Sikh community in Timmins hosts first Annual Khalsa Day Parade
With hundreds of students from India who attend Northern College, and other professionals from India who've moved to the city to work, organizers said they felt it was time to bring everyone together to celebrate their culture with the rest of the community.
“We celebrate the birth of Khalsa, our Sikh way of life. This is the day we become Sikh back in 1699," said Kanwaljit Bains, director of Sikh Sangat of Timmins.
Sikh Sangat of Timmins established its Gurdwara in December, and on Saturday the first Annual Khalsa Day Parade wound its way throughout the core of Timmins.
The community was invited to immerse itself in a Punjabi festival, the first of its kind for Timmins and all of northern Ontario.
“I just keep thinking after the long dark days of COVID, to see all this joy in the streets of Timmins. This is a historic moment and my prediction is: year after year, this is going to get bigger and bigger and draw more and more people. This is a great moment for our city," said Charlie Angus, NDP MP Timmins-James Bay.
The parade route included parts of the downtown, by Hollinger Park, up Algonquin Boulevard and back to the Gurdwara. Along the way, there were moments to stop for refreshments such as water and fruit.
"All cultures together, absolutely amazing history and food and absolutely gorgeous costumes. We need to have this variety here," said Lilianna Staniz, who came to partake in the event.
Complimentary vegetarian Indian food was available including samosas, mango lassis and fruit with spices
“Masala gives a different flavour to the fruits, so apart from the regular tasting food you get an enhanced taste," explained Navdeep Singh, one of the members serving food.
Part of Sikh culture is to be welcoming and giving; to perform community service and selflessly help others.
'Jazzy B', a Bhangra Punjabi singer and songwriter from Vancouver is also in town to perform.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.