayo Siding" until receiving an official post office in 1936, the town was named Paldi, after Mayo Singh's home in Punjab.

Narrated from the perspective of Bishan Kaur, wife of founder Mayo Singh, this Heritage Minute emphasizes the largely untold experience of South Asian people in Canada during the early 20th century. Legislation restricting the immigration of women and children to Canada effectively separated families until the late 1920s.

"Paldi BC was a small community in size, but its impact on Canada and the lives of the South Asian community endures to this day," said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada. "In many ways, the struggles, resilience, contributions and ultimate triumphs of those living in Paldi reflect the larger picture of the evolution of inclusive multiculturalism across all of Canada." 

The Minute was filmed in August 2022 and produced by Historica Canada and Scopitone Films, led by producers Elad Tzadok and Hayley Gray (Unarchived) with Tarun Keram (Tadwim). It was written and directed by Hayley Gray and Anaïsa Visser (Esther & Sai). Naim Sutherland (Anxious Oswald Greene) was the director of photography.

Bishan Kaur is portrayed on screen by Mannu Sandhu (PR), Mayo Singh/End Narrator by Tarun Keram and Konme by Ashley Kobayashi (The Mess We're In). Farah Merani (See) voices Bishan Kaur in French and Rup Magon (Out in the Open) provides the French end narration. This is the first Heritage Minute to be dubbed in Punjabi, with Mannu Sandhu voicing Bishan Kaur and Gugun Deep Singh (Compliant) providing the end narration. 

On this production, Historica Canada consulted with Dr. Satwinder Bains (University of the Fraser Valley, South Asian Studies Institute), Dr. Tzu-I Chung (RBCM, Punjabi Canadian Heritage Project), and Kathryn Gagnon (formerly Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives). 

"I feel a deep and emotional appreciation for this Heritage Minute in particular because the history it portrays touches me to the core of my being," said Satwinder Bains. "As a historical consultant on the project, Paldi and Bishan Kaur's story evoked in me a poignant indebtedness to the early Sikh settlers who helped build our beautiful province. As an immigrant myself I am extremely proud of our rich and vibrant history that has been captured in this Heritage Minute." 

The Paldi Heritage Minute was made possible through funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage. In-kind equipment support for the production was provided by William F. White. Historica Canada is a charitable organization that offers programs in both official languages that you can use to explore, learn, reflect on our history, and consider what it means to be Canadian. 

SOURCE Historica Canada

Emilie Bourdages-Bittle, Communications Coordinator, [email protected], [phone]