MEHFIL

MEHFIL$4.95 

The magazine for today’s Indo-Canadian 

December/January 2010 

INSIDE 

Global TV’s 

Jas Johal 

Joins Mehfil 

From India 

Campus Talk 

Campus Choices 

“Pro” Activist 

Harjap 

Grewal 

Perspective: 

Christmas 

Is it for everyone? 

Actress 

Sandy Sidhu 

Takes off with 

Stargate Universe 

www.mehfilmagazine.com 

Complete 

Coverage of 

RBC Mehfil 

Magazine 

Awards for 

Excellence 

Master of 

Ceremonies 

Comedian 

Dan Nainan 

Ratana 

Stephens 

A Natural Path 

to Success

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Mehfil 

D e pa r t m e n t s 

10 

16 

28 

30 

94 

4 Mehfil December/January 2010 

COVER STORY 

Ratana Stephens.............42 

Ratana Stephens likes to be “behind the scenes.” But as chief 

operating officer of Nature’s Path and co-owner of the world’s No. 

1 organic brand of breakfast cereal, Stephens can’t help but attract 

attention. Thanks to her company’s commitment to sustainability 

and conservation, Stephens has also attracted accolades, including 

the Award for Business Excellence at the inaugural RBC Mehfil 

Magazine Awards gala. 

Features 

42 

A Lion’s Mane.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

When Navjot Kaur’s small son was diagnosed with hearing loss, she 

began putting her thoughts down on paper as a form of “healing 

therapy.” Her notes evolved into the book 

A Lion’s Mane, the story of a Sikh boy’s 

journey of self-discovery. 

Abbotsford Retrospective.. . 34 

In the early 1900s, a group of about 50 

Indian immigrants put down roots in 

Abbotsford. They built the foundation for 

what is now one of the oldest and most 

successful Indo-Canadian communities in 34 

North America. 

RBC Mehfil Magazine 

48 

Awards............... 48 

The first annual RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Awards for Excellence featuring keynote 

speaker Peter Mansbridge, honoured 

the accomplishments of outstanding 

individuals during an evening that 

surprised, entertained and, most 

importantly, inspired. 

Cover Photo by Alistair Eagle 

December/January 2010 

Publishers’ Note.............7 

Stellar Student............ 10 

Life Lessons ...............11 

Campus Talk...............12 

Unsung Hero.............. 16 

Scene & Society. ...........21 

Entertainment ............ 30 

Fashion. ................ 68 

Beauty ...................74 

Weddings.................76 

Auto Reviews ............. 86 

Local Artist................93 

Reflections............... 94 

Columns 

8 

India Today 

by Jas Johal 

22 

The Inspired Sufi 

by Azim Jamal 

24 

Politics 

by Andy Radia 

26 

Perspectives 

by Divinder Purewal 

78 

Horoscope 

by Georgia Nicols 

80 

Cuisine 

by Gurj Dhaliwal 

82 

Health & Fitness 

by Shefali Raja 

92 

Movie Reviews 

by Ron Ahluwalia

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Mehfil 

December/January 2010 VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 

Editor 

Minto Vig 

Contributing Editor 

Hardip Vig 

Contributing Writers 

Robin Roberts, Jas Johal, 

Michelle Hopkins, Azim Jamal, 

Shefali Raja, Georgia Nicols, 

Gurj Dhaliwal, Andy Radia, 

Anita Sangha, Alisha Randhawa, 

Divinder Purewal, 

Jaspreet Singh Mangat 

Photography, Illustrations 

Ron Sangha, Sunny Photo Images, 

Alistair Eagle, Chandra Bodalia 

JC Images, Surya Studios 

Production & Design 

Spice Graphics 

Sales & Marketing Manager 

Rupa Vig 

Mehfil Magazine is published by 

Mehfil Holdings Inc. 

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Publishers’ Note 

This issue marks a major milestone for 

Mehfil with the realization of two objectives 

set out when we first launched more than 16 

years ago. 

In addition to addressing important issues 

our community faces, Mehfil has always been 

about highlighting the achievements of Indo- 

Canadians. Our goals have been to provide 

role models for our youth, to inspire others to 

achieve more, and to raise the community’s 

profile by telling these stories in a high quality, 

professional format. In that regard we’ve 

always thought that some day we would introduce 

Mehfil Awards to recognize extraordinary 

individuals. We’re very proud to say that 

on October 3rd we were able to do just that 

with the first annual RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Awards for Excellence gala. Read about the 

awards and the winners on page 48. 

It was an incredible evening during 

which we were able to bring together the 

who’s who of the Indo-Canadian community 

to recognize nine extraordinary individuals 

in categories ranging from the arts and community 

service to business and innovation. 

We were also able to recognize Asa Johal 

with a Lifetime Achievement Award for the 

many contributions he has made to society. 

And with Canadian broadcasting icon Peter 

Mansbridge as the keynote speaker, the event 

served as a cultural bridge between the mainstream 

and Indo-Canadian communities. 

The event also allowed us to achieve a 

second goal we had set back in the early days 

of Mehfil: the establishment of a scholarship 

for journalism. We’ve often wondered 

what criteria is used in newsrooms across the 

nation to make decisions on what is and isn’t 

newsworthy. Who decides when an issue is 

isolated to an individual or small group or 

truly is a cultural phenomenon? And when 

cultural issues do arise, how should the news 

be handled? 

Money raised at the gala went towards 

the establishment of a Mehfil Magazine 

Journalism Endowment at Kwantlen 

Polytechnic University to encourage and 

support more students interested in pursuing 

journalism. The $40,000 endowment 

will provide scholarships which we hope will 

encourage more Indo-Canadians to pursue 

journalism and help make the newsrooms 

across the country more representative of the 

Canadian population. 

One of the award recipients at the RBC 

Mehfil Awards gala was Ratana Stephens, 

the subject of this issue’s cover story, she is 

COO of Nature’s Path, a company she and 

husband Arran have built to become one of 

the largest organic cereal companies on the 

planet. Rather than sell out to the likes of 

(from left) Mehfil Magazine publishers Rana and Minto Vig present Dr. Robert Adamoski, 

Dean, Social Sciences, and Jeff Norris, Chief Advancement Officer, Kwantlen Polytechnic 

University, with a cheque to establish an endowment for journalism students. 

Pepsi and Kraft, they’ve remained committed 

to their core belief that good business is about 

more than profits – it’s also about people and 

giving back to the community. 

Lastly, we welcome Global TV’s Jas Johal, 

whose career we’ve watched with enthusiasm 

since he was first featured in Mehfil as a 

young reporter in 1993. As Global’s India 

Bureau Chief, Jas shares his experiences in 

his new column India Today. 

A.S. Bubber, CA 

Look for more changes in the issues to 

come. As always, we welcome your feedback, 

comments and suggestions. 

become a fan at 

www.facebook.com/mehfilmagazine 

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EARN 

It’s what you 

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Mehfil December/January 2010 7

I ndia Today 

By Jas Johal 

Sixty per cent of Delhites used to take transit every day. 

Today it’s dropped down to 40 per cent. The main culprit 

for this decline is the car. 

Driving India 

NEW DELHI — If you’re an ex pat in 

India, at some point this land of a billion 

people will test you. In my case it was in 

mid-October after a year of living in New 

Delhi. We had just completed a long day 

of filming in the satellite city of Gurgaon 

and were heading home. It was a drive that 

normally takes 40 minutes. Two hours 

into the commute from hell I let out a 

few choice expletives that would make the 

most hardened aunty blush. My driver 

Parminder calmly turns back and, 

like an old Delhi hand who’s talked 

a few westerners off the ledge, says, 

“It’s just Diwali traffic. We’ll get 

through this very soon. No tension.” 

I huffed back, “The traffic police 

didn’t know Diwali was coming? 

They can’t manage this better?” 

Sadly, there’s little authorities 

can do. The core problem is Indians 

have fallen in love with the car. 

Everywhere you look in this city, 

there are new vehicles on the 

road. Last month I did a double 

take as our vehicle was overtaken 

Ford CEO Allan Mulally (left) in Delhi at the launch of the Ford 

Figo. The new vehicle will be designed and produced from 

Ford's brand new plant in Pune. Ford has made an investment 

in India so far to the tune of $500 million US. 

by a brand new Lambourghini 

while we were driving past the 

prime minister’s residence. What 

would Mahatma Gandhi have 

thought if he had witnessed such 

a scene? 

There’s no doubt Indians love premium 

brands. BMW sales are up 56 per cent 

year over year here. In my opinion, it’s not 

the high-end market that’s the culprit. It’s 

still relatively small. It’s the cheap, small 

cars that will be hitting the showrooms 

within the next three years for the aam 

aadmi that will guarantee gridlock in 

India’s major cities. Ford and General 

Motors have announced small cars for 

India’s congested roads by 2010, Toyota 

by 2011. Neither will be as cheap as the 

$2,500 Tata Nano but still affordable 

enough to push car sales in India from a 

puny 1.3 million a year now to six million 

cars sold per year by 2020. I spoke 

to Ford CEO Allan Mulally recently and, 

with his usual optimism, he told me, “In 

India our plan includes accelerating the 

development of fuel-efficient small cars.” 

You can understand his enthusiasm. Car 

makers are desperate for new growth 

regions as sales in North America and 

Europe will not return to their 2007 

levels until 2011. From western CEOs 

to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, everybody 

is singing the praises of India. It’s 

all clearly a sign of India’s increased affluence 

and economic rise, but at what cost? 

The environment is getting short shrift 

here. Do the math. Delhi alone adds 

one thousand new vehicles to its already 

congested roadways every single day. 

Ten years ago this country’s supreme court 

mandated Delhi taxis, buses and commercial 

vehicles run on clean compressed natural 

gas (CNG) after citizens sued their government 

because of the atrocious air quality. 

Back then, breathing in Delhi was equivalent 

to having a six-cigarettes-a-day habit. 

CNG stations helped Delhi leap frog 

ahead of first world countries. Air quality 

improved and it had a network of CNG 

stations that could be used as a catalyst 

to force car-makers to build vehicles 

that would run on cleaner fuel. Delhi 

has since added new buses, bicycle and 

pedestrian walkways, and a new subway 

system. All the right decisions for an aspiring 

modern city. Sadly, it hasn’t helped. 

In the last two years those significant 

gains have been lost. Air quality is now 

back to pre-2000 levels. Sixty per 

cent of Delhites use to take transit 

everyday. Today it’s dropped 

down to forty per cent. The main 

culprit for this decline is the car. 

I understand Indians don’t want to 

be lectured by westerners. After all, 

continued economic growth 

will significantly reduce poverty, 

which is the main reason for poor 

health and premature deaths. 

Unfortunately, this will be done 

at the expense of the environment 

and air quality, which ultimately 

will lead to poor health 

and premature deaths. A vicious 

cycle perpetuated by car companies 

and Indian consumers desperate 

for our North American lifestyle. 

Fundamentally, Indians and their 

government need to be at the forefront 

of the environmental movement. 

They cannot afford to be complacent. 

I’m seeing the early stages of an 

environmental awakening here. Already 

General Motors has promised a plug-in 

electric car for the Indian market by next 

year. A rare exception, considering 50 per 

cent of new cars will still run on diesel. A 

decade ago the average speed during Delhi 

rush hour was 30 kilometers per hour. 

Today, it’s 17 kilometers. At this rate 

maybe I’ll walk home next Diwali. It just 

may be faster. p 

Based in New Delhi, Jas Johal is the South 

Asia Bureau Chief for Global National News 

which airs daily at 5:30pm. 

8 Mehfil December/January 2010

Golden Tree 

J e w e l l e r s 

WilloW brook Shopping Centre 

l angley, b C • 604-530-7221

S tellar Student 

Harleen Sekhon 

Age: 17 Hometown: Surrey, B.C. 

Academic awards: Millennium Excellence 

Award Foundation National Scholarship, Surrey 

Firefighter’s Basketball Scholarship, Indo-Canadian 

Business Association Scholarship, BCPVPA 

Scholarship, Khalsa Credit Union Scholarship, 

UBC President’s Entrance Scholarship, 2009 Youth 

Volunteer Community Leader Award, SFU Academic 

Excellence Entrance Scholarship, Enver Creek PAC 

Scholarship, B.C. High school Bhangra Competition 

Scholarship, Enver Creek Student’s Council 

Scholarship, Enver Creek Outstanding School 

Service Award, 2009 Surrey Youth Award nominee, 

Enver Creek top all-round student, “Golden Cougar 

Award” 

Area of study: Bachelor of Science at UBC 

Volunteer work: Fleetwood Residential Care 

Centre for Seniors, Surrey Memorial Hospital, 

YMCA basketball coach, Heart and Stroke 

Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, numerous 

school clubs, soup kitchen, and numerous events 

and programs in the community or with the City of 

Surrey. 

Advice for students: No one is smarter than 

another person; some students just catch on earlier 

than others. Know how quick of a learner you 

are and work hard at allocating as much time to 

school as you need. Don’t compare yourself to 

others. Moreover, being academically strong is not 

always the key to success. To truly be successful, 

one should work hard at becoming a well-rounded 

person, by volunteering in the community, getting 

involved in sports, pursuing your hobbies, etc. I 

believe that by volunteering you can learn so much 

more about the world and even more about yourself. 

Your favourite confidence building tips: 

Confidence is how you see yourself. Whichever way 

you see yourself, most likely others see you in that 

same light. I remember being a shy person during 

the early years of high school. But I pushed past my 

limits and tried new things. It may seem intimidating 

and scary at first, but it really helps. I became so 

much more involved in school and in the community. 

At times, your confidence may falter because of 

others putting you down, but if you keep your head 

focused on the important things in life, you will gain 

success. By the end of high school, I was graduating 

as president of Graduation Council, an athlete 

on the school basketball team and vice-president of 

Students’ Council. 

What do you do in your spare time? I enjoy 

playing basketball and spending time with my 

friends. I also enjoy dancing on Bhangra and 

Giddha teams. 

What role has your family played in your 

academic career? My family has played an 

extremely important role. I have been brought up in 

a modern and well-educated family; they support me 

no matter what I do. My parents have always been 

there listening to me. My mom, especially, has been 

more like a best friend to me, with whom I can share 

anything. 

A quote that inspires you: “Be who you are, and 

say what you want, because those who mind don’t 

matter and those who matter don’t mind.” 

— Dr. Seuss 


Work Zombies: Don’t Be One of the Working Dead 

Life Lessons 

CareerCoach 

Work zombies are listless and 

disinterested employees 

going through the motions 

at work. They would rather be anywhere 

except at their jobs. Are you 

a work zombie? Your lack of interest 

in your job shows to your colleagues 

and bosses. Here are some tips to 

reconnecting with your work and 

workplace: 

Innovate a process – Look at current 

business processes and attempt to 

think-outside the box and make processes 

more efficient. This will not only 

increase your interest in your job, but 

will add value to your organization at 

the same time. Your boss will appreciate 

how you can look at things in a different 

manner and find solutions. This can 

even lead to a job promotion. Superiors 

may think that if you can reinvent in 

your area, imagine what you could do in 

other departments in your organization. 

Seek a project – Look for projects 

that interest you. These projects can 

be inside or outside of your department. 

Most supervisors have many great 

projects that they would love to tackle, 

but never get the time. Indicate your 

interest in a specific project by indicating 

a plan of action detailing what you hope 

to accomplish along with timelines. Also 

state what value the project’s completion 

will have on your department and the 

organization. 

Improve work culture – Your work 

environment can make your job interesting 

or boring. While you can’t change 

your day-to-day job, you can influence 

your work environment. Start by organizing 

a hockey pool, pot-luck lunch 

or staff dinner at a local restaurant to 

encourage camaraderie in the office. In 

the long run, social engagement at work 

will make things more fun! 

Take professional development courses 

– To break out of your daily routine and 

improve your professional growth opportunities, 

you can take courses to earn a 

designation or certification. The extra 

effort will open doors to new opportunities 

in your career. 

Pursue a Hobby – Over time, all jobs 

can become routine unless you challenge 

yourself. It may be time to expand your 

outside-of-work interests to offset the 

routine of work. After all, an exhilarating 

workout can reinvigorate you. Or you 

may be the type to seek mental stimulation. 

Either way, your outlook on your 

job can be altered by fulfilling extracurricular 

activities. 

While these are a few tips for rejoining 

the throngs of engaged workers, you can 

invest some time into coming up with 

your own ideas to break free of the zombie 

worker nation. Your job and workplace 

are what you make them. Choose 

not to be a work zombie. 

Anita Sangha has 

worked in human 

resources and career 

counselling for over 9 

years. If you have any 

questions about this 

article, or would like to 

learn more about how 

Kwantlen’s Cooperative 

Education department 

incorporates attitude training into its courses, 

please contact her at anita.sangha@kwantlen.ca 

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Campus Talk 

By Jaspreet Singh Mangat 

Prestige, Personal Development or Career Goals 

What’s Most Important To You? 

Parents — their voices seem to always whisper 

in our ears when it comes to deciding 

our ideal profession. Although they always 

desire for their child’s success, their preference 

usually boils down to “be a doctor” or 

“be an advocate” — at least for typical South 

Asian parents. 

The fact of the matter is, prestige in South 

Asian culture means becoming a person of 

stature in the community, so people recognize 

who you are based on your profession, 

and your stature is a reflection of your family’s 

success. 

In North America, however, there is 

a phasing out of differences in salaries 

between men and women, labour jobs and 

academic jobs as the focus begins to shift 

to skill-based jobs in an attempt to fill gaps 

in labour shortages. North America is also 

beginning to regulate job safety more closely. 

This makes labour jobs safer, workerfriendly 

and more desirable professions to 

pursue. Trades, computer programming, 

business and e-commerce have become 

booming fields in North America with a 

tremendous potential for social and financial 

success. The hardest issue for youth 

today is to hone in on their interests and 

to seek out an institution that helps them 

develop the skills needed to succeed in any 

given profession. 

The question is how? 

The first issue every student after high 

school faces is whether they should pursue: 

prestige over comfort; personal development 

over family responsibilities; career goals over 

temporary employment opportunities. 

Often the most prestigious universities 

require outstanding academic performance. 

Life equals stress in this scenario in which 

the high commute times to reach campuses 

such as UBC, SFU and BCIT combined 

with the intense competitive atmosphere 

becomes a physically draining phenomenon. 

Students who choose to attend community 

colleges are not burdened by the environmental 

stresses of campus adaptation. 

Colleges help students make the transition 

to university easier and allow students 

to complete a diploma/certificate that may 

not be otherwise offered at the university 

level. In either case, it is important to do 

your research well in advance. 


Typical features of a good post-secondary 

institution 

Ideally, a university, college or trades 

institute should be a comfortable atmosphere 

for you to study and engage in social 

activities. It should not be a place for you 

to only attend classes, but rather, a place to 

debate, engage in dialogue about community 

issues, learn to think critically, and broaden 

one’s horizons in a large variety of academic 

disciplines. Students find that the best 

institutions are those in which the professors 

engage directly with their students: 

asking questions, hosting academic activities, 

allowing for peer-support and hosting 

social times outside of the class room. 

These environments are often found where 

class sizes are small, as students have a stronger 

personal interaction with their professors, 

and hence with the academic material 

itself. Performance and student engagement 

are correlated with class size, so ideal courses 

should be those in which you feel at ease 

working with your fellow students and talking 

with your professor directly. 

Unfortunately, large universities such as 

UBC and SFU have lecture halls as large as 

500 students per class. Students often feel 

intimidated in this atmosphere and feel they 

take little out of the lecture material. 

However, in contrast to smaller institutions, 

larger universities and colleges have 

the benefit of a large variety of extracurricular 

clubs, societies and social groups that 

help a student develop his or her all-around 

academic and non-academic character. 

Student life at times is a week-after-week 

account of uncountable hours of studying. 

For some students, the stress is so intense 

it affects their health as they neglect to eat 

right and exercise. It is thus important that 

your institution has facilities to engage in 

athletics and fitness, whether at the varsity 

level or through intramural sports. 

The objective of every post-secondary 

institution is to create well-rounded global 

citizens who can engage critically with real 

world issues in a wide variety of disciplines. 

Now it depends on which institution will 

bring out the best citizen in you. 

Visit www.mehfilmagazine.com and click Campus 

Talk for overviews of major Canadian universities 

including their world recognition, degrees offered 

and specialities. 

ON CAMPUS 

Five university students share their 

experiences on five different campuses 

and offer their opinions on the pros and 

cons of their schools. 

Professors expect students 

to go beyond what is 

asked. If you don’t put in 

effort you'll find yourself 

falling behind. 

Sumi Kochukalikkal, 4th 

year, BBA Joint Honours Degree in 

Finance and Economics, Simon Fraser 

University 

SFU has established a great network 

of employers and alumni, so that when 

it comes time to graduate you have 

already made solid contacts for your 

future career. Aside from that, three 

beautiful campuses, easy access and 

a good reputation definitely had me 

convinced. 

Speaking on behalf of the business 

program, it is very competitive because 

the program is in high demand. Professors 

expect students to go beyond what 

is asked for. If you don’t put in effort 

you'll find yourself falling behind. 

Lecture sizes depend largely on the 

campus and the course being taught. 

It can range anywhere between 30-350 

students. But tutorials are held in 

sizes of 15 to 20 and encourage more 

interaction. 

Surrey offers smaller class sizes, 

innovative programs especially in 

technology, engineering and business, 

and a number of student run societies. 

However, Burnaby is the main campus 

with better facilities for sciences and 

a greater availability of services and 

clubs.

There is much emphasis on student involvement in campus 

issues, as well as global affairs such as environmental 

sustainability, global poverty, human rights, etc. 

Class sizes at Kwantlen 

are small... This makes 

it a lot easier to interact 

with professors and 

create strong mentoring 

relationships. 

Amandeep Singh Kalsi, 

3rd year, Bachelor of Business 

Administration (BBA) in Entrepreneurial 

Leadership, Kwantlen 

Polytechnic University 

I chose Kwantlen Polytechnic University 

as my destination for post 

secondary education because it is 

one of the top business schools in 

British Columbia. Kwantlen offered 

degree programs that were specifically 

designed for my career path. 

There is not a very competitive 

environment at Kwantlen. In 

my experience students are not 

competing with one another, 

however they challenge themselves 

to obtain a high GPA to ensure 

they can pursue the classes they 

need. Professors expect students 

to work efficiently, ask questions 

and attend class regularly. 

Class sizes at Kwantlen are 

small, very comparable to high 

school classes (maximum of 35 

students). This makes it a lot easier 

to interact with professors and create 

strong mentoring relationships. 

The student life at Kwantlen is 

great. Kwantlen thrives on offering 

ways for students to improve their 

educational experience through advising, 

learning centres, and career 

days. However, at times it feels like 

there are not enough activities going 

on at school. It would be great 

to see a little bit more campus life 

and activities to get students more 

involved in their school. 

Gurjeet Kaur Kambo, 4th year, Food and 

Nutrition, University of British Columbia 

I did a lot of research into different universities 

during my last year of high school, and decided to 

complete the Nutritional Sciences degree at UBC. 

With this plan, I first took transferable courses at 

Kwantlen to save money and stay close to home, 

and then transferred to UBC to complete my 

degree. 

The classes at Kwantlen are generally quite 

small — most of mine were about 30 students. 

There is definitely a lot of opportunity for student 

interaction with professors, especially because of 

the small class sizes. Also, a great resource is the 

Learning Centre where students can get free tutoring 

from faculty as well as peer tutors; this really 

allows students to get one-on-one help from their 

professors. 

Planning-wise it was a bit of a pain to constantly 

ensure that all my courses would transfer. I have 

heard many stories from peers who did not look 

into transferable courses 

and ended up having some 

credits go to waste. The 

social atmosphere at UBC 

is much, much different 

than Kwantlen. As corny as 

it sounds, I have grown a 

lot more as a person after coming to UBC. There is 

much emphasis on student involvement in campus 

issues, as well as global affairs such as environmental 

sustainability, global poverty, human rights, 

etc. 

I love the natural environment at UBC. Just 

simply going for a walk in the Nitobe Memorial 

Garden (Japanese garden), or sitting at the Rose 

Garden overlooking the mountains and ocean is a 

serene experience. One thing I hate is that sometimes 

the campus can seem huge. There are over 

400 buildings here, and walking to class can take a 

while at times, although I do get a good amount of 

exercise this way. 

Within first-year, class sizes are quite large. 

However, as you get into higher years, the size of 

classes decreases considerably. Professors are 

always available for any questions or discussion 

about course material during office hours and class 

time. 

Sharon Singh, 2nd year, Double Major in 

Psychology and Neuroscience, University of 

Toronto 

I chose to attend the University of Toronto as it is 

a beautiful campus, home to one of the Canada’s 

strongest faculties and provides students with 

incredible academic programs and research 

opportunities for undergraduate students. U of T 

offers a broad range of activities and organizations 

for its diverse student body to get involved and be 

a part of a community. 

While everyone is striving for high marks, I 

find the students are really friendly and take the 

time to help each other out by sharing past tests, 

lecture recordings and even notes! Professors 

expect students to put in their best effort academically 

and know the material well to achieve high 

marks on assignments and exams. 

Within first year, class sizes are quite large. 

However, as you get into higher years, the size of 

classes decreases considerably. Professors are 

always available for any questions or discussion 

about course material during office hours and 

class time. 

I love being able to meet other students 

from all over the world and learning about new 

cultures. There are so many opportunities to get 

involved in student life that you are guaranteed to 

find your niche within the University of Toronto. 

Some days I really hate commuting from home. It 

takes up a lot of time, but I usually try to get some 

studying done along the way. 

Don’t see your campus mentioned? Have some tips to share? Know someone you’d like to see 

featured? Campus Talk is a section for students, by students. To share your ideas, insights, 

suggestions and comments – or to contribute – visit Campus Talk on www.mehfilmagazine.com 

or join us at facebook.com/mehfilmagazine. 


Campus Talk 

ON CAMPUS 

The classrooms range 

from 25 to 300 students, 

and students are usually 

very involved during 

lectures and dialogue with 

their professors before or 

after class to clear up any 

questions or concepts that 

they may not understand. 

Harneet Kaur Sidhu, 2nd year, 

Social Sciences program, University 

of Victoria 

I chose to attend UVic over other 

universities in B.C. because my parents 

and I thought it would be a good 

learning experience to be living away 

from home. But UVic is close enough 

to the mainland (a ferry ride away) that 

I could come home often. UVic is well 

recognized for its academic programs 

internationally, and it has a very serene 

atmosphere. 

The students at UVic are competitive 

in their studies and only aim for 

the best. Once you get to the secondand 

third-year courses, professors 

expect their students to be involved 

during class discussions and to put 

in extra effort to achieve their optimal 

potential. 

The classrooms range from 25 to 

300 students, and students are usually 

very involved during lectures and 

dialogue with their professors before or 

after class to clear up any questions or 

concepts that they may not understand. 

One thing I love about student 

life at UVic is that commuting is so 

easy! The residence buildings are a 

two-minute walk from classrooms, 

and the bus loop on campus makes it 

easy for a student to get to anywhere in 

Victoria in less than half an hour. There 

is nothing I can think of that I dislike 

about UVic. 

Scholarships: 

Six Steps to Community Development Projects 

Many scholarship committees are looking 

for leadership qualities through a 

student’s demonstration of self-directed initiatives. 

The question is: How do you come 

up with a good leadership project? 

I remember attending a regional conference 

hosted by the Millennium Scholarship 

Foundation in Vancouver back in 2006. 

A few hundred delegates from across the 

country were gathered at the Sheraton Hotel 

in Richmond, each a student leader in their 

own way, each making an impact on their 

communities, and each with a vision for 

community amelioration. Great leaders are 

those who genuinely care for the betterment 

of their communities. They see a problem 

faced by the community and attempt to 

address the issue with a practical solution. 

For example, a student leader may observe a 

community homeless shelter in the community 

close down due to a lack of funding. In 

attempt to address the shutdown of a community 

shelter, a student may decide to host 

a community music festival or talent show to 

raise funds to support the homeless shelter. 

There are several phases of student leadership 

that demand outstanding personal 

leadership qualities. Here is the six-step 

magic formula: 

1. Develop a vision: Do you see a pressing 

issue in human rights, health care, social 

development or youth outreach services that 

touches you? What are the social, cultural, 

legal and ethical problems surrounding this 

issue? 

2. Engage in student and community 

dialogue surrounding the issue: Organize 

a small seminar or a conference for dialogue 

surrounding this issue. Invite students from 

different school districts, involve your teachers 

in organizing a conference, develop an 

agenda and invite local government officials 

and/or community leaders to keynote at 

your seminar or conference 

3. Engage with local governmental officials 

to come to a viable solution: Arrange 

for a formal meeting with your local MLA, 

MP, Police Department, Government Minister, 

or experts in the field and come to a 

consensus on how to tackle the issue. 

4. Engage with the community directly: 

Talk to the people you wish to help and 

collaborate with organizations that have a 

similar vision. 

5. Develop a plan and establish a workable 

timeline for yourself: When do you 

hope to form a committee. What roles and 

positions will you have on your supporting 

committee? How will you structure responsibilities 

and elect members. When will 

you organize your community discussions? 

When do you plan to act on addressing your 

issue. These are all inherent questions in 

your community development planning. 

6. Stay humble: Throughout the process 

of organizing any activity, it is important to 

appreciate your parents, relatives, friends, 

peers and fellow committee members who 

have supported you in your vision. Respecting 

everyone around you is essential for 

a healthy rapport with those you have 

depended on for support and guidance. If 

you are asking others to take time out of 

their busy schedules to serve a greater cause, 

remember to thank them for helping you, 

and remain modest in your interactions with 

your peers. 

In addition to thinking about the six 

steps to community project development, 

also think about the level at which you 

wish to get involved: municipal, provincial, 

national and international. Municipal activities 

involve volunteering at local community 

centres or facilities such as seniors homes, 

rotary clubs or hospitals. Provincial activities 

involve collaborating with multiple municipalities. 

District conferences, forest conservation 

projects and park development are 

a few examples. National activities engage 

with multiple provinces, and involve collaborating 

with students and governmental 

officials from across Canada to tackle a larger 

transnational issue. International work, on 

the other hand, involves engaging with a 

community outside of Canada, which may 

include third-world countries. 

Whatever level of involvement you 

choose, scholarship committees are looking 

for well-rounded student leaders who develop 

a vision and carry this vision through to 

completion for the betterment of the community. 

p 

Jaspreet Singh Mangat is recognized as a 

National Scholar on the Canadian Association 

of Principals, founder of the non-profit North 

American Student Alliance Global Health 

Care Foundation, and has worked modestly 

in communities below the poverty line 

in Europe and India. A Governor General 

Award recipient, he now 

works within the community 

to engage students 

in dialogue surrounding 

community 

development. For project 

ideas and scholarship 

advice, you can reach 

him at jaspreetsingh@ 

nasaghc.com. 


CAMPUS SCHOLAR 

Sharing The Literal Past 

Adheesh Sathaye is an assistant professor 

in the department of Asian Studies 

at the University of British Columbia. He 

received his Ph.D. in South and Southeast 

Asian Studies from the University of 

California, Berkeley in 2004. Sathaye 

teaches Hindu mythology and pan-Asian 

folklore courses, as well a Sanskrit language 

and literature. 

He is working on a book-length study 

entitled Crossing the line: Vishvamitra and 

the Construction of Brahman Power in 

Hindu Narrative Traditions. He is also part 

of a team that is producing a web-based 

set of Sanskrit learning tools (www.ubcsanskrit.ca) 

and a web-based archive of 

Asian folklore collected by UBC students. 

What is currently the hottest topic of 

discussion in Sanskrit studies? 

There is a lot of misinformation out there 

about Sanskrit literature, and one thing we 

are trying to do is to get a better understanding 

of why people wrote in Sanskrit in the 

ancient past. The biggest misconception is 

that Sanskrit literature was all religious, and 

all Hindu. 

It is true that many of the important 

Hindu texts of ancient India were written 

in Sanskrit, but there is so much more to 

Sanskrit literature than Hinduism. Some of 

the most delicate and imaginative poetry 

that the world has ever seen is in Sanskrit 

(Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, etc.); some of the 

greatest stories ever told are recorded in 

Sanskrit (the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, 

etc.); some of the masterworks of philosophical 

inquiry are entirely written in Sanskrit 

(Sankara, Kumarila, Abhinavagupta). 

People long ago were not necessarily 

writing in Sanskrit because it was a “Hindu” 

language, but because it was an intellectual 

one. Some of the most learned Buddhist and 

Jain writers (e.g., Hemacandra, Dharmakirti, 

or Nagarjuna) wrote distinctively counter- 

Hindu texts entirely in Sanskrit. Ancient 

medical, mathematical and scientific texts 

were in Sanskrit, as were theoretical texts on 

dance, music, art, and theatre. 

Sanskritists today are trying to understand 

“Some of the most delicate and imaginative poetry that the 

world has ever seen is in Sanskrit; some of the greatest stories 

ever told are recorded in Sanskrit; some of the masterworks of 

philosophical inquiry are entirely written in Sanskrit.” 

these incredibly rich religious, intellectual, 

and literary cultures that had developed in 

India for over three thousand years. 

What impact does your field of 

research have on the community at 

large? 

As a second-generation South Asian- 

American, who was born and raised in 

the U.S., I feel that language is the central 

cultural issue that we face as a community. 

There are plenty of social problems that we 

have to deal with, of course, like violence, 

drugs, and so on, but one of the great divides 

that I have felt between first-generation 

parents and second-generation children is 

one of language. My parents forced me to 

speak in Marathi as a child, and therefore, 

unlike many of my peers, I speak English and 

Marathi. Since moving to Vancouver three 

years ago, I’ve noticed that language has 

been better preserved in the Punjabi community 

than in other South Asian communities, 

but it’s often the case that kids understand 

what their parents say, but cannot speak fluently 

in their own mother tongues. 

This not only creates a real cultural divide 

between parents and children, which often 

exacerbates problems like violence, drugs, 

depression, and so on, but also prevents 

young people from truly appreciating the 

richness of the cultures they have inherited. 

Sure, there are Bollywood films, food, 

and pop music, and there is nothing wrong 

with that — these are all wonderful things! 

But the classical arts and literatures of South 

Asia remain sealed by a language barrier 

that is frustrating to young people who are 

genuinely interested but have no real way to 

access it. 

What I hope is that when South Asian- 

Canadian students come to take a class 

on the literature of ancient India, or take 

language classes like Sanskrit, Hindi, or 

Punjabi, it will produce a kind of free space 

where they can come to “know themselves” 

— where they can explore the ideas, stories, 

and histories that their parents have known, 

but that have remained inaccessible across 

that frustrating barrier of language and place 

all throughout their childhood 

Who inspired you? What motivated 

you to enter this field? 

No one has inspired me more than my 

parents. My father who is equally accomplished 

in mathematics (his profession) and 

Sanskrit (his passion), and my late mother, 

whose love for Sanskrit and Marathi literature 

and culture was trumped only by her 

love for her family. They filled the house as 

I was growing up with shlokas, stories, and 

an engagement with the ancient Indian past 

that I did not appreciate when I was a typical, 

bratty kid growing up in Kentucky, but 

came to cherish after I moved to Chicago 

for college. I was also inspired by one of my 

advisors at Berkeley, the late folklorist Alan 

Dundes. 

Can you share an unusual experience 

relating to your field of study? 

Often people contact me to ask for help 

in translating Sanskrit. These days, it’s usually 

for a tattoo, or maybe for some kind of 

yoga class, but occasionally, I have gotten 

more unusual requests. A couple of years 

ago, I was asked for some translation help 

by a producer of a TV show (Reaper), in 

which the main character was supposed to 

wear a bracelet inscribed with the Sanskrit 

word for “power.” She wanted help both in 

[choosing the right one from the] dozen or 

more possibilities and how to write it. We 

chose the word “bala,” meaning strength or 

physical power, but somehow their production 

department made a printing error and the 

bracelet was accidentally inscribed as “baala” 

— meaning baby! Luckily, we managed to 

catch the mistake before the shooting of the 

TV episode, but I now have a souvenir of the 

incorrectly inscribed bracelet, as a warning 

to Sanskrit students about the importance of 

correct spelling and pronunciation — sometimes 

just one little vowel can make a world 

of difference! p 


Unsung Heroes 

The 

“Pro”Active Life 

of 

Harjap Grewal 

by Robin Roberts 

When Harjap Grewal was growing up 

in the small northern town of Terrace, 

B.C., his parents, like most, hoped their 

son would enter one of the “respected” 

professions: lawyer, doctor, engineer, scientist. 

So they sent him to Montreal and 

the renowned McGill University. As an undergraduate, 

young Harjap had not decided 

on his ultimate vocation, but did explore 

options in medicine and the sciences. He 

graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry and 

Pharmacology and an MSc in Organic 

Chemistry, with still no clear direction. 

He had been cruising through life, like 

many young people, oblivious to the struggles 

of others around him. He drank Gatorade, 

watched basketball on TV, and spent big bucks 

on the same shoes as his favourite athletes. 

But in university, his eyes were opened to 

the causes of other students who were shining 

a light on social injustice. Getting a glimpse 

of corrupt politicians and the hardships of the 

downtrodden “just shifted me,” says Grewal. 

His perspective was further broadened 

when, upon graduation in 2002, he and a 

buddy flew to India. The two spent six months 

travelling the country, from Ladakh in the 

north to Kerala in the south. He spoke with 

people affected by the Gujarat riots following 

the Godhra train burning, and the human 

rights organizations helping them. “Just seeing 


“There is a lot of work 

being done by people 

outside the so-called 

‘respected’ professions.” 

– Harjap Grewal 

that made me realize I needed to do that 

kind of work in my own community,” 

recalls Grewal. 

So, upon his return to B.C., he settled 

in Vancouver and began work as a legal 

advocate in the Downtown Eastside. 

Meanwhile, he set to work educating 

himself about the political process and 

foreign policy here and abroad. All of 

this to the chagrin of his working-class 

parents, who were born in Punjab and 

migrated to Canada in the 1970s for a 

better life. “They are slowly understanding, 

over time,” he says. “They’ve come to 

realize that, although they would prefer 

I work in the medical field, some of the 

work I’m doing now is just as important, 

and that there is a lot of amazing work 

being done by people outside of those 

so-called ‘respected’ professions.” 

In 2003, Grewal became involved with 

the western chapter of No One is Illegal, 

a grassroots organization that advocates 

for the rights of migrants. One of their 

most high-profile cases concerned refugee 

claimant Laibar Singh, who was slated for 

deportation in late 2007 and early 2008. 

Singh had come to Canada in 2003 on a 

false passport, and had a massive stroke in 

2006, which left him a quadriplegic. 

“People viewed the case not in quite 

the right light,” says Grewal. “Everyone 

kept talking about the fact that he is 

not a ‘legitimate refugee claimant,’ when 

really the entire campaign was about the 

humanitarian issues of allowing him to 

stay, which is a separate process within the 

Immigration Act.” 

The organization’s efforts failed, 

however, and Singh was deported back to 

India, where, today, he is “relatively OK,” 

says Grewal. 

As much media coverage as the case 

received, chances are you didn’t see Grewal’s 

name attached. 

“He rarely puts himself in positions of 

glory or glamour,” says Harsha Walia, who 

was involved in founding the Montreal 

chapter of No One is Illegal, and now 

works with Grewal in the western office. 

“Someone will donate a million dollars 

one time and that makes headlines. With 

Harjap, it’s this daily commitment to 

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“Someone will donate a million dollars one time and that makes headlines. With Harjap, 

it’s this daily commitment to be present for someone who is going through an unjust 

situation and needs support.” 

– Harsha Walia 

be present for someone who is going 

through an unjust situation and needs 

support.” 

Walia’s admiration for her colleague 

grew over the years and, just a few months 

ago, the two became engaged. “I’ve 

observed him over the years and he’s very 

humble in his work,” she says, noting her 

fiance has received calls late at night from 

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them. I’ve witnessed many times where 

he could have become a media spokesperson 

on an issue, or become a lawyer 

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but he doesn’t. It’s not for money, it’s 

not for recognition. He doesn’t ‘hero-ize’ 

himself.” 

This past year, Grewal began working 

with the B.C.-Yukon branch of the Council 

of Canadians, a non-profit membership-based 

organization that promotes 

progressive policies of social and economic 

concern to the public. In his capacity as 

regional organizer, he travels the province 

regularly meeting with community leaders, 

small organizations and non-profits, 

as well as organizing and attending 

demonstrations and protests in support 

of social justice issues. Most of his energy 

now is focused on the Olympic Games. 

He shakes his head when he considers 

not only the $6 billion being spent on the 

Games, but on the $1 billion allotted for 

security alone. 

“The Games will come and go, but the 

ramifications will be around for much 

longer,” says Grewal. 

He believes the only method of real 

change in society is at a grassroots level, 

and he wishes more people, within the 

South Asian community and outside 

of it, would become involved. He does 

recognize, however, that the world’s problems 

can seem overwhelming and timeconsuming, 

but says there are many 

examples of phenomenal change that 

came when many 604-588-4665 

believed it impossible. 

“Just think,” he says, “thirty years ago 

people were smoking in medical classes 

at McGill University. Now you can’t even 

smoke in bars because we’re aware of the 

health concerns. On a grander scale, think 

of the independence struggle against the 

British Raj. It can be done.” 

He recommends would-be community 

organizers and activists first educate themselves 

about how marginalized people 

in society are being affected. Don’t take 

what the media has to say at face value; 

dig deeper, he says. Learn about government 

and its policies. “It’s much easier for 

the government to pass policies with an 

unaware public,” says Grewal. 

And when you start organizing, stick 

with it, he advises. Don’t expect drastic 

change overnight. “I’m not doing this 

because I’m young and it’s a five-year 

thing,” he says. “I will be doing this for 

the rest of my life. It’s a lifetime commitment 

to making the world better. That’s 

the best way to look at it.” p

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N

Scene & Society 

2 

1 

Lugaro Jewellers Park Royal Opening 

Lugaro Jewellers owner Steve Agopian (left) with Shafiq 

Jiwani at the grand opening of the new Park Royal store. 

3 

Coats for Kids 

Designer Davi Bains Gill 

of Armaan at the Pop 

Opera night club for 

genuine nights part 2, a 

fundraiser to get coats 

for kids 

RED FM - 3rd annual 

fundraiser benefiting Surrey 

Memorial Hospital 

1. The annual drive raised just 

under $1 million. 

2. Fruiticana’s Tony Singh 

(centre) made the largest 

single donation of $50,000 

3. Mr. & Mrs. Atwal of Atwal’s 

Insurance made a $13,000 

donation 

4. Amrik Virk (left) and RED FM 

morning show host Harjinder 

Thind. 

4 

Paradise Valley Wellness Centre Opening 

Dr David Simon co-founder of the Chopra Centre joined 

Nirmala Raniga at her Paradise Valley Wellness Centre 

in Squamish BC. to announce the Chopra Centre’s first 

affiliation with an addiction centre in North America. 

2 

1 

BC Cultural Bhangra Academy’s Surrey 

Memorial Hospital fundraiser. 

(from left) MS Dhaliwal, Jane Adams, Tarannum Thind, Shina 

Boparai, Rupee Kainth, Amrik and Jatinder Virk 

SFU Diwali Gala 2009 

1. SFU’s Nav Chima and Neelu 

Dhaliwal 

2. The Shiamak dancers 

3. SFU President Michael 

Stevenson with Dr. Arun Garg 

Mehfil December/January 2010 21 

3

The Inspired Sufi 

By Azim Jamal 

Mastering the Balancing Act 

Integrate Thoughts and Actions 

Life is difficult. Many people rely on 

you: your boss, your colleagues, your 

customers, your spouse, your children, 

your parents and others. Their demands 

pull you in all directions, and you can’t 

meet them all. It’s often difficult to decide 

whom to gratify and whom to disappoint. 

The decisions require a delicate 

balancing act. 

You can’t perform this balancing act 

on pure instinct. Your decisions must be 

made consciously, and this requires an 

awareness of what you’re doing and why 

you’re doing it. Once you have learned to 

act consciously, your thoughts and your 

actions will become so integrated that 

you will make appropriate choices naturally, 

without agonizing over them. 

Moderation is the Key 

There’s an apt expression that doubtless 

originated around the dirt tracks of 

Southern automobile racing: “He’s got 

two speeds: wide open and stop.” 

The expression describes people whose 

inner drive compels them to go full-bore 

at everything until they achieve their 

objectives or collapse in exhaustion. 

On the drag strip, it pays to go all out 

from start to finish. Staying ahead in the 

long run is not necessary because there is 

no long run; the race is over in a quarter 

of a mile. But when you’re running the 

Daytona 500, wide-open is the loser’s 

speed. If you try to go flat-out for the 

full 500 miles, you’re likely to blow an 

engine before the race is over. The winner, 

in the long run, is the driver who strikes a 

balance between the fastest possible speed 

and the speed that puts the least stress on 

his vehicle. Winning the long race means 

adopting the fastest sustainable speed. 

The principle applies in your life as 

well. Going all-out all the time in pursuit 

of every objective is a recipe for burn-out. 

To achieve Life Balance, it’s necessary to 

pick your objectives and to pursue them 

at the optimum pace, which means the 

fastest sustainable pace. 

It doesn’t help to go at the fastest 

sustainable pace if you don’t have a clear 

idea of where you’re going. An airline 

pilot who picks up a tail wind, opens his 

throttle, and points his aircraft in the general 

direction of his intended destination 

may make excellent time. But when he 

arrives, he may find himself at the wrong 

airport. 

Staying in balance requires 

that you understand your 

whole being. You must know 

your physical, mental and 

spiritual needs, and you must 

bring them into congruence. 

If you don’t understand how 

each contributes to the whole 

of your being, you may end up 

catering to one facet of your life 

at the expense of the whole. 

A Clear Vision Helps Balance Ying and 

Yang 

To master the balancing act in life, 

you must have a clear vision and a commitment 

to make the vision a reality. You 

can’t waste motion pursuing all the possibilities 

that are out there for you. You 

must decide which possibility you want 

to zero in on, and focus everything you 

do on this objective. 

You must also understand all the 

aspects of your life, and keep them in 

balance. Taoists represent this as a balance 

between Ying and Yang. Ying and Yang 

represent the balance of opposites in the 

universe. When Ying and Yang are in balance, 

all is calm. When one outweighs the 

other, confusion and disarray set in. 

Buddhism recommends the “middle 

path” – the one between the opposite 

extremes of luxury and hardship. Buddha 

believed that we all must take responsibility 

for ourselves and must practice selfcontrol. 

The laws of the “Eightfold Path” 

were designed to guide people without 

making life too strict or too easy. They 

represented a “Middle Path” of living for 

Buddhists. They represent balance. 

Staying in balance requires that you 

understand your whole being. You must 

know your physical, mental and spiritual 

needs, and you must bring them into 

congruence. If you don’t understand how 

each contributes to the whole of your 

being, you may end up catering to one 

facet of your life at the expense of the 

whole. If you understand the whole in 

relation to its parts, you can determine 

the amount of time and effort to invest 

in each facet. 

To acquire balance means to achieve 

that happy medium between the minimum 

and the maximum that represents 

your optimum. The minimum is the least 

you can get by with. The maximum is the 

most you’re capable of. The optimum is 

the amount or degree of anything that is 

the most favorable toward the ends you 

desire. 

You need to strike the same kind 

of balance in your personal habits and 

behavior. If at work you try to produce 

the maximum, you may face burnout. 

If you go for the minimum you will get 

poor results and will not tap into your 

potential. p 

Azim Jamal is the No. 1 Amazon Bestselling Co-Author 

of The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us 

All (published by Penguin). Now available on Amazon 

and at major bookstores. 


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Politics 

by Andy Radia 

Senate Reform 

Not Senate Abolishment 

Senate bashing” has become a popular 

sport in Canada. 

The Senate, after all, is an easy target. 

Here you have a seemingly ineffective 

government body that costs taxpayers 

over $32 million a year. It includes 105 

unelected individuals who are each guaranteed 

an annual salary of $132,000 until 

age 75. These senators, appointed at the 

whim of the prime minister, have no 

accountability and limited functions. 

The structure and role of Canada’s 

senate has been hotly debated since its 

inception in 1867. Canada’s Fathers of 

Confederation adopted the Westminster 

system of governance whereby any legislation, 

before becoming law, would have 

to be passed by both the elected House 

of Commons, and the appointed Upper 

House, known as the Senate. 

Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first 

prime minister, called the Senate a place 

of “sober second thought” so that legislation 

would receive proper, careful consideration 

before finally becoming law. 

But instead of serving as a check on 

the House of Commons, the Senate has 

become nothing more than a place for 

patronage appointments. Prime ministers 

from Macdonald to Harper have manipulated 

its intended purpose by using Senate 

appointments merely as a way to have 

their legislation rubber-stamped. The 

most famous example of this occurred in 

1990 when then Prime Minister Brian 

Mulroney appointed eight loyal Conservatives 

to the upper chamber to ensure 

the Senate would not veto his unpopular 

Goods and Services Tax (GST). 

Critics have long argued that the Senate 

has become outdated and undemocratic. 

Both the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have 

called for its abolishment, saying that the 

Senate is simply “not worth the expense.” 

At the heart of the debate is that Senators 

are appointed and not democratically 

elected, leaving them unaccountable. 

The Harper Conservatives, however, 

intend to change that. 

Harper’s political foes have taken 

him to task for appointing 27 Conservative-friendly 

senators over the past 12 

months. Many found this odd since, 

Instead of serving as a 

check on the House of 

Commons, the Senate 

has become nothing more 

than a place for patronage 

appointments. Prime 

ministers from MacDonald 

to Harper have manipulated 

its intended purpose by 

using Senate appointments 

merely as a way to have their 

legislation rubber-stamped. 

when in Opposition, Harper, the longtime 

advocate for Senate reform, railed 

against the Chretien/Martin Liberals for 

their patronage-style appointments, calling 

the Senate a “dumping ground for the 

favoured cronies of the prime minister” 

At first glance this seems like the definition 

of hypocrisy. But for Harper, the 

appointments were a means to an end; 

an end goal of staying in power and ultimately 

reforming the Senate. 

Harper appointed Bert Brown to the 

Senate in early 2008 after Brown had won 

an Alberta government-backed election 

for Senators. Before making the bulk of 

his Senate appointments, Harper asked 

Brown to lobby the rest of the provinces 

to hold similar Senate contests. Harper’s 

intent was to then appoint senators from 

that pool of candidates. 

“Five provinces agreed they would like 

to hold elections. But what they wanted in 

return is they wanted the federal government 

to pay for the elections. That was 

the sticking point,” says Brown. 

“At that time they (the provinces) had 

no proof that any prime minister would 

appoint the ones that had been elected. 

They’re looking at the past history and 

saying to themselves why should we spend 

the money and time to hold an election 

that may not be respected by the prime 

minister. So that’s why they wanted him 

(Harper) to pay for them. Because if you 

pay the bill you are kind of committed to 

the results.“ 

Ultimately, only Saskatchewan and 

Manitoba agreed to hold the Senate elections; 

to date, neither province has done 

so. 

Thwarted by the majority of the provinces, 

Harper turned to plan B: stacking 

the Senate with Conservatives in order 

to get a majority in the Upper House so 

he can pass a Bill calling for true Senate 

reform. It’s expected that the Conservatives 

will have a majority in the Senate by 

January 2010. 

“Our thinking now is that when he 

(Harper) gets the majority vote in the 

Senate he would be able to introduce a 

bill that would reflect his wishes for elect- 


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Bert Brown (right): “Without a Senate, 

there is no constitutional limitation on 

the powers of a Prime Minister with a 

majority government.” 

ed senators. If that would be passed then 

Provinces would be guaranteed that if they 

held an election, the winners of that election 

would be appointed to the Senate,” 

asserts Brown. 

“And that’s why he (Harper) ultimately 

ended up having to appoint the ones 

(the Senators) that he did appoint. You 

can’t pass any legislation unless you have 

the majority vote. “ 

Brown expects that, if all goes as 

planned, in 8 years, the majority of Senators 

in the Senate will be elected. At that 

time he hopes the Provinces will collectively 

work together to develop more 

comprehensive reforms specifically in 

regards to the distribution of Senators (ie: 

number of senators per province). 

Brown and Harper’s strategy for Senate 

reform is ambitious considering Harper 

has only a minority government to 

work with. Moreover, Canada has a long 

history of failed Senate reform proposals 

dating back 1874 when the House 

of Commons then heard, and rejected, a 

proposal to allow each province to select 

its own Senators. 

Even with all its faults however, Brown 

believes in the sanctity of the Senate and 

disagrees with those that wish to do away 

with it. 

“Without a Senate, there is no constitutional 

limitation on the powers of a 

Prime Minister with a majority Government,” 

says Brown. 

“You could effectively have a prime 

minister who may take the country in 

directions that the populous of the time 

wouldn’t want but wouldn’t be able to 

stop.” 

We need Senate reform in this country. 

We don’t need Senate abolishment. p 

Andy Radia is political columnist based in Vancouver, 

B.C. His articles have been published in the Vancouver 

Sun, Winnipeg Free Press and Vancouver Metro. He 

can be contacted through his website at www.radia.ca 

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P erspectives 

by Divinder Purewal 

When they opened the door we shouted, “Merry 

Christmas!” and the look on their faces was of 

sheer horror! Did I have saag on my teeth? 

A Christmas Tale 

As regular readers of “Perspectives,” 

will know, I was born and brought 

up in London, England. My parents were 

great believers in that old phrase “when 

in Rome, do as the Romans do” so made 

sure that we embraced all the cultures 

and religions that surrounded us. 

My upbringing gave me a very real 

appreciation for all the diversity that 

England had to offer. I remember celebrating 

Chanukah with my Jewish 

friends, Diwali with my fellow Sikh 

and Hindu friends, Eid with my many 

Muslim friends and Christmas with my 

numerous Christian friends. This was 

in the days before Kwanza was even 

invented! 

I loved that aspect of my youth as I 

grew up with a huge sense of belonging to 

all the celebrations that went on around 

me. Years later, when we had our two 

kids, my wife and I ensured that they too 

felt that same sense of inclusion. We gave 

out presents to our kids at Diwali and 

then again a few months later at Christmas 

when the decorated tree was in the 

window. For a while I even convinced my 

kids that Diwali was Punjabi for “nearly 

Christmas”! 

Back to the future 

Now fast forward to the year 2005. 

We arrived here in July and moved into 

our house on October 24. Christmas 

came by very quickly that year and, being 

the friendly people they are, our new 

Caucasian-Canadian (let’s see how they 

like being hyphenated!) friends invited us 

over for a Christmas-morning breakfast. 

P.C. world! 

When they opened the door we 

shouted, “Merry Christmas!” and the 

look on their faces was of sheer horror! 

Did I have saag on my teeth? Our friend, 

we’ll call her Cindy, ushered us in quickly 

and once we were seated explained that 

the correct Canadian-P.C. greeting at 

that time of the year was “Happy Holidays!” 

I looked at her and said, “What 

happened to Christmas?” Cindy and her 

husband, let’s call him Gord, laughed 

and said “Welcome to Canada, the most 

P.C. country in the world!” 

Gord went on to explain that even 

though the majority of Canadians, as 

diverse as they are still call themselves 

Christians, the celebrating of Christmas 

had somehow been “relegated” to the 

sidelines. This struck me as being really 

weird, as a few months earlier I had 

been at an Eid assembly and then one for 

Diwali at my kids’ school. All the kids, of 

all races and religions, had put in a huge 

amount of effort to make the assemblies 

really successful. 

Let’s do brunch! 

As the breakfast rolled into brunch 

and then lunch I asked the question that 

had been on the tip of my tongue: “So 

why don’t you say Merry Christmas?” 

Gord looked at Cindy and they both 

shrugged their shoulders. 

That wasn’t a good enough answer! 

After a few seconds Gord said that 

Christmas used to be a huge deal when he 

was younger. He told us how the schools 

would have Christmas displays throughout 

December and then the nativity play 

the week before school ended. 

The $64,000 question 

Gord added that over the past few years 

it had become less and less important in 

the school system and, as such, people 

had started to use the term “Happy holidays” 

rather than “Merry Christmas!” 

So I then asked the $64,000 question 

again: “Why?” Gord looked uncomfortable 

until I said “Gord imagine that we’re 

not in the ultra-P.C.-Canada, why don’t 

you say Merry Christmas?” Gord looked 

like the Jack Nicholson character in the 

movie A Few Good Men just before he 

says the classic line “You couldn’t handle 

the truth!” and shouted, “We don’t say 

Merry Christmas because it might offend 

YOU!” 

I looked at Gord and tried to work 

out if he was messing with me. “Why 

would wishing me a Merry Christmas 

offend me?” 

Then it hit me: Someone, somewhere, 

probably the sort of faceless person who 

thinks that history is sexist because it has 

the word ‘his’ in it, decided that non- 

Christians would be offended by the 

celebration of Christmas! 

If that’s the case, then I want to meet 

this person, speaking on behalf of all 

non-Christians, and slap them!! 

We live in Canada, a country that 

enjoys freedoms envied all over the 

world. We should show this faceless 

person that we embrace all cultures and 

religions, (especially those that come 

with statutory holidays!) Christmas is a 

time for families to get together and for 

people to remember all that they cherish 

and hold dear. I say why wouldn’t we 

celebrate Christmas? If Canada, with its 

mosaic, has allowed us to hold onto our 

culture, shouldn’t we return the favour 

by celebrating with our neighbours? I 

am not, for one second, suggesting that 

we forget our faith and culture. They are 

very important and should be preserved 

and valued. All I’m suggesting is that we 

celebrate ALL cultures and their festivals. 

It’s a great learning opportunity for all of 

us, and just the excuse for a celebration 

we need in these tough times. 

If nothing else, it lets us keep the 

Diwali lights up a few more weeks! 

So I say Merry Christmas, Happy 

Kwanza and Happy Chanukah to everyone! 

p 

Divinder Singh Purewal, 40, is a human 

resources professional in Surrey, B.C. 


What’s your perspective? 

As a multicultural country, I 

believe that there's an over-emphasis 

on the 'Christian' holiday 

of Christmas. With all due respect and 

no offense intended to our dear Christians, 

as a non-Christian, I think that the festivities 

surrounding the months of December and 

January are more of a unifying celebration 

when we include all the other religions. So 

using terms such as 'happy holidays' for our 

holiday season celebrations may be more 

reasonable when realizing that there are many 

different faiths and religions that are being 

'ignored' by the consumer-based, materialistic 

reality of today's Christmas season. It is 

interesting to see how all religions have major 

celebrations around this time, so why not 

embrace them all? 

– Polly Sidher 

Deities, saints and gurus belong 

in their respective churches, not 

in the public school system. 

– J. Dhillon 

I think because there are so 

many cultures in Canada . . . It 

should be happy holidays! I do 

know of a school that doesn’t sing Christmas 

carols but instead sings world peace songs. 

My children went to a school that celebrated 

world peace and not Christmas. So many 

cultures have a holiday around this time so we 

have also celebrated “the Festival of Lights.” 

Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas 

are all around the same time. All occasions 

are celebrated with lights, feasts, giving 

thanks, prayers, and gifts. So as we are getting 

more and more knowledgeable about other 

cultures, we should start in our schools as 

well. Happy holidays! 

– Kam Boparai 

We all need a reason to 

celebrate — be it Christmas, Vaisakhi, 

Eid, Holi, or anything else that is dear to the 

many cultures and religions that make up our 

beautiful country! Call it by what it is.” 

– Rup Grewal Kang 

Monster Homes in Surrey - good, bad 

or cultural monstrosities? What’s your take? 

Tell us at www.mehfilmagazine.com 

I think we should say Merry 

Christmas because that is the 

holiday we are recognizing. 

Schools should be free to celebrate Christmas. 

Canada is a multicultural society and we 

should all learn about each other’s cultures, 

traditions, and religions without censorship. 

– Alex Sangha 

If the Canadian “public” school 

system incorporates other cultural/religious 

celebrations and 

important dates, then Christmas 

is a usable term. On a positive note, 

during my elementary school years, our 

class celebrated Chinese New Years. I still 

remember it to this day because it was different 

and new for me. The term holiday season 

incorporates everyone’s celebrational energy 

and atmosphere. In contrast, the term Merry 

Christmas feels only relevant to a select group 

of people. 

– Adamjot Dosanjh 

The whole holiday structure in 

Canada is wrong in my opinion. 

We celebrate only Christian 

holidays and get those days off. 

Canada is a multi-cultural country and should 

embrace the holidays of all cultures and if 

not all cultures embrace the holidays of First 

Nations as this is their country! 

As a Canadian I celebrate Christmas not 

for religious reasons but because this is 

what I was taught in school, learned from 

my friends and media. Is it right that media/ 

schools/government force you to learn about 

Christianity and not other cultures? Where 

is the equity in that? I don’t think workplaces 

should have to remove Christmas trees. Nevertheless, 

the parties at work should be called 

“holiday” parties. The break should be called 

a “holiday” break. The government should 

introduce stats for Diwali, Chinese New Year, 

First Nations Day and Eid. Schools should 

have Diwali, Chinese New year, First Nations 

and Eid celebrations in addition to Christian 

celebrations. I’m curious why this isn’t an 

issue for Canadians or our politicians? 

– S.L. 

Be a part of the discussion: 

www.facebook.com/mehfilmagazine 

www.mehfilmagazine.com 

opinions@mehfilmagazine.com 

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Spotlight 

“A picture book can 

sometimes become 

a powerful tool in 

classrooms and beyond.” 

– Navjot Kaur, author 

Tale of a 

Visible 

Identity 

When author and teacher Navjot 

Kaur’s 18-month-old- son 

was diagnosed with hearing loss, 

she was confronted with a challenging 

new reality that eventually 

inspired her to write the book 

A Lion’s Mane. After her son was 

fast asleep, Kaur would put her 

thoughts down in a notebook. 

“I would write anything and everything 

that came to mind,” says 

Kaur. “It was a kind of healing therapy, 

helping to ease my mind and 

spirit. These notes evolved into A 

Lion’s Mane, telling the story of 

a boy’s celebration of his visible 

identity by connecting to cultures 

from around the world.” 

The book follows its young character, 

who wears a dastaar, as he grows to appreciate 

the cultural significance of his visible 

Sikh identity and to forge a positive selfimage. 

Kaur hopes A Lion’s Mane, published 

by Saffron Press, will serve as “a starting 

point to think about being different and 

being happy with that. I hope it will help 

promote dialogue around issues of selfidentity 

so that all children can feel safe 

and sure of who they are despite their 

appearance. If we are to give our children 

the tools to think about what they see and 

hear before passing judgment on another 

person, then it is important we take the 

time to talk to them and allow them to 

ask us questions.” 

Just as Kaur “embraces the opportunity 

to promote diversity initiatives” within 

her classroom to tackle stereotypes and 

bias, she envisioned that the book would 

be a medium for encouraging discussion 

about prejudice. It is important not to 

underestimate the influential role that 

children’s literature can play, says Kaur. 

“A picture book can sometimes become a 

powerful tool in classrooms and beyond.” 

Jaspreet Sandhu, Mane’s illustrator, 

was drawn to the unifying message at the 

By Alisha Randhawa 

heart of the story. 

Sandhu says she is proud to be a part of 

what she feels is a unique children’s story 

that takes young readers through complex 

ideas and places. “Everyone growing up, 

and even as adults, faces difference. And 

we don’t necessarily know how to deal 

with these differences. It’s hard to not 

have a personal connection to this story.” 

After running into a childhood friend 

who used to wear a patka in school but 

cut his hair as an adult, Sandhu was left 

wondering whether his decision was the 

result of the teasing he’d experienced 

while growing up. Having seen someone 

alter his visible identity, she can vouch for 

the need to empower kids to take pride in 

their personal and cultural identity. 

“Everyone knows someone who has 

radically changed who they are to ‘fit in,’” 

says Sandhu. “When you step back, you 

realize that is tragic and unfortunate.” 

Given how A Lion’s Mane not only 

raises awareness of Sikh culture but also 

addresses issues of equity and inclusion, it 

makes an ideal addition to the elementary-school 

curriculum, and Kaur is working 

on lesson plans to help teachers use 

the book with ease. For the moment, 

parents and teachers can engage with 


“Everyone knows someone 

who has radically changed 

who they are to ‘fit in.’ 

When you step back, you 

realize that is tragic and 

unfortunate.” 

– Jaspreet Sandhu, illustrator 

Coffee with Dave 

Got something on your mind? 

Dave will buy your first cup of coffee! 

First Saturday of every month 3:15 pm–4:30 pm 

The Pantry Restaurant 

Guildford Town Centre, Surrey 

(Near London Drugs 104 Ave & 152 St) 

Constituency Office: 

202–15988 Fraser Highway, Surrey, BC V4N 0X8 

T: 604.501.3201 F: 604.501.3233 

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“Knowledge is power.” 

related educational materials on publisher 

Saffron Press’s site. 

Simran Kaur, marketing director of 

Saffron Press, says focusing on titles that 

help to address issues related to visible 

identities is a hallmark of the company’s 

approach to publishing, and A Lion’s Mane 

was a perfect fit. Saffron Press, which was 

founded by a Sikh couple, is particularly 

interested in children’s literature because 

it can play a pivotal role in ensuring that 

kids “gain a better understanding of the 

global community,” says Simran Kaur. 

Reflecting Navjot Kaur’s commitment 

to the values of the Sikh religion, particularly 

the concepts of seva and sarbat da 

bhalla, part of the proceeds from the 

sale of the book will be donated to Seva 

Canada, an organization that allows children 

access to medical aid to help prevent 

childhood blindness. Also in line with 

Kaur’s global citizenry, A Lion’s Mane 

itself is printed on 100 per cent recycled 

paper and, in a partnership with Eco- 

Libris, 625 trees will be planted to offset 

the first hardcover edition. 

Navjot Kaur is encouraged by the 

overwhelmingly positive feedback A 

Lion’s Mane has already received. She 

attributes the response to the fact that the 

book speaks universally to all kids, and 

even adults. “It is a global story that has 

garnered interest from Sikh and non-Sikh 

audiences equally.” p 

For more information on A Lion’s Mane visit 

www.saffronpress.com. 

“I strongly believe that 

knowledge is power and 

I am passionate about 

life-long learning. As an 

educator, I consider it my 

social responsibility to share 

knowledge not only with my 

young and eager learners, 

but also with the community 

at large.” 

Dr. Gira Bhatt 

Faculty of Arts: 

Psychology Faculty Member 

Principle Investigator and Project 

Director for CURA at Kwantlen. 

The team was awarded a 

$1-million federal research grant 

for innovative research into youth 

involvement in gangs. 

Apply now l kwantlen.ca l 604.599.2000 

6 

Mehfil December/January 2010 29 

Kwantlen_Mehfil_July 09 (gira).i1 1 

9/22/2009 9:30:03 AM

Feature 

A Universe of 

Possibilities for 

Actress 

Sandy Sidhu 

Sandy Sidhu plays Dr. Mehta in Stargate Universe. 

The new science-fiction series Stargate Universe is proving to be a portal 

to a whole new world of possibilities for actress Sandy Sidhu. 

When Sidhu auditioned for the role of Dr. Mehta in the latest addition to 

TV’s popular Stargate franchise, she was convinced her chances of landing 

the part were slim to none. Sidhu, who was just out of acting school and 

hadn’t ever been up for more than a bit part before, assumed an actress 

with more experience would get the job. 

“For a role like this in a really big show, 

I thought there’s no way they’re hiring 

me,” recalls Sidhu. “Then the next morning 

I got the call and they said you booked 

it and you’re starting tomorrow. I found 

out I was working with Lou Diamond 

Phillips the next day. It’s the best first role 

ever. It was so rewarding to have them 

believe in me because it takes guts to take 

a chance on someone who’s never been on 

a big set before.” 

SGU, which premiered this past October, 

follows a band of soldiers, scientists 

and civilians who must fend for themselves 

as they are forced through a Stargate 

when their hidden base comes under 

attack. The desperate survivors emerge 

aboard an ancient ship, which is locked 

on an unknown course and unable to 

return to Earth. 

“These people are frightened and scared 

and don’t want to die on this ship,” says 

Sidhu. “They have to deal with oxygen 

being depleted and how they’re going to 

get water and food. It’s a darker, edgier 

show. You don’t have to be a sci-fi fan to 

watch it.” 

Sidhu describes her character as the 

“right-hand girl” to Colonel David Telford 

(played by Lou Diamond Phillips). 

“My character and Lou Diamond Phillips’ 

character are based on Earth,” explains 

Sidhu. “Dr. Mehta was only supposed to 

be in the pilot but I got a call saying, ‘Do 

you want to be in the show again?’ They 

brought her back for a second episode and 

expanded her character in that episode.” 

Whether or not Dr. Mehta is written 

into future episodes, landing the part has 

changed the trajectory of her career, says 

Sidhu. “With this role, it means I’ve been 

able to audition for pretty much anything, 

which wasn’t the case before,” she says. “It 

has opened the door for me to audition 

for anything. Before this, I would have 

had to fight to audition for one-liners. 

Now every role is fair game. It has given 

me the leverage, the clout to audition for 

series regular roles or feature films.” 

The timing couldn’t be better, says 

Sidhu, pointing out the unprecedented 

opportunities for South Asian actors in 

mainstream projects. 

“It’s because of the success of movies 

like Slumdog Millionaire and Bend it Like 

Beckham, which sparked the interest, I 

think,” says Sidhu. “Because Slumdog 

Millionaire was such a huge commercial 

success, it allowed South Asians to be seen 

as more commercial and to audition for 

roles that are written exclusively for South 

Asians. Slumdog Millionaire was such a 

huge success because the interest in South 

Asian stories had always been there. It 

wasn’t even meant to be a big film and it 

was so successful. Maybe it was an eyeopener 

for Hollywood. 

“Before, I was auditioning for ‘ethnic’ 

roles. Now I’m auditioning for roles that 

call for an ‘East Indian’ specifically.” 

Acknowledging that a career in acting 

can be a difficult path for any actor, let 

alone one from a visible minority, Sidhu 

credits her parents with giving her the 

courage to follow her passion. She first 

considered becoming a professional actor 

while appearing in a stage production Jesus 

Christ Superstar during summer break 

from the University of British Columbia, 

where she earned her BSc. 

“That’s when the aha moment hit me 

and the light bulb went on and I thought 

maybe this is more than a hobby. I loved it 

so much. The following summer, I decided 

to focus on film and television training 

and got an agent. My parents said, ‘Do 

you know how rare it is to be successful 

in something like this?’ I said I know the 

odds and I know what I’m getting into. 

It’s natural to assume they would have 

been worried about me, but they let me 

grow and do what I wanted to do. I’m 

very lucky to have their support because 

I don’t think I would be able to pursue 

acting if there had been any conflict with 

them. It is a very difficult career and the 

support of my parents was really critical.” 

Sidhu isn’t sure when she’ll be on the 

screen again – “I’m auditioning right 

now. You never know when you’re going 

to book the next role,” she says – but she’s 

confident it won’t be too long. 

“I’m thankful for Slumdog’s success, 

for Frieda Pinto’s fame, for Halle Berry 

winning an Oscar, for Jennifer Lopez’s 

triple-threat success! Because every time 

there’s mainstream success from an ethnic 

minority, it makes it easier for people like 

me to have a fighting chance for large 

roles.” p 


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Canada India Foundation B.C. members (from left) Barj Dhahan, Parmjit Sandhu, Amrik Sangha and Sarup Mann 

are working to improve the image, status and influence of Indo-Canadians across the country. 

Canada India Foundation 

A Proactive Approach to Policy, Promotion and Progress for Indo-Canadians 

It’s no secret that Indo-Canadians have 

made their mark in virtually all areas 

of society in Canada. Their hard work, 

persistence and determination have led 

to the community becoming one of the 

most successful ethnic groups in the 

country. The Canada India Foundation 

(CIF — pronounced “sif’) is building on 

that success to take the community to a 

new level of significance. 

Formed in 2007 by a group of Indo- 

Canadian entrepreneurs, senior-level 

business executives and top-tier professionals 

from across the country, CIF 

is a national, non-profit, non-partisan, 

non-governmental organization established 

with three main purposes: fostering 

support for stronger bilateral relations 

between Canada and India, greater 

engagement of the Indo-Canadian community 

in Canadian politics and public 

policy, and increasing awareness of the 

changing face of India. 

Vancouver businessman Barj Dhahan, 

one of the founding members of CIF, says 

Canada’s civil service needs to reflect the 

demographics of the country. And while 

South Asians have done reasonably well 

in politics in terms of elected roles 

Exclusive Promotional Feature 

in the three levels of government, he 

adds, that success has not translated into 

proportionate representation in Canada’s 

civil service. 

“South Asians are very good at organizing 

political events to support candidates 

but that’s where it kind of stops, so 

we’re not really striving for higher level 

civil positions that are out there,” says 

Dhahan, citing that part of the challenge 

is the lack of awareness in the South 

Asian community of how the civil service 

is structured and how one enters it. 

Because appointments to the governments’ 

agencies, boards and quasi-judicial 

bodies are largely political appointments, 

adds Dhahan, some influence has 

to be brought upon the government to 

give consideration to candidates of South 

Asian background. 

“We felt there was not a cohesive, 

coherent approach to doing that, so CIF 

wanted to take a lead in that area,” he 

explains. 

“We’re doing well at the lower 

levels, but when you get to the decisionmaking 

and policy-making provincial 

or federal level we don’t have much 

representation,” reiterates Sarup Mann, 

another founding CIF member from B.C. 

“That’s where we need to move on to the 

next level.” 

Both Dhahan and Mann are confident 

the organization will get results. Already, 

CIF has garnered significant media attention 

and gained the respect of provincial 

and federal political parties, says Mann. 

Its signature annual gala events of the 

past two years have featured leaders such 

as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen 

Harper, former Indian President Abdul 

Kalam and Leader of the Opposition, 

Michael Ignatieff. 

“The Canada India Parliamentary 

Committee, which was facilitated by 

CIF, meets annually with Canada’s prime 

minister and the leader of the opposition 

to address issues of concern to South 

Asians,” Mann says. 

“CIF also played an important role 

behind the scenes in Canada moving 

forward with the signing of the nuclear 

cooperation agreement with India.” 

A CIF member is also currently sitting 

on the Economic Advisory Council, 

an eleven-member team that is advising 

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on what 

steps need to be taken to bring Canada

The Hon. Montek Singh Ahluwalia (right), 

Deputy Chairman, Economic Planning Commission 

of India led an Indian delegation that 

participated in the first-of-its-kind Canada 

India Energy Forum in April 2009, held by 

CIF. The Forum brought together senior 

business executives, public sector officials 

and policy makers from the energy sectors of 

both countries to exchange ideas on strategies 

for engagement and sector specific market 

intelligence. The Indian delegation included 

companies such as Tata Power, ONGC and 

Suzlon Energy, while Canadian participants 

included Hon. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural 

Resources, Hon. George Smitherman, Ontario 

Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and 

Infrastructure, Hon. Sandra Pupatello, Ontario 

Minister of Economic Development and Trade 

as well as CEOs and executives from companies 

such as Cameco, Bruce Power, Enbridge, 

Ontario Power Generation, Process Research 

Ortech and Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. 

CIF Executive Team 

Ramesh Chotai, Chair 

Aditya Jha, National Convenor 

Barj Dhahan, Co-Chair 

Deepak Ruparell, Regional Convenor, Central 

Sarup Mann, Regional Convenor, West 

Rahul Shashtri, Regional Convenor, East 

CIF Board of Directors 

Anil Shah, Member of the Board 

Manoj Pundit, Member of the Board 

Lucky Lakshamanan, Member of the Board 

Sudhir Handa, Member of the Board 

“Canada needs an advocate focused on India that is 

supported by both government and private industry. 

Canada India Foundation fulfills that role.” 

– Sarup Mann, founding member 

out of the current recession. 

“The organization also feels it’s important 

for our youth to understand the system 

and be given the opportunities to 

participate in it,” says Mann. 

To that end, the organization is in the 

process of establishing a parliamentary 

internship program that would allow a 

senior university student to spend a summer 

working in the office of a member of 

parliament. 

Furthering its objective to improve 

bilateral relations CIF recently signed 

a memorandum of understanding with 

the University of Waterloo in a first-ofits-kind 

joint initiative for the research 

and advocacy of trade relations between 

Canada and India. An initial $1-million 

gift from CIF founding member Vasu 

Chanchlani will help establish a $10-million 

endowment to fund CIF Chairs for 

Waterloo faculty, Visiting Chairs for India 

scholars, CIF Fellows, graduate student 

fellowships, public lectures, conferences 

and engagement with researchers at other 

institutions. 

In addition to working to improve 

bilateral trade and facilitate increased 

participation of Indo-Canadians in the 

parliamentary process, at its Annual 

Award and Gala Dinner, CIF recognizes 

excellence and celebrates achievement in 

the global Indian diaspora. 

As part of the gala dinner, CIF presents 

the CIF Chanchlani Global Indian 

Award, 

Established by Chanchlani through a 

$1-million fund, the award recognizes 

an individual who has demonstrated 

global leadership, vision and professional 

excellence, which has made those of 

Indian origin proud of their heritage. 

The award is accompanied by a 

donation of $50,000 towards the charity 

of the recipient’s choosing. 

Last year’s recipient was Tulsi Tanti, 

the founder of Pune-based Suzlon Energy, 

the world’s fifth largest supplier of wind 

turbines. Known as the “wind man of 

India,” Tanti was conferred the award for 

his pioneering work globally to promote 

non-conventional sources of energy. 

With the objective of becoming a bridge 

between India and Canada for the purpose 

of influencing public policy in both 

countries to benefit one another, the CIF 

Chanchlani Global Indian Award creates 

a platform to involve policy-makers from 

both countries, says Chanchlani. 

“It also builds CIFs brand as an 

organization that celebrates the diaspora’s 

global leadership,” says Chanchlani. “By 

supporting this award, our family got an 

opportunity to show our admiration for 

the excellence and global leadership of 

Indians, especially at a time when the 

whole world is watching and admiring 

India.” 

Since its inception in 2007, Canada India 

Foundation has taken a leadership role 

in fostering support for stronger bilateral 

relations between Canada and India, 

greater engagement of the Indo-Canadian 

community in Canadian politics and public 

policy and increasing awareness of the 

changing face of India. 

1. CIF works to foster support for stronger 

bi-lateral relations between Canada 

and India. Through active participation 

in the public policy debate and active 

engagement with Parliamentarians, 

CIF positions the need for a strategic 

partnership between Canada and India as 

critical to Canada's future 

2. CIF works towards raising the profile of 

Indo-Canadian community by facilitating: 

n Participation by qualified members of 

the community in the policy-making and 

the legislative process, 

n Engagement with legislators at the 

federal and provincial levels in the 

spheres of immigration professional 

accreditation and national security 

n The increased representation of the 

community within crown agencies, 

government boards and judicial and 

quasi-judicial tribunals 

3. CIF takes an active role in increasing 

the awareness of Canadians about the 

changing face of India, and the promotion 

of Canada's interest in India. 

To learn more about the Canada India 

Foundation visit www.canadaindia.org

Feature 

“Compared to other communities, Indian immigrants in Abbotsford 

found better living conditions because the Euro-Canadian community was willing to help. In the early 1900s, the 

Hartnell Lumber Mill provided a large colonial-style house, located roughly on the corner of Sandy Hill and Clayburn Road, for its employees. 

Approximately 24 Sikh men lived rent-free in the house collectively. Sikhs also found friendliness in everyday life within Abbotsford.” 

source MSA Museum Society 

MSA Museum Society 

Three employees of the Abbotsford Lumber Company in 1915. 

Abbotsford B.C. 

A Retrospective 

By Michelle Hopkins 

The Indo-Canadian community has a rich, long history in Abbotsford 

– one that spans more than a century. It began when the first settlers 

from Punjab landed on the shores of B.C. in the early 1900s, lured by the 

promise of fertile land and the prospects of a better life for their families. 

While many Indians settled in Vancouver, New Westminster and 

Vancouver Island, historical data shows that about 50 Indians settled in 

Abbotsford, where they found work in the Abbotsford Lumber Mill. 

They were a small, tight-knit group that worked hard to build the foundation 

for what would become one of the oldest and most successful 

Indo-Canadian communities in North America. 

Today, Indo-Canadians make up the largest visible minority group in 

Abbotsford, the third most diverse city in the country, and play an important 

role in all aspect of its growth and development. 

Paul Singh Dhaliwal has seen many 

changes in the years he’s lived in Abbotsford. 

At 95, his memory is as sharp as ever 

as he recounts coming to a foreign country 

by steamboat when he was 16 years 

old. 

It was 1932. Abbotsford was a small 

rural town with predominantly dairy 

farms, one hotel, a small grocery store, a 

bank and little else. 

“I didn’t speak English but my uncle 

helped me learn,” says Dhaliwal. “At the 

time there were maybe four or five Indo- 

Canadian families here, but everyone was 


Feature 

“Though most [Indians] found jobs, they did sometimes encounter 

racial prejudice - they were often considered less efficient labourers than Asian workers such as Chinese and Japanese. The 

Hastings Mill in Vancouver continuously reported that their Indian employees were inferior, which led a great number of Indian laborers 

into menial jobs with the company. The Indians were paid only $1.50 a day, while white laborers and skilled Chinese were paid $2.50 per 

day. It is interesting to note that this wage inequity by lumber companies in Vancouver did not exist in Abbotsford. The Indo-Canadians 

here recall that they were equally paid according to their positions at work.” 


Abbotsford Sikh Temple 

The Abbotsford Sikh Temple is the oldest 

standing temple in North America. Its 

construction was initiated in 1907 by Sunder 

Singh Thandi, who had arrived in British Columbia 

in 1906 and worked at Mill Lake for the 

Abbotsford Lumber Company. He decided to 

spearhead the project and together with Arjan 

Singh, he purchased one acre of land on a hill 

next to Mill Lake. 

The Trethewey Family, owners of the Abbotsford 

Lumber Company, graciously donated 

the lumber that would be needed for the 

construction. The Sikh men who worked at the 

mill, along with others who worked on farms in 

the area, would carry the timber on their backs 

to the construction site. Over the next four 

years the community worked together to make 

this dream a reality. 

The foundation stone was laid by Bhai 

Balwant Singh and Bhai Ram Singh Dhuleta 

and the temple was completed in 1911 and 

opened in 1912. On March 1, 1912, The Abbotsford 

Post reported that the members of the 

congregation “were much impressed with the 

highly intelligent address delivered by Priest 

Teja Singh, who spoke in his native tongue and 

in English.” The newspaper reported that the 

non-Sikh community present also observed 

the requirement to remove their shoes before 

entering the temple and to cover their heads 

with a scarf. 

In 2002, at the request of the Khalsa Diwan 

Society and after approval by the Historic 

Sites and Monuments Board, Prime Minister 

Jean Chretien declared the temple a National 

Historic Site. 

source: www.canadiansikhheritage.ca 

MSA Museum Society 

“It’s changed so 

much, there are more 

people, but it’s still 

a beautiful place to 

live and work . . . 

We are very much a 

part of the fabric of 

Abbotsford.” 

– Jerry Alamwala, 

Owner, Townline Growers 

friendly. 

“Many of the early settlers from 

India came to Abbotsford because of 

the soil conditions; it was good soil for 

growing.” 

Dhaliwal remembers buying eggs for 

a few pennies from his neighbour. 

“Many people owned chickens for 

eggs and a cow for their milk,” he says. 

“It was a closeknit community. In 

1947, the community grew from a few 

families to about 1,000 East Indians.” 

After the war, many Sikhs came to 

Abbotsford as immigration boomed 

between 1950 and 1970. 

Recalling his early years in Abbotsford, 

Dhaliwal says it was difficult 

adjusting to this foreign land where it 

was bone-chillingly cold in the winters 

and it seemed to rain incessantly. 

“I was homesick for my mother and 

my family,” Dhaliwal says. “There was 

also a lack of work for new immigrants, 

so there was financial hardship to deal 

with.” 

He did eventually find work in the 

Abbotsford Lumber Company (owned 

by the Trethewey family) on Mill Lake. 

(Today’s it’s a popular attraction.) 

“It eventually shut down and the 

men scattered to find work elsewhere 

in the province, mostly on Vancouver 

Island,” Dhaliwal says. 

During the ensuing years, he became 

a professional wrestler and started a 

thriving hauling business moving wood 

and sawdust. 

Today, he lives on the 20-acre farm 

he purchased in 1981. 

“When I first moved to this place 

and built my house there was little traffic 

and now it’s crazy busy,” he says. “I 

miss the small town feel but you can’t 

change progress.” 

Dhaliwal’s generation paved the way 

for young entrepreneurs such as Jerry 

Alamwala, a third-generation Indo- 

Canadian. 

“My grandfather came to Canada in 

1932 from Punjab, but my family didn’t 

come to Abbotsford until the 1960s, 

when they came to work the farms 

during the summers,” says Alamwala, 

who owns and operates the family farm, 

Townline Growers, with his brothers. 

“My dad remembers there was only one 

traffic light in Abbotsford at the time.” 

In 1974, his parents purchased a small 

10-acre farm in Abbotsford, cleared the 

land and planted raspberries. 

“I remember there were only a handful 

of Indo-Canadians in my classroom,” 


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Feature 

“Margaret Weir came to Abbotsford as a girl of twelve in 1912. She recalls that the birth of the first 

Indo-Canadian baby in Abbotsford was a very special occasion indeed. As the date for 

the baby's arrival grew near, a delegation of Indo-Canadian men went to see the village seamstress, Mrs. Pete Kerr. They had taken up 

a collection to have a "layette" sewn for the new baby. Of course, when the baby arrived, the birth was celebrated by both the Indo- 

Canadian community and their neighbors.” 


source: MSA Museum 

Indians were a tiny part of Abbotsford’s population 

but were recognized as part of the community. 

According to the A.S.M. News, when Daya Singh, 

the priest of the Abbotsford Sikh Temple, passed 

away in 1929, Sikhs came the following day from 

Vancouver and New Westminster for the funeral. “A 

large crowd of spectators of all ages and various 

nationalities” came to witness the ceremony. 

A.S.M News, June 5, 1929 

Sunday Crowd Witnesses 

Cremation of Sikh Priest 

Daya Singh, 52, priest of the Abbotsford Sikh 

temple, succumbed to a heart seizure while at 

his work in the mill yard last Saturday, and died on 

the way to the hospital... 

Before igniting the pyre, 

one of the Sikhs addressed 

the gathering in English, 

gave some of the reasons 

for the special ceremonial. 

Daya Singh was being 

accorded his just homage 

as a holy man whose selfdenial, 

industry, and spiritual 

service to the Sikhs of 

Abbotsford district had won 

the love and esteem of his 

country men, the speaker 

said. Deceased had arrived 

in Canada in 1907, and 

had lived at Abbotsford the 

past eight years, coming 

here from New Westminster. As priest of the Sikh 

temple he had lived according to the precepts of the 

religion, rising at 4 a.m. daily, devoting two hours to 

solitary prayers, then preparing his simple breakfast 

before leaving to perform his daily toil as a worker 

in the Abbotsford mill yard. He was paid no wages, 

nor given favors because of his exalted station and 

ministerial service. But on the contrary, gave of his 

meager wages to any needy man who sought from 

him such assistance, striving to the ideal of a common 

brotherhood with his fellows devoid of material 

acquisition or riches of luxury. In Daya Singh was 

a worthy example of these ideals, the speaker said, 

and the obsequies being accorded were justly due 

to him. 


he says. “Now, in my children’s class, 

half of the school population is South 

Asian.” 

Today, he and his brothers have 

expanded the business to more than 

1,000 acres of raspberries, blueberries 

and Brussels sprouts in both the Fraser 

Valley and Whatcom County, U.S. 

What he loves most about working 

and living in Abbotsford is “the feeling 

that you are living in the country but 

you also have all the amenities of a big 

city.” 

The successful entrepreneur, who 

is a married father of four, sits on a 

number of boards and non-profit organizations, 

including the Agricultural 

Advisory Committee and the Fraser 

Valley Growers Advisory. 

“You know, it’s changed so much, 

there are more people, but it’s still a 

beautiful place to live and work,” says 

Alamwala. “We are very much a part of 

the fabric of Abbotsford. 

“I am proud of the great strides 

South Asians have made here and 

the community has been extremely 

supportive.” 

Kelly Chahal, president of the Fraser 

Valley Indo-Canadian Business Association, 

echoes that sentiment. 

“We have a presence in all aspects 

of Abbotsford life,” says the probation 

officer with the Ministry of Public 

Safety and Solicitor General. “Socially, 

we put on a number of special events, 

including during Canada Day. 

“We want to be involved, we have 

something to say and we don’t want to 

be on the sidelines.” 

Chahal says her culture is one that 

prides itself on hard work, and it’s that 

work ethic that has allowed South 

Asians to thrive in Abbotsford. 

“It’s humbling to see someone come 

from India, buy a truck, work day and 

night and they start to build their business 

… before you know it they have 

their own logo on their fleet of trucks,” 

she says passionately. “There is respect 

for Indo-Canadian businesses. By the 

same token, land holdings by Indo- 

Canadians would be 50 per cent.” 

Chahal believes strongly that it’s 

a community that wants, more than 

anything, to see its residents succeed. 

The challenges still facing her 

community, she says, are for South 

Asians to feel more comfortable with 

Canada’s bureaucracy. 

“We need more professional development 

assistance in Abbotsford to 

help those hard-working men and 

women who are trying to succeed.” 

Mayor George Perry agrees and is 

equally proud of his city’s multicultural 

landscape. He says the South Asian 

community is a significant player in 

the economic engine that drives the 

city forward. 

“We literally have second and third 

generations involved in all aspects of 

business, from agriculture, to lawyers, 

doctors and educators and everything 

in between,” says the mayor. “Most 

significantly, Abbotsford is the lead- 

“It’s humbling to see someone come 

from India, buy a truck, work day 

and night and they start to build their 

business … before you know it they 

have their own logo on their fleet of 

trucks... There is respect for Indo- 

Canadian businesses.” 

– Kelly Chahal, 

President, Fraser Valley Indo-Canadian Business Association

ElE gancE , PrE cision & ProfE ssionalisM 

“We literally have second 

and third generations 

involved in all aspects of 

business, from agriculture, 

to lawyers, doctors and 

educators and everything in 

between.” 

– George Perry, 

Mayor, City of Abbotsford 

er in the agricultural industry at $1.8 

billion and this community is the major 

contributor.” 

More than 25 per cent of land cultivated 

for agriculture is owned and operated 

by Indo-Canadians. 

To many who call Abbotsford home, 

one of its biggest draws is that it’s a city 

of immigrants working, living and playing 

together. 

Prior to becoming mayor, Perry taught 

high school in the district for more than 

28 years. “I have educated many Indo- 

Canadian students who are now leaders 

in this city.” 

A fellow educator, Jinder Sarowa, 

moved to Abbotsford in 1970. 

“My parents came from Calcutta 

when I was in Grade 1,” says Sarowa, 

who is now the principal at Rick Hansen 

Secondary. “It was a huge culture shock. 

I didn’t know the language when I began 

school, and there was only one other 

Indian boy in my class.” 

Things didn’t get that much better 

when he began high school either. 

Sarowa, 46, says out of a high school 

population of 1,200 there were “maybe 

50 South Asians.” 

“We had to assimilate in Western 

culture,” he says without rancor. “We 

had to fit in very quickly. I cut my hair 

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Feature 

“There were only small numbers of people who were intolerant 

of Indian immigrants in Abbotsford. Walter Whitely, a resident of Clayburn, recounted an isolated incident in which three 

young white men dressed in white sheets tried to frighten Sikhs attending a cremation ceremony, c. 1910. Most pioneers, however, remember 

the people of Abbotsford being generous toward Indian immigrants by encouraging a feeling of membership within the community.” 


and learned the language and culture very 

fast.” 

How times have changed, he muses. 

“I don’t believe youth have changed, 

rather society and cultural influences have 

changed how they react.” 

Sarowa says in his school, more than 

50 per cent of the student body is Indo- 

Canadian. 

Although he says drug and gang 

violence appear to threaten Indo-Canadian 

youth in Abbostford, Sarowa works 

together with school counsellors and local 

police to try to lure students away from 

easy money and gangs. 

“Having said that, 70 to 75 per cent 

on my Indo-Canadian students are on the 

honour role,” he says proudly. 

Another prominent figure has also 

watched her city go through its growing 

pains. 

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Pree Wadhawan, a family outreach 

worker with Abbotsford Community 

Services, has witnessed many changes 

since moving to Abbotsford in 1980. 

Having grown up in Port Alberni on 

Vancouver Island, she experienced culture 

shock in more ways than one when she 

moved to Abbotsford. Relocating from a 

small city to a rural, farming community 

wasn’t an easy transition. 

Although there was a higher concentration 

of Indo-Canadians in Abbotsford, 

she found she had little in common with 

the new immigrants. 

“Having grown up on the Island, 

where the Indo-Canadians were a lot 

more integrated with mainstream society, 

the obvious divide between the two 

cultural groups, and the blatant discrimination 

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“My parents came from 

Calcutta when I was in 

Grade 1 ... It was a huge 

culture shock… I didn’t 

know the language when I 

began school and there was 

only one other Indian 

boy in my class.” 

Jinder Sarowa, Principal, 

Rick Hansen Secondary School 

Watching the struggles of the new 

immigrants and the overt discrimination 

they faced motivated both Wadhawan 

and her husband, Paul, to volunteer their 

time and energy to help create awareness 

amongst new immigrants about the 

services available to them and to reach out 

to the mainstream community to educate 

people about Indian culture. 

“This was based on the belief that 

racism and prejudice are the result of lack 

of knowledge about others, their beliefs 

and behaviours,” she says. 

Today, the Wadhawans are two of the 

city’s most respected volunteers, involved 

with a number of non-profit organizations, 

including Abbotsford Community 

Services, Indo-Canadian Women’s Organization, 

Women’s Resource Society of 

the Fraser Valley, Langley Family Services 


“My hope is that my children will embrace their bicultural 

background and take the best from the cultures around them 

and realize that as a society our strength lies in coming 

together in spite of our differences.” 

– Pree Wadhawan, family outreach worker, 

Abbotsford Community Services, 

and the Mayor’s Task Force on Prevention 

of Crime, to name a few. 

With their strong belief in the importance 

of education, the Wadhawans have 

also been major supporters of the University 

of Fraser Valley. In fact, as part of 

the fundraising committee, they were 

instrumental in helping to raise more 

than $1.25 million towards the establishment 

of UFV’s Centre for Indo-Canadian 

Research. 

“It was an ambitious project that 

demonstrated the Indo-Canadian community’s 

ability to get organized and be influential,” 

she says. “In many ways it brought 

two cultures together. The university, and 

by extension the Fraser Valley as a whole, 

has benefited from the greater involvement 

of Indo-Canadians. I think we Indo- 

Canadians feel more ownership of the 

university and more Abbotsford residents 

were made aware of the positive contributions 

our community can make.” 

Discrimination still exists to some 

extent in Abbotsford, she says, but reaching 

out and educating the mainstream has 

gone a long way towards building tolerance 

and understanding. 

“The majority of the mainstream 

community is much more informed and 

accepting of cultural differences and 

willing to participate in Indian cultural 

events such as Diwali and Nagar Kirthan 

and embrace different aspects of Indian 

culture such as music, fashion and food,” 

says Wadhawan. 

In the last 28 years, she has watched 

the Indo-Canadian community prosper 

and become an integral part of Abbotsford’s 

economy. 

“They have worked very hard to establish 

themselves socially, economically and 

politically,” she says. “Members of the 

community are no longer marginalized 

bystanders. They have become contributing 

members of the Canadian Mosaic.” 

However, being a strong proponent for 

inclusion, she challenges her community 

to come together with mainstream society 

as she believes strongly that without unity, 

Abbotsford’s strength as a community will 

be undermined. 

“My hope is that my children, and 

those of others, will embrace their bicultural 

backgrounds and take the best from 

the cultures around them and realize that 

as a society our strength lies in coming 

together in spite of our differences. That’s 

what will make Abbotsford, and Canada, 

stronger in the years ahead.” p 

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Cover 

Ratana Stephens 

A NATURAL 

PATH TO RICHES 

By Robin Roberts 

When I arrive at Nature’s Path’s Richmond headquarters to interview 

Ratana Stephens, two of her associates come out to greet me. They 

want to get a good look at the person who managed to snag an 

interview with the notoriously shy co-owner of the world’s No. 1 organic 

brand of breakfast cereal. How did you do it? they want to know. Although 

Mehfil Magazine has been lobbying for face time with Ratana for over two 

years, I confess the tenacity was on the part of the publisher, not me. 

“She doesn’t like giving interviews,” explains her husband, Arran Stephens, 

co-owner and founder of Nature’s Path. That’s an understatement. You’d need 

only a three-fingered hand to count how many times Ratana has talked to 

the press. The soft-spoken, modest matriarch of Nature’s Path believes the 

division of roles she and her husband play in the company works well, so 

why mess with it. “In India, there’s a saying that goes something like, ‘You 

can’t have two swords in one scabbard because they rub and rattle against 

each other.’ Arran is articulate; I like to be behind the scenes,” she says. 

Ratana is sitting in a downstairs office 

with her left leg propped up on a big green 

plastic ball. She’s had difficulty climbing 

the stairs to her second-floor office after 

she twisted her leg going down an escalator 

at Heathrow Airport earlier this year, 

exacerbating an earlier injury. She had been 

on her way to India to attend her brotherin-law’s 

funeral, a trip her doctors advised 

her not to take. Her devotion to her sister, 

however, overrode any medical advice. 

The earlier injury was the result of a 

near-fatal trauma in Italy two years ago. 

She was in Florence visiting her daughter 

Gurdeep, whose husband was employed 

there as an economist. While she was on 

her way home from a day of shopping, a 

group of about a dozen very large Senegalese 

men suddenly came charging toward 

her. They had been selling counterfeit 

goods on the street when Italian police 

began chasing them. In their rush to 

escape, the men trampled Ratana. When 

the dust had cleared, police found her 

unconscious, lying in a pool of blood. 

“When we heard the news, all the family 

got on the plane that very day,” recalls 

Arran. “When we saw her, we couldn’t 

even recognize her face; it was like the 

colour of an eggplant and all swollen. She 

looked really bad. It seemed like a stretch 

to think she would be normal again. It was 


Cover 

“There have been many offers to buy our company — from Kellogg, 

Kraft and Pepsi, among many others — with so much money that would 

last through generations. But . . . if we pass on this business with some 

ideals, it’s much better for our kids, better for the community.” 

– Ratana Stephens 

Photo by Alistair Eagle 

Ratana and Arran Stephens started Nature’s 

Path in the back of their restaurant in 

1985 and have built it to the world’s most 

successful organic breakfast cereal company. 

a miracle that she fully recovered, because 

she could have had permanent brain 

damage. But as you can see, she’s her 

beautiful self, and her brain is functioning 

very well, I can assure you.” 

It is indeed, but it’s functioning on a 

slightly higher plane these days. While 

Ratana had been a life-long believer in 

karma and destiny, she says her brush 

with death changed her “in nature and 

spirit. I felt an underlying unity. It deepened 

my faith that we are not alone here. 

I felt that there was definitely someone 

looking out for me.” 

Ratana was born in Lahore, India, 

around the time of Partition. When they 

began to feel unsafe in the increasingly 

tense environment, her family fled to 

Uttar Pradesh. Once settled, Ratana’s 

grandmother told her parents, “You will 

have many children, but this child is 

mine.” Her grandmother, recently widowed 

at the time, had already raised three 

sons, the youngest 18 years old. When 

she gathered Ratana in her arms, amazingly, 

her milk began to flow. She nursed 

the baby and brought her up as her own. 

Ratana’s parents went on to have six 

more children, just as her grandmother 

predicted. Ratana can’t explain why her 

grandmother wanted to raise her, other 

than to say, “She must have seen something 

in me.” 

Around the house, Ratana, which 

means jewel in Hindi, was indulged and 

doted on. And, even though she learned 

to cook at her granny’s knee, she had no 

desire to enter what would become her 

life’s calling, the food business. Back then, 

she had her sights set higher. “I wanted to 

go to university, get my master’s degree in 

English literature, and nobody was going 

to prevent it,” recalls Ratana. 

So the family scrimped and saved and 

sent their eldest child off to Agra University, 

where she earned her coveted masters, 

as well as a bachelor’s in psychology 

for good measure. She went on to lecture 

at a girl’s college in Moradabad. 

Meanwhile, Arran had spent months 

travelling the country, and was studying 

meditation, comparative religions and 

spirituality with Sant Kirpal Singh Ji 

Maharaj at Sawan Ashram in Delhi. One 

day, a mutual friend of his and Ratana’s 

family approached him and asked, 

“Would you like to marry an Indian girl?” 

Arran told the friend, “That depends. 

There should be some compatibility.” The 

friend said, “Oh, she’s very qualified. She’s 

M.A., and she’s teaching college.” Arran 

said, “What I meant was, she should be 

devoted, on a spiritual path, the same 

journey that I’m on.” The friend replied, 

“Oh yes, very qualified. She’s M.A.!” 

Amused, and suddenly intrigued, 

Arran agreed to the meeting. As he tells 

it, “That evening we sat down at the dinner. 

She was at one end of the table, I 

was at the other. We were both very shy, 

looking down at our plates. A couple 

times I looked up and I noticed that she 

was looking at me. As soon as we made 

eye contact, we averted our gazes back to 

our plates.” 

For her part, Ratana remembers a 

young white man who, while tall and 

handsome, was dressed in simple cotton 

clothes and wore a turban and full beard. 

“I was very hesitant,” she says, smiling at 

the memory of the obvious differences 

between them. 

The morning after the dinner, recalls 

Arran, her grandmother pulled him aside 

and told him, “I heard you Amreecans 

leave your wives. What do you have to say 

about it?” Arran, who spoke some Punjabi 

— and was definitely not American 

— recalls telling her, “There is only one 

marriage, one wife in my life. She looked 

at me, knew I was telling the truth, and 

started pounding me on the back, saying 

‘Shabash! shabash!’ From that time on, 

she was in my camp. Even when Ratana 

and I would have disagreements, she 

would take my side.” 

Unfortunately, she was one of only 

a few family members in Arran’s camp. 

Ratana’s uncles and father were dead set 

against her marrying outside their caste. 

The union caused dissension in the family 

to the point her grandmother stopped 

attending social functions. “It was not 

just a shame on the family but on the 

whole community,” says Ratana. “They 

rejected Arran, were really dismayed and 

disappointed at our marriage.” 

Ratana’s father, who lived in Moradabad, 

did eventually come around, as would 

the rest of the family, and embraced and 

accepted Arran. He agreed to travel to 

Delhi to attend the marriage that March 

of 1969. But he had fallen ill and was too 

sick to leave his bed. Immediately after 

their wedding, Ratana and Arran boarded 

a train for her father’s home. “Despite my 

trepidation at meeting him, I went to him 

and I touched his feet, out of respect, and 

he broke down,” recalls Arran. “At that 

point, he accepted me as his son-in-law 

and he apologized for his earlier [behaviour]. 

I told him, ‘No, you have given 

me your most priceless treasure, your 

daughter.’” 

Even though they had never kissed, 

never held hands or even dated, let alone 

fallen in love, Arran says he felt “loving 

thoughts” toward his bride-to-be. “The 

physical relationship is not the real basis 

of a good marriage, it’s something much 

higher and deeper,” says Arran. “When 

Ratana and I married, our spiritual teacher 

at the time told us, ‘You should be like 

a flute that’s all hollow from within so 

that the lord can make beautiful music 

out of your life. You’re like two wheels 

of the chariot moving towards your goal. 

You should be as one soul in two bodies, 

and remain united until the last breath.’ I 

don’t find that the love we have for each 

other has dimmed in the more than 40 

years we’ve been together, despite the fact 

we had an arranged marriage.” 

A month later, the newlyweds relocated 

to Vancouver. On Arran’s previous 

trips to India, he had asked his spiritual 


mentor advice about starting a natural 

foods vegetarian restaurant, and Sant Kirpal 

endorsed the idea. So, in 1967, with 

$7 in his pocket, a $1,000 loan from a 

sympathetic bank teller and $500 from 

a family friend, Arran had opened the 

doors to the Golden Lotus, Vancouver’s 

first vegetarian restaurant, on West 4th 

Avenue. 

On his trips to India, he left it in the 

hands of his staff in a kind of co-op arrangement. 

When they returned as husband 

and wife, Ratana began working in 

the restaurant, earning a dollar an hour, 

50 cents less than Arran. She also taught 

cooking at Kitsilano High School for extra 

cash. 

Ratana says she learned about business 

and finance by working alongside her 

husband at the restaurant and, in 1971, 

at his new company, LifeStream, Canada’s 

first large natural foods supermarket. 

Although successful almost from the start, 

differences with partners resulted in Arran 

selling the store in 1981 to Kraft Foods. 

Meanwhile, Ratana was running 

Golden Lotus, which in 1978 underwent 

a name change to Woodlands. She began 

making muffins and mana bread, which 

customers ate up. She and Arran then 

began dabbling in organic granola and 

other breakfast foods, and those too were 

big sellers. By 1985, Nature’s Path was 

born out of the back of that restaurant. 

Ten years later, the couple bought back 

LifeStream and blended it into their new 

company. 

Today the duo preside over the world’s 

most successful organic breakfast cereal 

company, with a staff of 300, and plants 

in Delta, B.C., Mississauga, Ontario, and 

Blaine, Washington. Living and working 

together, however, was not always a treat, 

and Ratana says it’s really only been in 

the last 10 years that they’ve found their 

groove. She says she enjoyed running the 

restaurant, but Arran needed her help 

running Nature’s Path. 

“I’m the big-picture guy, she’s the 

nuts-and-bolts person who is very practical,” 

says Arran. “As a friend of mine put 

it, ‘She can make a nickel scream.’ It was 

a bit of a risk having her working beside 

me, but I felt that she had so much to 

offer, and I needed her practicality,” he 

says. “I was involved in marketing and 

sales, product innovation, R&D, going 

to trade shows . . . I needed her skill 

set so that I could focus on growing the 

company and she could focus on making 

sure the company was running and it was 

profitable.” 

Ratana felt that Arran had sold 

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Cover 

“Her volunteer work, charitable giving and additional achievements gave us no doubt that 

Ratana is an exceptional, accomplished woman who contributes greatly to our community.” 

– Anne Sashikata, manager of special events, YWCA 

LifeStream for too little, and didn’t want 

to see him make the same mistake twice. 

In addition, her father, a successful confectionery 

manufacturer, had lost his 

company due to bad business decisions. 

She says the loss “devastated him. He 

never recovered.” So she decided to go 

back to school and study finance and 

securities. She wanted to be a stockbroker 

and, for a short time, worked for investment 

firm Gardiner Watson. But she was 

soon pulled back to the family business, 

where she combined her newfound skills 

in finance with simple common sense. 

The reintegration was not exactly 

smooth, however. “We found that when 

we were trying to do each other’s work 

we were stepping on each other’s toes, 

and sometimes it led to conflict,” admits 

Arran. “We sorted it out by her having 

her own space, her own office and her 

own clear chain of command. She had 

people reporting to her and I had people 

reporting to me. So, although we’re somewhat 

opposites, we do complement each 

other.” 

Two of their four children are also 

actively involved in the company. Arjan 

is vice-president of marketing and Jyoti is 

the sustainability and stewardship manager. 

Gurdeep has come home from Italy 

and settled with her husband in Victoria. 

Their eldest daughter and her husband 

run an organic bakery in Chicago. 

“Sometimes I think I have the best 

job in the world,” says Jyoti. “I get to 

work with people I love and there is a 

strong, deeper purpose to the work we 

do in our support of organic agriculture 

and beyond. I know and trust the values 

of my mom and see how she lives them 

out on a daily basis at work. Plus, getting 

a big hug from her when she comes into 

the office is one of the best parts of my 

day!” 

Jyoti says her mother inspires her to 

“continually improve, to not be satisfied 

with the status quo, to dream big and to 

work hard to achieve my goals. She has 

continually encouraged me to marry my 

ideals with business and to not lose sight 

of either. Business can be a powerful tool 

for environmental and social change. But 

the business model has to be financially 

solid in order for that to happen.” 

While it was always important to 

Ratana that her children be aware of their 

mixed heritage — they travel to India 

often to visit with relatives in Delhi and 

Bombay — she laments she never passed 

on her first language. She will, however, 

pass on the business. 

“There have been many offers to buy 

our company — from Kellogg, Kraft 

and Pepsi, among many others — with 

so much money that would last through 

generations,” she says. “But what are we 

going to give our kids — a bunch of 

money? If we pass on this business with 

some ideals, it’s much better for them, 

better for the community.” 

Plus, it’s important to preserve the 

“soul” of the company for coming generations, 

she says. “I used to tell people, 

if you wanted to make just money, you 

could have gone into real estate. The 

mission of Nature’s Path is to be socially 

responsible, environmentally sustainable, 

and financially viable. If we are not financially 

viable we cannot do the other two. 

And if we are not socially responsible and 

environmentally sustainable, we can’t be 

financially viable. They all have to intermingle.” 

And if all was lost tomorrow, Ratana 

is philosophical about that, too. “I always 

remember something my grandmother 

told me as a child: ‘If the wealth is lost, 

nothing’s lost. If the health is lost, something’s 

lost. If character is lost, everything’s 

lost.’ We would rather cut profit 

than cut corners.” 

Nature’s Path is involved in many 

charities, but the initiative that is perhaps 

closest to their hearts is EnviroKidz. 

One per cent of sales from EnviroKidz 

products is donated to the preservation of 

endangered species and habitats around 

the world, as well as to education programs 

for kids. To date, the company 

has contributed over a million dollars to 

support the efforts of organizations dedication 

to preservation. 

And they practise what they preach. At 

their office, there’s a staff garden out back 

and a green garden on the roof (organic, 

of course). Ratana says she and Arran 

also provide incentives to their employees 

to buy a hybrid car, or to upgrade their 

education. 

They even offer $500 to any employee 

to spend on wellness activities, whether it 

be to join a gym or buy a bike to ride to 

work. “We are business people, but life is 

not completely all business,” says Ratana. 

If talking to media gives her the heebie-jeebies, 

giving a speech mortifies her. 

But Ratana faced the fear and gave one 

anyway, in front of nearly 1,000 people 

when she won the YWCA Women of 

Distinction Award for Entrepreneurship 

and Innovation last June. 

“The judging panel was very impressed 

with Ratana’s vision and her leadership 

of a tremendously successful company,” 

says Anne Sashikata, manager of special 

events for the YWCA, of the decision to 

recognize Ratana. “Her volunteer work, 

charitable giving and additional achievements 

gave us no doubt that Ratana is an 

exceptional, accomplished woman who 

contributes greatly to our community. 

Sustainability and the environment are 

very important to YWCA Vancouver, too, 

and we were inspired by the commitment 

of Nature’s Path to preserving the environment.” 

Ratana’s daughter, Jyoti, says of her 

mother’s win: “She’s always been a rock 

star in our eyes. It has been amazing to 

see her recognized by a community that 

she values and respects.” 

Arran echoes that sentiment. “Ratana 

is a hidden gem, my jewel. It’s time for 

her to be recognized.” 

(Ratana also received the RBC Mehfil 

Magazine Award for Corporate Excellence 

— see page 58 — at the inaugural 

RBC Mehfil Awards gala in October.) 

Ratana herself says she was stunned at 

the win, and terrified at the prospect of 

giving a speech. 

But, she says, “I felt I had to tell a 

bit of my story. And I had to thank the 

people who have contributed to my life, 

to my destiny as it is today. I do believe in 

karma. I’ve experienced it many times. All 

the blessings we have received, surviving 

the accident. And my kids have turned 

out to be very good people. I’m so proud 

of their idealism, their honesty, their caring. 

They believe in social responsibility, 

they believe the environment has to be 

sustained and nurtured. I’m so grateful 

for the blessings that have been bestowed 

on me.” 

For someone so reticent, turns out 

Ratana Stephens has a lot to say. p 


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Mehfil 

M a g a z i n e 

Awards 

for Excellence 

M 

‘It was a great event. This 

was a great opportunity 

for me, and for the CBC 

for that matter, to be 

seen in an increasingly 

important community 

in the country and with 

the movers and shakers 

within that community in 

Southern B.C.’ 

– Peter Mansbridge 

When tickets for the first annual RBC 

Mehfil Magazine Awards for Excellence 

Gala sold out in a matter of days, 

publishers Rana and Minto Vig were confident 

the event was going to be an exciting 

one. 

“It was very gratifying to see so 

much support in the community for 

this event,” says Rana Vig. “We had a 

lot of people say, ‘It’s about time.’” 

It was time, says Minto Vig, explaining 

that the seeds for the awards event 

were planted more than 16 years ago 

when the magazine was first launched. 

“Mehfil was conceived to shine a 

light on the Indo-Canadian community,” 

says Minto. “And in that regard 

we’ve always planned to build to this 

kind of event. But we felt it was necessary 

to wait until Mehfil had enough 

history and garnered enough respect 

as a publication to give the awards 

significance.” 

Further confirmation came when CBC’s 

Peter Mansbridge, widely considered Canada’s 

greatest broadcast journalist, agreed to 

take on the role of keynote speaker at the 

awards gala. 

“I don’t think we could have asked for 

higher praise than a Canadian icon agreeing 

to be a part of our event. He certainly 

didn’t need to do it, he wanted to,” says 

Minto, adding that if Mehfil hadn’t built 

its reputation by remaining committed to 

journalistic integrity, Mansbridge “wouldn’t 

Mehfil Hosts Landmark Awards Gala 

have given us the time of day.” 

And Mansbridge did his homework, 

saying he asked friends and colleagues in 

B.C. for feedback on the magazine and the 

people behind it before agreeing. 

Mehfil publishers Rana (left) and Minto Vig 

with Peter Mansbridge. 

Johnny Michel, Regional Director of 

CBC, was one of those who encouraged 

Mansbridge to participate in the event. 

“I right away told him that I’ve been 

working with Mehfil for the past fifteen 

years and that they are at the top of their 

game. That Mehfil really serves to celebrate 

all the accomplishments of the South Asian 

community,” says Michel, who also attended 

the event. 

“It’s a magazine that is thoroughly 

professional, exciting, informative and rich 

in both texture and content,” says Mansbridge. 

“Its focus on highlighting the 

people and issues of our time, often but not 

exclusively, by profiling the Indo-Canadian 

personalities who deal with those issues, is 

both enlightening and entertaining. 

It’s a first-class magazine that makes its 

readers better prepared for our world 

and the communities in which we 

live.” He adds that he was excited to 

be part of what was bound to be an 

important evening in the community. 

“The choice of Peter Mansbridge 

to give the keynote address was great,” 

says Arvinder Bubber, whose company 

presented the Lifetime Achievement 

Award. “He is an excellent speaker 

with a great sense of humour. He is 

well travelled and very sensitive to the 

fabric of Canada.” 

During his engaging speech, Mansbridge 

commented on the importance 

of supporting journalism and the difference 

one journalist can make to a nation. 

He also spoke about Canadian identity, 

citing examples from his own experiences, 

having travelled the world and seen that 

people around the globe often show greater 

appreciation of who and what Canada 

represents than we do here at home. 

As Canadians, he said, we are all participants 

in shaping and defining not only our 

nation, but what it means to be Canadian. 

Mehfil also flew in comedian Dan 

Nainan from New York to act as master of 


“This event recognizes Indo Canadians who inspire others to pursue their dreams and 

gives people an opportunity to appreciate all that the South Asian culture has to offer. 

They also foster communication with leaders not only in the Indo-Canadian community, 

but also in the broader economic, political and social spheres of the entire province.” 

– Graham MacLachlan, 

Regional President, BC, RBC Royal Bank 

ceremonies at the landmark event. 

Nainan (see page 62), who has toured 

with Russel Peters, had the crowd laughing 

throughout the evening with his 

impressions and unique perspective as 

a half-Japanese half-Indian former Intel 

engineer navigating his way to success in 

comedy. 

“I can always gauge how the evening is 

going to go by the first joke,” says Nainan 

of his performance at the gala, adding 

that he couldn’t believe the reaction. “I 

don’t know what it was about that crowd 

but they were completely primed. Everything 

was perfectly executed.” 

During Nainan’s comedy routine, 

guests enjoyed a delicious dinner created 

by the Fairmont Waterfront’s chef Adrian 

Dias (see page 64). Next came an extravagant 

fashion show featuring the designs 

of Neeta Paul (see page 63). The fashion 

show was followed by the awards presentations 

(read about the award winners on 

the following pages), which recognized 

the contributions and achievements of 

nine extraordinary individuals. 

“Choosing the winners was no easy 

task and the nine individuals recognized 

during the evening are a small representation 

of the incredible talent and success in 

our community,” says Minto. “One I felt 

particularly proud of was artist Kanwar 

Dhillon. He is very gifted yet has chosen 

a subject — Sikh history — that relegates 

him to incredible scrutiny on the one 

hand from our community and to the 

fringe by a mainstream arts community 

that doesn’t understand the significance 

of his art. I believe in the years to come 

his work will play an important role in 

raising awareness of Sikh history.” 

The audience watched a video presentation 

on each of the award winners before 

the awards were presented. In his video, 

Lifetime Achievement Award winner 

Asa Johal reflected on the days when 

he earned less than a dollar a day and 

Indians weren’t permitted in Vancouver 

restaurants. The audience acknowledged 

Johal’s many contributions to Canadian 

society with a lengthy standing ovation. 

The consensus among the award 

presenters and guests was that in 

recognizing outstanding members of the 

Indo-Canadian community, the event 

served as a unique source of inspiration 

for all Canadians. 

“RBC is proud to support the Mehfil 

Awards for Excellence and to recognize 

the many talented and successful individuals 

from the Indo-Canadian community,” 

said Graham MacLachlan, Regional 

President, B.C., RBC Royal Bank. 

“This event recognizes Indo-Canadians 

who inspire others to pursue their 

dreams and gives people an opportunity 

to appreciate all that the South Asian 

culture has to offer. They also foster 

communication with leaders not only in 

the Indo-Canadian community, but also 

in the broader economic, political and 

social spheres of the entire province,” he 

added. 

All the award winners said they were 

honoured to be recognized and hoped 

the awards would inspire others to excel 

and to make a difference. 

“I hope this event will have a positive 

impact on how South Asians are 

perceived in mainstream society and 

motivate members of our community 

to strive for excellence,” said Balpreet 

Khatra, recipient of the Academic Excellence 

Award. 

“In my mind, these awards resonate 

because they are so much more than a 

simple awards celebration,” said Harry 

Sadhra, Director of Regional Operations, 

RBC Royal Bank. “These awards 

help remind us of the pride and capability 

within the South Asian community 

— always important. Just as important is 

how this event paid homage to the varied 

obstacles and challenges overcome by so 

many (past and present) in the room. I 

believe that dialogue is just as important 

as celebrating the successes, so that the 

South Asian community can continue to 

learn and build off the past. That mutual 

learning allows a community to grow 

together.” 

With overwhelming support to make 

the event an annual one, Mehfil has 

already set a tentative date for next year’s 

gala: October 2, 2010. 

“We’re proud to be able to recognize 

deserving individuals,” says Minto. 

“The credit for this event should go to 

the sponsors who made it possible and to 

the awards recipients who, through their 

commitment to excellence, have achieved 

and contributed so much.” p 

Graham MacLachlan, Regional 

President, BC, RBC Royal Bank 

Peter Mansbridge with Raj Binpal 

“Once again, you have instilled pride in a 

community that is too easily (and too often) 

the target of the broad brush of negative 

stereotyping. As an annual event this awards 

gala will play an important role in highlighting 

the best of our community to the rest of Canada.” 

– Raj Binpal 

Binpal & Associates 

Tony Singh with Omni TV’s Dilbar Kang 

“This event set a new bar for our community. 

Not only did it serve to recognize deserving 

people, but it did so in a way that showcased 

the best of the Indo-Canadian community to 

mainstream society.” 

– Tony Singh 

President, Fruiticana 


Mehfil 


Awards 


“If I could do anything, I would want to be prime minister of Canada because I feel I 

have good intentions and I wouldn’t be in it for any reason except to help people.” 

– Balpreet Khatra. 

M 

“When you have an event that is 

ethnically driven, and you’re not 

part of that community, you’re 

not really sure what to expect. 

One of the really nice things 

about this event was that it didn’t 

matter if you were South Asian 

or not, everyone was welcome 

and having a great time.” 

– Dr. David Atkinson, 

President, Kwantlen 

Polytechnic University 

Baljit Gill and Mona Sembhi 

Jag Sharma, Maneesh 

Nanda and Rajni Sharma 

Academic Excellence Award winner Balpreet Khatra (left) with 

presenter Dr. David Atkinson of award sponsor Kwantlen Polytechnic University. 

Balpreet Khatra 

Academic Excellence Award 

Balpreet Khatra’s abilities as a student 

are evident. The valedictorian of his 

high-school graduating class, Khatra 

was the recipient of several university 

entrance scholarships and is currently 

studying at Kwantlen Polytechnic University 

on a scholarship. But it is also the 

lessons he teaches by example through 

his work outside the classroom that make 

the recipient of the RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Award for Academic Excellence an 

outstanding citizen and a role model for 

young people. 

Khatra was only in Grade 6 when, 

inspired by his paralyzed grandmother, he 

organized a walk that raised $1,000 for 

the Rick Hansen Man in Motion foundation. 

As a high school student, through 

his work with the charity Free the Children, 

Khatra helped to raise funds to build 

a school in war-torn Sierra Leone. It was 

his own love of learning and appreciation 

for the opportunities he has received that 

inspired him to lead the initiative. 

“I wanted to make a difference and I 

saw education as the biggest way to make 

a difference,” says Khatra. “These kids 

don’t have opportunity to get an education, 

so we decided to fundraise to build 

a school in Sierra Leone, and we achieved 

our goal.” 

Khatra’s career goal is to become a 

lawyer, but his longer-term aspiration is 

to reach for the top in Canadian politics. 

“If I could do anything, I would want to 

be prime minister of Canada because I 

feel I have good intentions and I wouldn’t 

be in it for any reason except to help 

people,” says Khatra. 

On receiving the inaugural RBC 

Mehfil Magazine Award for Excellence in 

Academics, Khatra says: “It was an exciting 

and humbling feeling to receive the 

award alongside such accomplished individuals 

and prominent members of our 

community and the community at large. 

The gala was a major step forward for our 

community. I believe this event will have 

a positive impact on how South Asians 

are perceived in mainstream society and 

motivate members of our community to 

strive for excellence. 

“Peter Mansbridge’s keynote speech 

was a highlight for me personally and 

the company of fascinating and inspiring 

people made the night a memorable 

one.” 

Web Exclusive 

Watch the winners’ videos online at 

www.mehfilmagazine.com/awards 


“I think the event is a reminder to all of us that as a community we all care deeply 

about how our cultural heritage is presented and that our contributions to Canada 

are recognized for their worth.” 

– Kanwar S. Dhillon 

Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

Excellence in the Arts Award winner Kanwar S. Dhillon (right) 

with presenter Rajni Sharma of award sponsor Sun Life Financial. 

Kanwar S. Dhillon 

Excellence in the Arts Award 

Kanwar Singh Dhillon has always been 

drawn to Sikh history as an inspiration 

for his art. “A big part of my university 

education was in world history, but it 

wasn’t until after school finished for me 

that I started to read authors like Khushwant 

Singh,” he said in a recent interview. 

“I was amazed by the sweeping saga of 

Sikh history, from Guru Nanak to Maharaja 

Ranjit Singh. Sikhism is filled with so 

many beautiful, epic and morally driven 

stories that present an artist with such a 

rich source of inspiration. “ 

Dhillon’s resume includes credits as 

an animator and book illustrator, and 

limited-edition prints of nine of his original 

works have sold worldwide. His latest 

work was unveiled recently at the Sikh Art 

and Film Foundation Gala in New York 

and his works are on display at gurdwaras 

and private homes in Canada, the U.S. 

and the UK. 

“As a professional, the most valuable 

recognition is when members of the community 

invest in your work and hang it in 

their homes,” says Dhillon. 

Dhillon says the RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Awards represent both a personal 

honour and a source of inspiration and 

acknowledgement for all artists within the 

Indo-Canadian community. 

“I was honoured, not simply to be recognized 

for the artwork I have done, but 

to be put in the same category as some 

of the other recipients, whose contributions 

have affected the health and welfare 

of a great many Canadians for the 

better. I think the event is a reminder to 

all of us that as a community we all care 

deeply about how our cultural heritage is 

presented and that our contributions to 

Canada are recognized for their worth. 

The ultimate hope is that recognition of 

individuals today will inspire others to 

achieve even greater feats in the future. 

“Our community has long established 

itself to be an important player in the direction 

that Canada is headed. We are well 

placed in business, entrepreneurship and 

within the government itself. However, 

I think that we need mechanisms to bolster 

the arts within our community. I’m 

really glad that Mehfil has stepped forward 

to create a podium for recognition in the 

arts field. It provides both motivation and 

a space for currently unknown artists to 

step into the spotlight.” 

Web Exclusive 



“By recognizing artists for their 

talent, we encourage our youth 

to pursue their dream and 

discover their hidden talent, 

like Kanwar Dhillon. These are 

the gems we need to find and 

the only way to find them is to 

host more of these events and 

recognize them.” 

– Rajni Sharma, 

Advisor, Sun Life Financial 

(from left) JB Golee, Ted Singh and 

Sant Lal Sharma 

Harry Sadhra (left) and Rajdeep S. Deol 


Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

“I am grateful [Indian immigrants] did not go to another country 

less free and less fertile than Canada.” 

– Inderjit S. Kohaly. 

“It’s because of the 

passion and commitment 

of people like Mr. Kohaly 

that we are able to 

maintain important ties to 

our culture and history,” 

- Nasir Kamrudin, 

General Manager, 

Surrey Honda 

(from left) Gina Johal, Marna Dueck, Peter 

Mansbridge and Jas Janda-Wiseman 

Bob and Babita Bhindi 

The Cultural Heritage Award was presented by Nasir Kamrudin of award sponsor Surrey 

Honda (left) and was accepted by the late Inderjit Singh Kohaly’s wife Rajinder and son Paul. 

Inderjit S. Kohaly 

Cultural Heritage Award 

Thanks to the late Inderjit Kohaly’s efforts 

to create a record of the history 

of British Columbia’s Indo-Canadian 

community, more than 300 photographs, 

genealogies, notes and recorded interviews 

have been preserved 

as an important part of 

B.C.’s historical archives at 

SFU’s Bennet Library. 

Kohaly, who immigrated 

to Canada in 1954 and 

passed away in 1993, said 

he felt that the province’s 

early Indo-Canadians “deserve 

to have their history 

preserved, irrespective of 

whether they did anything 

great or not – all the people 

who came here, and made 

things easier for those who came later.” 

Gathering material and taping interviews 

wasn’t always an easy process, said 

Kohaly in an interview during the project. 

“Many people think I’m doing this 

as some form of gimmick,” he said. “They 

don’t understand why it is important to 

record oral history.” 

Kohaly was so committed to the project 

that he paid for all the expenses it incurred 

out of his own pocket. 

Kohaly toured the province in search 

of photographs of early Indo-Canadian 

settlers. For each photograph Kohaly 

Inderjit S. Kohaly 

painstakingly recorded the names of 

spouses, children, parents, and grandparents 

as well as occupations and the village 

in India from which the family came. 

Kohaly once stated: “I am grateful 

[Indian immigrants] did 

not go to another country 

less free and less fertile than 

Canada.” 

Kohaly’s collection was 

donated to the Bennet Library 

by his widow, Rajinder 

Kaur Kohaly, who 

says his work on the project 

came to a halt only when 

his failing health made it 

impossible for him to continue. 

Both historians and the 

public owe Inderjit Kohaly a debt of gratitude 

for his vision and dedication in preserving 

the history of the Indo-Canadian 

community. 

Kohaly’s award was presented to his 

wife Rajinder and son Paul, who commented: 

“The event was exciting and 

wonderful. Mom felt good that Dad was 

being honoured, same goes for me, too. 

We should honour our leading personalities. 

If we don’t do it, who will?” 

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Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

“It gives me a lot of pleasure to do [community service]. It helps other people, but you 

also get so much pleasure yourself, and it keeps you going. Otherwise you would just 

be sitting at home doing nothing.” 

– Gurdeep Sundher 

“We were proud to be able 

to present the community 

service award because 

community service is one 

of the most important 

activities in any society,” 

– Pravin Soni, 

President, Timceo 

Community Service Award winner Gurdeep Sundher (right) 

with presenter Pravin Soni of award sponsor Timeco. 

Satwinder and Parm Bains 

Paul and Ruby Arora with Peter 

Mansbridge 

Gurdeep Sundher 

Community Service Award 

Gurdeep Sundher was just a teenager 

when she first got involved in community 

service. She recalls thinking to 

herself, “Why don’t I start a women’s 

organization?” 

Propelled by the energy and enthusiasm 

that she has demonstrated throughout 

the decades since then, Sundher 

established Victoria’s East Indian Women’s 

Society in 1962 to raise funds for 

charitable causes and to help fund an 

Indian cultural centre. 

It was just the beginning of a lifelong 

commitment to community work 

and to promoting tolerance and understanding. 

Sundher still serves as president of 

the India Canada Cultural Association, 

which she helped establish in 1983. 

“We’ve raised a lot of money for charity. 

Seeing the India Canada Cultural Association 

grow has been one of my proudest 

achievements,” says Sundher. 

She has also been on the board of 

directors of the Inter Cultural Association, 

Victoria’s most prominent multicultural 

and immigrant settlement organization. 

Sundher has received two distinguished 

Pioneer Awards from the India 

Cultural Centre of Canada and the National 

Indo-Canadian Council. She was 

also named one of 45 recipients of the 

2009 B.C. Community Achievement 

Awards. 

Asked what motivates her to give so 

tirelessly of her time and talent, Sundher 

says simply: “It gives me a lot of pleasure 

to do this. It helps other people, but you 

also get so much pleasure yourself, and it 

keeps you going. Otherwise you would 

just be sitting at home doing nothing.” 

Sundher, who encourages young 

people to “get out and get involved” in 

the community, says one of her most 

cherished goals is to see a new community 

centre built in Victoria. 

“If I won the lottery, the first thing I 

would do is to build a community centre,” 

she says. 

Never one to leave such goals to 

chance, she is laying the foundation 

for the future by working to get young 

volunteers involved in the India Canada 

Cultural Centre. 

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Mehfil 


Awards 


“The awards raised the profile of the community but connected it to the mainstream 

with Peter Mansbridge. I thought it was the coolest thing.” 

– Ted Singh 

M 

“It’s very important to 

recognize innovators 

because these are the 

people who dare to 

dream and lead us into 

the future.” 

– Dr. Parmjit Dhillon, 

President, 

Dhillon Diagnostic Consulting 

(from left) Judy Krawchuk, Jas Salh 

and Danielle Callens 

Peter Mansbridge and Monika Deol 

Innovation Award winner Ted Singh (left) with presenter Dr. Parmjit Dhillon 

of award sponsor Dhillon Diagnostic Consulting. 

Working in high tech, we had all these 

ideas and though we could do things 

better, that’s why we became technology entrepreneurs,” 

says Ted Singh, CEO of Embedded 

Automation, of the impetus behind 

his and partner JB Golee’s decision to establish 

their own business. 

There are many who agree that Singh’s 

confidence was well founded. Among them 

is Microsoft head Bill Gates, who included 

Embedded Automation as one of only four 

software companies named as partners in Microsoft’s 

launch of Windows Home Server. 

“To be announced on the stage by Bill 

Gates is a huge honour,” says Singh. 

The innovation from Embedded Automation 

that caught Gates’s attention is software 

named Em Home. Singh describes it as the 

key to turning a “dumb home into a smart 

home.” 

“As a consumer, the reason you would 

want a smart home is to save money and to 

make your life easier,” says Singh, who holds 

a BSc in computer engineering and a business 

management diploma from the University 

of Alberta and has 25 years of experience 

in high-tech companies. “In a smart home, 

for example, you know how much energy 

your home is going to use. We want to bring 

that information to your fingertips so you 

can do something about it. And you want 

to know that your home is safe and secure 

and there’s a whole universe of devices that 

can make your home secure. This kind of 

Ted Singh 

Innovation Award 

technology is going to become pervasive and 

we’re a brand leader for the kind of technology 

that we offer.” 

While Singh acknowledges that Embedded 

Automation, which is considered a 

leader in the “digital home” marketplace, has 

had several significant milestones in terms of 

industry recognition, he says the most significant 

is that thousands of customers around 

the world have bought the company’s technology 

for their own homes. 

“What I really like about my work is that 

we’re contributing technology that could 

be used in each and every home to improve 

people’s lives.” 

Singh, who has served as president of the 

Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technologists 

of B.C. and has worked with such highprofile 

companies as Brooks Automation and 

Adept Technology, as well as Microsoft, says 

he’s honoured to be named the first recipient 

of the first RBC Mehfil Magazine Award for 

Excellence in Innovation. 

Singh adds that the awards gala was a 

uniquely memorable event. “Keynote speaker 

Peter Mansbridge was a link between the 

cream of the crop of the South Asian crop 

with mainstream Canada. The awards raised 

the profile of the community but connected 

it to the mainstream with Peter Mansbridge. 

I thought it was the coolest thing.” 

Web Exclusive 




“The event has brought a great deal of credibility to our community in the 

corporate segment of B.C.” 

– Mervyn Pinto 

Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

India-Canada Trade Award winner Mervyn Pinto (right), CEO of Minaean International, with 

presenter and award sponsor Professor DJ Sandhu, BC Regional Innovation Chair at UFV. 

Mervyn Pinto has a history of being 

ahead of the curve, including becoming, 

at age 25, the youngest captain to be 

given a command in the Indian Merchant 

Navy. In 1985, he became a commander on 

an even bigger scale when he started his own 

shipping company. After moving to Canada 

in 1994, he turned his attention to doing 

business on dry land and launched a new 

company, Minaean International, with a 

mission to use western technologies to help 

third-world countries. 

“My passion was to give back something 

to the country that I came from,” Pinto said 

in a recent interview. 

The company began developing an innovative 

steel-frame construction system 

they termed “quick-build” that could be 

used to erect pre-fabricated modular homes 

that were lightweight but structurally sound 

enough to resist magnitude 7.3 earthquakes 

and high winds. “The technology was perfect 

for places like India,” says Pinto. 

Today, Minaean, based in Vancouver 

and listed on the TSX Venture Exchange 

(MIB), has more than 140 employees in India 

and operates two wholly owned subsidiaries: 

Minaean Habitat (India) PVT Ltd. 

for Indian operations, and Minaean Building 

Structures Inc. for North American operations. 

With his eye on the opportunities that 

will come with India’s growing need for new 

and improved infrastructure, Pinto is now 

Mervyn Pinto 

India-Canada Trade Award 

working to create a consortium of Canadian 

companies to take Canadian experience and 

expertise in highway and bridge construction 

and road management to India. 

Pinto says he is honoured to have been 

recognized with the RBC Mehfil India- 

Canada Trade Award. “I was spellbound 

when my name was announced,” he says. 

“The event itself has brought a great deal of 

credibility to our community in the corporate 

segment of B.C. Awards of excellence 

are incentives to people to do better, and 

this year’s event is bound to bring in more 

competition for these awards to be presented 

next year.” 

D.J. Sandhu, BC Regional Innovation 

Chair at University of Fraser Valley, which 

sponsored the award, praises Pinto for his 

vision. “Mr. Pinto is a true trail-blazer,” says 

Sandhu. “He has created employment for 

many Canadians and Indians whose lives 

are changed forever. Positively impacting 

people of two nations is surely worthy of 

recognition. 

“It is now a well known fact that the 21st 

century belongs to India and China. Given 

this, it was obvious to me that we need to 

encourage and recognize the individuals 

who are taking pioneering steps in building 

and enhancing Canada-India Trade linkages.” 

Web Exclusive 



“The first annual RBC Mehfil 

Awards Gala was certainly a 

landmark event! By recognizing 

and honoring the contributions 

of exemplary Indo-Canadians, 

the event provided a platform 

for showcasing role models that 

would instill positive values 

in young Indo-Canadians and 

Canadians at large.” 

- DJ Sandhu 

BC Regional Innovation Chair, 

University of Fraser Valley 

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Day with 

Surjit Babra (right) 

Vineet Taneja (left) and 

Gurmeet Sangha 


Mehfil 


Awards 


“Our mission is to be socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and financially 

viable. We do our best to follow these ideals.” 

– Ratana Stephens 

M 

“It is important for our community 

to celebrate its achievements, 

to be inspirational to 

others and to provide role 

models. Events such as these 

help to combat many of the 

negative perceptions about the 

Indian community in B.C.” 

- Dave Gadhia, 

Executive Vice Chairman 

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment 

(from left) Deepita Taneja, Manjit 

Johal and Raj Arneja 

(from left) Wally Oppal, Sarup Mann 

and Herb Dhaliwal 

Corporate Excellence Award winner Ratana Stephens (right) of Nature’s Path with 

presenter Charu Gadhia representing award sponsor Gateway Casinos and Entertainment. 

Ratana Stephens 

Corporate Excellence Award 

It’s not surprising that Ratana Stephens, 

winner of the first RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Award for Corporate Excellence, has to 

give her response a little thought when she’s 

asked to name what she considers her proudest 

achievement. After all, the COO and cofounder 

of Nature’s Path Organic Foods, the 

No. 1 organic cereal manufacturer in North 

America, has many to choose from — in fact 

too many to single out just one. 

“One of our proudest achievements is when 

consumers write us letters saying what a difference 

our products have made in their lives,” 

says the soft-spoken yet eloquent entrepreneur. 

“Another of our proudest achievements 

is as an employer, when our employees come 

up and say, ‘We bought a new home!’ Another 

of our proudest achievements has been when 

our children say, ‘We’re not going to sell out. 

We are going to continue this mission.’ So 

there have been many proud achievements.” 

Stephens immigrated to Vancouver from 

India in 1969, a month after marrying Arran 

Stephens, her “dear partner” in life and 

in business for the past 40 years. The couple 

worked together running a vegetarian restaurant 

before founding Nature’s Path in 1985. 

“The key to the success of our business has 

been our people, our principles and our ideals,” 

says Ratana. “We try to make sure our 

people are looked after well. We also try to 

make sure that we contribute to the society 

that we live in. Nature’s Brand’s mission is to 

be socially responsible, environmentally sustainable 

and financially viable. We do our best 

to follow these ideals.” 

One measure of just how successful they’ve 

been on all three fronts is the support that 

Nature’s Path has given to organizations dedicated 

to the preservation of wildlife and the 

environment. “One per cent of all sales from 

our EnviroKidz products is given to preserve 

endangered species and endangered habitats,” 

says Stephens. “We are very pleased and humbled 

to say that we have donated more than $1 

million up to now.” 

Stephens, who was named a recipient of a 

YWCA 2009 Women of Distinction Award 

for being a trail-blazer in both business and 

the eco movement, could sit on her laurels but 

she prefers to continue her hands-on role at 

Nature’s Path. She is in the offices every day to 

nurture the brand that has become an industry 

leader since she and her husband created it in 

the back room of their restaurant just 24 years 

ago. 

“I am proud to be part of Nature’s Path 

and I want to be here to see our employees 

excited that they’re contributing and to see our 

children excited about new ideas. We have a 

goal: To be a trusted name in organics in every 

household. We need to provide nourishing 

food to our future generations and we want 

to make sure that organic food is in every 

home.” 

Web Exclusive 




It is by recognizing those whose commitment to excellence has allowed them 

to achieve the extraordinary that we inspire others to follow. 

Mehfil 


Awards 


is power.” 

“I strongly believe that knowledge 

is power and I am passionate about 

life-long learning. As an educator I 

consider it my social responsibility to 

share knowledge not only with my 

young and eager learners, but also 

with the community at large.” 

Dr. Gira Bhatt 

Faculty of Arts: 

Psychology Faculty Member 

Principle Investigator and Project 

Director for CURA at Kwantlen. The 

team was awarded a $1-million federal 

research grant for innovative research 

into youth involvement in gangs. 

Kwantlen is B.C.’s 

Polytechnic University. 

M 

Recognizing Outstanding Achievement 

in the Indo-Canadian Community 

Thank you for joining us to make this event a resounding success. 

Binpal 

AND Associates 

en.ca l 604.599.2000 

A.S. Bubber 

& Associates 

9/22/2009 12:38:16 PM 

It’s About Quality, It’s About Time… 

BC Regional 

Innovation Chair 

at UFV 

Gagan 

Foods International 

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Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

“The message I would like to convey to others is to give, either your time or your 

respect, to those who do so many good things in our society — our teachers, our 

community workers, those are the people we need to look up to.” 

– Lucky Janda 

“‘We make a living by 

what we get, but we make 

a life by what we give.’ 

said Winston Churchill 

– Congratulations 

to the winner of the 

Philanthropy Award 

Lucky Janda!” 

Rick Saran 

Regional Sales Manager 

BMW Group Canada 

(from left) Ranjit Rai, Jas Binpal 

and Jason Sandhu 

Akash Rattan (left) with Ron Sangha 

Philanthropy Award winner Lucky Janda (right) with presenter Rick Saran 

of award sponsor Metro Vancouver BMW Retailers. 

It is a testament to entrepreneur Lucky 

Janda’s generosity of spirit that his response 

to being named the recipient of 

the inaugural RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Award for Philanthropy was to immediately 

credit the fundraisers and community 

activists who spearhead the charitable 

causes to which he has given his 

financial support. 

“What has inspired me to make a 

contribution to society by supporting 

worthy causes is seeing people who are 

making a great contribution with their 

time, energy and vision,” says Janda. “I 

don’t have a lot of time to give, so writing 

a cheque is my way of doing my part 

whenever I get a chance to help a worthy 

cause. I feel honoured when I’m asked to 

join worthy causes.” 

Earlier this year, for example, Janda 

donated money for the purchase of an 

incubator for Surrey Memorial Hospital’s 

neonatal intensive care unit. 

“The nurses explained to me the need 

for the incubator at the hospital in Surrey,” 

says Janda. “We were more than 

happy to contribute $60,000 to buy 

one.” 

Janda says giving back, particularly to 

charitable causes that support children 

and seniors, is one way of demonstrating 

his gratitude for the many blessings 

Lucky Janda 

Philanthropy Award 

in his life. Today, he’s a venture capitalist 

with significant real estate holdings and 

financial interest in several public companies, 

but he’s always mindful of his 

humble beginnings in this country. 

Janda immigrated to Canada from India 

in 1971. He completed high school 

in Campbell River while also working 

in a sawmill to save money to attend the 

University of British Columbia. 

To support himself while he was 

studying, he took a job in his dormitory 

at UBC. “I washed dishes, cleaned toilets, 

handed out sheets . . . I did that full 

time while I was going to school for four 

years,” he recalls. 

“When I look back at where I came 

from and where life is today and I look 

at the groups in society that need help, I 

always come up with the same answer. If 

there are two groups of people in society 

that are always at somebody else’s mercy, 

it’s children and elders. 

“The message I would like to convey 

to others is to give, either your time or 

your respect, to those who do so many 

good things in our society — our teachers, 

our community workers, those are 

the people we need to look up to.” 

Web Exclusive 




“[Recognition] makes you feel good but I really don’t want to be in the limelight 

too much. I’ve never asked for any rewards from anybody.” 

– Asa Johal 

Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Asa Johal (right) with award presenter 

Arvinder Bubber of award sponsor A.S. Bubber and Associates. 

Asa Johal 

Lifetime Achievement Award 

Asa Johal, the recipient of the inaugural 

RBC Mehfil Magazine Lifetime 

Achievement Award, arrived in Canada in 

1924 as a toddler, left school at 14 to work 

in a sawmill, and by 19 had a successful 

trucking business. In 1962, he established 

his own sawmill at Mitchell Island. Terminal 

Forest Products would go on to become 

one of the province’s most efficient 

operations and the largest privately held 

lumber company in western Canada. 

One of the province’s most prominent 

businessmen and outstanding citizens, Johal 

has been a member of UBC’s Board 

of Governors and a director of B.C.’s 

Children’s Hospital. As president of the 

International Punjabi Society of B.C. and 

founding member, trustee and chairman 

of the India Cultural Centre of Canada, 

Johal encouraged Indo-Canadians to participate 

in mainstream society. 

Asa Johal’s achievements as an entrepreneur 

are matched by his dedication 

to philanthropy. He has supported many 

worthy causes without concern for recognition 

and has routinely matched public 

donations to charitable organizations 

such as the Canadian Cancer Society. 

He has been the first person on the B.C. 

Children’s Hospital telethon for the past 

20 years and has matched the funds raised 

in each of those 20 years. 

He endowed two graduate fellowships 

in forestry at UBC, as well as a chair in 

language and culture of the Indian subcontinent. 

He also established a community 

centre and sports field in Richmond. 

He holds an honourary Doctor of 

Laws degree from UBC and is a recipient 

of both the Order of BC and of the Order 

of Canada. 

“Mr. Asa Johal is an excellent choice as 

the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement 

award,” says Arvinder Bubber, who 

sponsored the award. “His philanthropy is 

known and well recognized from within 

and outside of the Indo-Canadian community. 

For all his good work, he is a 

humble and unassuming individual, and 

someone we all look up to. He is an inspiration 

for all of us. 

“The RBC Mehfil Awards are an exciting 

and important development for the 

Indo-Canadian community and all of the 

awards recipients were truly deserving. 

The event is a natural progression of what 

was started with the first issue of Mehfil: a 

sense of pride within the community for 

its many achievements. The Mehfil Awards 

are another marker of that progression of 

our community spirit.” 

Web Exclusive 



“For all his good work, 

Mr. Asa Johal is a humble 

and unassuming individual 

and someone we 

all look up to. He is an 

inspiration for all of us.” 

– Arvinder Bubber, 

President, 

A.S. Bubber and Associates 

Mrs. Neena and Dr. Parmjit Sohal 

(from left) Kiran Janda, Kamal 

Binpal and Sandy Janda 


Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

Master of Ceremonies 

Dan Nainan 

The master of ceremonies at 

the RBC Mehfil Magazine 

Awards gala was popular comedian 

Dan Nainan, who entertained 

the crowd with his unique 

brand of clean comedy based on 

his background as an American 

of Indian and Japanese descent. 

There was a time when comedian Dan 

Nainan’s ethnicity made him a target for 

abuse on a regular basis. Born in Indiana 

to a nuclear physicist from India and 

a child psychologist from Japan, Nainan 

endured racially motivated attacks that 

made his school years “miserable.” 

“I was brutalized and terrorized and 

had my human rights violated,” he recalls. 

“I was bullied, threatened, verbally and 

physically abused. Sometimes I get asked, 

‘Were you ever in any fights?’ I say, ‘No, 

but I was in a number of beatings.’ ” 

Nainan still gets noticed because of his 

ethnic background, but these days it’s the 

kind of attention that has him “laughing 

all the way to the bank” thanks to bookings 

that take him all over North America 

as well as overseas. 

Much of his humour is based on his 

unique perspective as the child of parents 

from two different visible minorities. As 

Nainan puts it during his act: “My dad is 

from India and my mom is from Japan. I 

get my sushi from 7-11. I’m like Harold 

and Kumar.” 

Nainan had an unlikely start to his 

career as “quite possibly the only half- 

Japanese, half-Indian comedian in the 

world.” He was a demonstration engineer 

with Intel Corporation in the late 1990s 

when he began taking comedy classes as 

a way of dealing with his fear of public 

speaking. Nainan’s job included designing 

and presenting technical demonstrations 

on stage with Intel Chairman Andy 

Grove and other senior executives at 

events where the audiences numbered in 

the thousands. 

It turned out Nainan was a natural on 

stage – so much so that the people in the 

audiences assumed he was a professional 

performer. “That’s when I had an inkling 

I could do this for a living,” he says. 

In 2002, Nainan left a high-profile 

job at Intel’s New York office to pursue 

comedy full-time. “In the beginning it 

was tough, but I moved up quickly,” 

says Nainan. He performed at clubs and 

gleaned tips from established comedians, 

including Jerry Seinfeld, whose advice 

reinforced Nainan’s decision to do “100 

per cent clean comedy.” 

“I met jerry Seinfeld very early on 

and asked him do you have any tips for 

a beginning comedian,” recalls Nainan. 

“He said [imitating Seinfeld’s voice and 

intonation], ‘You should do only clean 

comedy. You will work everywhere.’ 

“There’s all this profanity and vulgarity 

[in comedy],” says Nainan. “There’s also a 

tremendous amount of drug and alcohol 

“I very much enjoy being emcee for 

these types of events. It takes the 

pressure off me and puts a little bit 

more focus on the award winners... 

One can’t help come out of an event 

like this smelling like a rose.” 

humour. I’ve never done drugs or alcohol 

so I can’t relate. My rule of thumb is 

I don’t want to do anything I can’t do in 

front of my parents.” 

Nainan followed his instincts, and by 

the end of 2003, he was touring with 

comedian Robert Schimmel. His really 

big break came a year later, when he 

happened to be at the New York Improv 

while Indo-Canadian comedy sensation 

Russell Peters was headlining. After Peters 

finished his performance, there was time 

available on stage and Nainan begged for 

a chance to do his act. 

Peters was impressed enough by Nainan’s 

performance to invite him to tour 

with him in 2005 and 2006. “That was the 

luckiest thing that could have happened 

to me because then I became known in 

the Indian community,” says Nainan. “I 

was doing things that no comedian would 

get to do, travelling around performing 

for 2,000, 3,000 people. This was the 

beginning of the rise of Russell Peters. It 

was magic.” 

Nainan describes Peters as “very accessible, 

very nice, very humble.” 

“He’s a very intelligent person. Some 

people have said he is a racist but that’s 

the furthest thing from the truth. He’s 

so knowledgeable about other languages, 


cultures, countries. His humour comes not 

from ignorance but extreme knowledge and 

intelligence about who he’s making fun of 

. . . You hear all these mean things about 

him online which aren’t true. He’s just a 

nice, humble guy who happens to be very 

successful because he’s worked very hard.” 

Nainan is quick to acknowledge that 

Peters’s hard work paved the way for him 

and other comedians. “Once Russell went to 

India, all of a sudden all of us started getting 

calls [from India]. I got calls from 10, 15 

places in India,” says Nainan. “I finally went 

over there and toured last September. The 

reaction was incredible. My shows sold out. 

“When I started, there were people 

saying you shouldn’t do that ethnic stuff, 

it’s hack. In the mainstream, it’s so difficult 

for a mainstream comedian to make a living 

at this, but ethnic comedians are cleaning 

up. Mainstream comedians will make $25 

a show or $50 or $75. If they’re really experienced 

they can make $800 a week. But 

some ethnic comedians can pull in $5,000, 

$10,000 or $15,000 a night. Russell can 

pull in $500,000 a night. It’s amazing.” 

Nainan, seen earlier this year in a Mac 

vs. PC ad for Apple Computers, is taking 

two big steps towards his goal to parlay 

his comedy career into broader fame and 

fortune. In early summer 2010, he makes 

the jump from stage to big screen with 

a small role in the film The Last Airbender, 

directed by Hollywood heavyweight M 

Night Shyamalan and starring Dev Patel 

(Slumdog Millionaire) and Aasif Mandvi 

(The Daily Show). 

“I was there [on the set] for 16 days and 

got to know Night very well,” says Nainan. 

Nainan is also writing a book about his 

transformation from engineer to comedian. 

“That came about as a result of an article 

last year in The New York Times. A literary 

agent who represents some major authors 

called me in and asked for some writing 

samples. She said this is as good as any of 

our other authors.” 

In addition to “world’s only half-Indian, 

half-Japanese comedian,” Nainan can 

probably also bill himself as the world’s 

only engineer-turned-comedian-turnedactor-turned-author. 

“It’s been one heck 

of a year,” he says. “I’m looking forward to 

2010. I want to do more commercials, more 

films, more TV, more voice-overs.” 

He even has some career advice for the 

man who gave him his big break. “I’m 

shocked that Russell hasn’t gone on to a 

movie deal or TV,” says Nainan. “That’s 

what he really should be doing. He’s hugely 

famous, obviously, but he’s not quite a 

household name and I know he wants to be 

— we all do.” p 

Above: Bollywood actor Rajat Bedi was 

joined by two of India’s top models, Amanpreet 

Kaur Wahi (above left) and Ishita Joshi 

(right), for a glamorous fashion show. 

Neeta Paul 

Fashion Show 

Top models Amanpreet Kaur Wahi 

and Ishita Joshi, along with 

choreographer Rachna Anand, 

were flown in from India to join 

Bollywood actor Rajat Bedi on 

the runway. The fashion show 

put the spotlight on noted Indian 

designer Neeta Paul’s latest creations, 

a fusion of East and West 

ethnic designs, formal, informal 

and bridal wear. Choreographed 

to live mixed music, the show 

also featured more than 30 

models from around the Lower 

Mainland. 

Designer Neeta Paul (left) was 

presented with a bouquet by 

Ruby and Paul Arora. 

Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

A special thank you to the behind-the-scenes 

team of makeup and mehndi artists. (Front, 

from left): Ina Mander, Jackie Ewaskow, Vi Sekhon, 

Trina Duhra, Mindy Bansal, Dimple Rayat. 

(Back, from left): Lisa Sadhra and Bal Bhatti. 


Mehfil 


Awards 


M 

Fine Dining at RBC 

Mehfil Awards Gala 

The RBC Mehfil Magazine Awards 

gala was a multi-faceted event 

that called for a venue that could 

deliver not only high-end ambience 

but also superb Indian cuisine 

and a team that could handle all the 

challenges that come with a function 

for 500 guests. Mehfil ’s first 

choice was the Fairmont Waterfront 

in Downtown Vancouver. 

“When Mehfil Magazine approached 

The Fairmont Waterfront to host it’s First 

Annual Awards Gala we couldn’t have been 

more thrilled,” says Coreen Pleva, catering 

and conference service manager at the 

hotel. “The Indo-Canadian community is 

a market that The Fairmont Waterfront has 

been working with throughout the years, 

mainly for wedding events, and certainly a 

community that we are very interested in 

building a stronger relationship with. “ 

The Fairmont Waterfront’s kitchen 

team was excited to have the opportunity to 

showcase their skills with a menu of Indian 

cuisine for the gala. 

“When the concept of creating an 

upscale Indo-Canadian menu for the gala 

was presented to us, our executive Chef 

Patrick Dore gave the challenge to our chef 

de partie, Adrian Dias,” says Pleva. “Chef 

Dias has worked at the Fairmont Waterfront 

for over 12 years and is considered our Indian 

cuisine specialist. It was a great opportunity 

to showcase our talent at this event.” 

The delicious, unique menu earned raves 

from guests. When creating the main dish – 

Grilled Hariali Free Range Chicken Breast with 

Raisin and Chili Cashew Pulao, Maple 

Glazed Baby Carrots, Green Pumpkin Sabji, 

Chardonnay Mava Butter and Boondi 

Raita – Chef Dias says his goal was to serve 

guests a very broad appeal representing both 

cuisines, given the multi cultural nature of 

the event. The marinade for the chicken was 

the key to the dish, with the mint and cilantro 

anchoring the flavours while still giving 

the dish a fresh taste,” says Chef Dias. “The 

sweet rice acted as a nice foil for the mint 

and the spices, elevating both flavours. The 

Boondi raita tied all the flavours on the 

plate together.” 

The vegetarian option, Malai Kofta 

Curry, was also an artful blend of flavours. 

“The Kofta with the korma curry vegetarian 

dish included a wide variety of Kashmiri 

spices to blend in with the raisins, cashews 

and our secret ingredient mawa,” says Chef 

Dias. 

The grand finale of the menu was delectable 

Mango Cheesecake and Chilled Ras 

Malai, featuring mango from Chef Dias’s 

home state of Goa. “The dessert was the 

combination of the Alfanso mango, which 

is one of the greatest varieties from the state 

of Goa with the North American touch of 

cheesecake to compliment the creaminess of 

the Ras Malai,” says Chef Dias. 

The evening was further enhanced by 

serving staff who ensured guests enjoyed a 

memorable experience. 

“Banquet Manager Marek Malanowski 

led the team that evening and our staff did 

an amazing job,” says Pleva. “The result was 

a delicious and wonderful dining experience 

for our guests and we cannot thank our staff 

enough for all their hard work and effort 

both in the dining room and the kitchen. 

“It was truly a pleasure to host the event 

and we are thrilled that The Fairmont Waterfront 

was able to be a part of it!” p 

Decor by Art of The Wedding 

And the 

winners 

are... 


Pravin Soni of Timeco presented two lucky winners with Rado timepieces. 

Gurjinder Bhurji (left) was the lucky winner of a $4000 ladies watch 

while Peter Brasso walked away with a $2500 men’s watch. 

Sonny Bhinder (centre) was the lucky 

winner of a $13,000 diamond ring presented 

by Golden Tree Jewellers owners Bob 

Bhindi (left) and Chandulal Bhindi (right).

Photo by Ron Sangha 

MEHFIL MAGAZINE 

Profiles 

2009 

of 

Success 

A Greater Vision 

Growing up in the small town of Quesnel, 

Dr. Hardeep Bhangu could have easily joined 

many of his friends who went to work in the 

local sawmills. But a trip to an optometrist as a 

teenager inspired a greater vision. 

“At the time, I just thought it was neat that 

they worked with all this high-tech equipment,” 

says Bhangu, who now owns and operates one 

of BC’s most successful optometry practices. 

After graduating from high school, Bhangu 

attended UBC on a scholarship and eventually 

moved to Chicago to earn his degree in optometry. 

“It was a great experience. I got a chance to 

train in special areas of optometry like pediatrics, 

geriatrics, low vision and sports vision.” 

Today, although he routinely works with the 

latest technologies, Bhangu gets the most pleasure 

from his daily interaction with patients. 

“I really enjoy working with people,” he 

says. “We have people of all backgrounds and 

ages coming here, from one-month-old babies 

to 100-year-old seniors who come in for their 

regular exam.” 

Regular eye exams are more important than 

many people realize, explains Bhangu. “The eyes 

are much more than a window to the soul, they 

can actually tell a lot about a person’s health. 

For example, many systemic conditions, such 

as hypertension, diabetes, MS and some cancers, 

have their first manifestations in the eyes. The 

sooner these conditions are detected, the better 

the chances of combating them effectively.” 

Even behavioural problems in children can 

sometimes be attributed to poor eyesight, says 

Bhangu. 

“Parents or teachers think a child has some 

problem and labels him or her as ‘slow’ and 

then we find out it is that the child can’t see 

properly. All it takes is a pair of glasses and 

they’re fine,” he says. 

Bhangu has been practising in Abbotsford 

and Surrey since 1996. He recently relocated 

his Abbotsford practice to his Scott Road location 

in Surrey, which offers total eye care, from routine 

eye exams to consultations and follow-ups 

for laser eye surgery. The clinic is furnished with 

the latest equipment, as well as a full optical 

department with the latest styles in eyewear. 

“We take the responsibility of caring for our 

patients’ eyes very seriously and we want to 

offer the best care they can get,” says Bhangu. 

Dr. Hardeep Bhangu 

surrey 

604-592-5480 

abbotsford 

604-859-2800

In Business 

Promotional Advertising Feature 

Business 

Recycling 

Started 

1994 

Operating Companies 

South Van Bottle Depot 

East Van Bottle Depot 

Scott Road Bottle Depot 

Guildford Bottle Depot 

Maple Ridge Bottle Depot 

Walnut Grove Bottle Depot 

Keys to Success: 

“Planning, persistence and 

customer service. We knew 

early on that in order to 

succeed we needed to be 

ahead of the market and 

to always provide the best 

customer service possible.” 

Annual Volume 

more than 100 million 

containers 

Head Office 

34 East 69th Ave, 

Vancouver BC, V5X 4K6 

Tel: 604-325-3370 

From 

Refunds 

to Returns 

Kulbir Rana Succeeds 

with Recycling 

When Kulbir Rana arrived in 

Canada in 1981 he had no 

particular interest in recycling 

– in fact, one might say it was a foreign 

concept. But this year, Rana will recycle 

more than 100 million pop cans, beer 

cans and other drink containers. As the 

owner of six recycling depots around 

the Lower Mainland, Rana is living the 

kind of life he’s always wanted to lead 

– running a successful business that not 

only benefits him financially, but benefits 

society as well. 

“It’s a great feeling to be doing something 

positive for the environment,” he 

says from his head office, located in 

Vancouver, B.C. 

It’s particularly rewarding, says Rana, 

when parents bring their children to a 

recycling depot. 

“The kids are learning about being 

organized and the value of money and 

they are actively participating in taking 

care of the environment,” he says. “It’s 

wonderful.” 

Rana is also happy to be able to hire 

new immigrants, particularly the unskilled 

from India, offering them an environment 

where they can learn English. 

“I remember how difficult it was for 

me when I came so I’m happy to be able 

to do something where someone else 

can benefit,” he says, adding that, as a 

bonus, these new immigrants immediately 

become environmentally conscious. 

These days, with the environment an 

important issue in many people’s minds, 

business is brisk and growing at all of his 

locations. But it wasn’t always that way. 

In fact, Rana’s beginnings are reminiscent 

of the experiences of most immigrants 

who arrive in Canada. Everything 

was a struggle and success came after 

several years of hard work. 

“I originally came to Golden and got 

married, but there was no work so we 

moved to Calgary, where I was able to find 

a job,” says Rana. But the job lasted only 

one year and Rana decided to start driving 

a taxi. “I did that for about 10 years before 

becoming a realtor as well.” 

It was while he was selling real estate 

that Rana was first introduced to the 

concept of recycling as a business by a 

friend who owned a recycling depot in 

Calgary. 

“It was very interesting and I thought 

that might be the kind of business that 

would be right for me,” says Rana, adding 

that to learn more he worked at the 

operation for six months while driving a 

taxi and selling real estate. 

“We had relatives in Vancouver and 

travelled here a lot and I noticed there 

was no recycling system in B.C. like 

there was in Aberta,” he recalls, explain- 

66 Mehfil September/October 2009

Photo By RoN SANGhA 

Kulbir Rana has turned refunds into big returns at his six recycling locations in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. 

ing that deposits only existed on a few 

types of drink containers and people had 

to return them to retailers where they were 

sold in order get the deposit refunded. 

While his relatives discouraged him, 

Rana began to research the B.C. market 

and discovered the B.C. government had 

plans to introduce a similar system to 

Alberta’s. That was all the encouragement 

he needed and Rana moved his family to 

B.C., opening his first recycling depots in 

Surrey and Burnaby in 1994. 

“It was very hard at first and my wife, 

three daughters, parents and a nephew 

pitched in to do whatever had to be done. 

I’m very proud of them and thankful for 

their help,” he says, explaining that one of 

the challenges was paying his customers 

immediately and then having to wait more 

than a month to collect his money. 

But Rana knew that if he was going 

to succeed he would have to have things 

in place before the B.C. government 

launched its program. When that finally 

happened in 1997, Rana had three locations, 

and business took off. 

While the system the government 

introduced is good, says Rana, there is 

room for improvement. Currently, only 

ready-to-drink containers have a return 

for deposit system in place, but milk containers 

are exempt. That’s one of the first 

things he’d like to see changed. 

“There are a lot of milk containers that 

still end up in landfills because there’s 

no incentive for people to return them,” 

says Rana, adding that Alberta recently 

added milk containers to their return for 

deposit program. “I’d like to see that here 

as well.” 

Increased deposit amounts would also 

help, he says, explaining that many people 

feel getting a nickel back for a pop can 

isn’t worth the trouble. 

“An increase would definitely be an 

incentive,” he says, adding that, while it 

may take time, he’s optimistic that the 

system will improve. 

Rana would also like to see more education 

around the importance of recycling, 

particularly in the Indo-Canadian community. 

“It’s very sad, but our community 

is behind when it comes to recycling,” 

says Rana, explaining that less than ten 

per cent of his customers at his South 

Vancouver and East Vancouver locations 

are Indo-Canadian. “We are seeing more 

young Indo-Canadians recycling, but 

there needs to be more awareness in our 

community,” he says. 

For now, Rana is thankful for the 

opportunity he was given and is happy 

to do his part to help the environment. 

Now all we need is more Canadians, 

including Indo-Canadians, to do their part 

by recycling more. 

Mehfil September/October 2009 67

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Prominent members of the South Asian community showed their support for BC Children’s Hospital at 

the sold-out inaugural A Night of Miracles Gala Dinner at the Vancouver Marriot Pinnacle Downtown, 

October 24. Guests raised funds to purchase a new Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation 

Machine, which assists infants and children experiencing heart or lung failure. 

A Night of Miracles was sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Lucky & Kiran Janda who attended with 

family members. Guest speakers included the Honourable Kash Heed, Minister of Public Safety 

and Solicitor General, British Columbia; Andrew Saxton, MP North Vancouver, and Jack Uppal 

of Goldwood Industries Ltd whose heartfelt speech touched everyone in the room. Distinguished guests 

included Graham MacLachlan, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation Board Chair, Larry Gold, 

President, BC Children’s Hospital & Sunny Hill, Sue Carruthers, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation 

President & CEO. VIP Gift Package Table purchasers included, Fruiticana, Gateway Casinos & 

Entertainment, Oakridge Optometry, RBC Royal Bank and TD Bank Financial Group. 

Standard gift package table purchasers included: Aarti Investments Ltd, Faronics Corporation, 

Goldwood Industries Ltd, Lawson Lundell LLP and Vancity Credit Union. Friends of A Night 

Of Miracles include: Narinder & Prem Dhir, Robin, Rena, Naiha & Miya Dhir, Dr. & the late 

Mrs. P. Goel & Family, Divyesh Ghadia, Sarup Mann, and the Lighting Warehouse. 

Tony Singh, Paul Arora, Dr. Amrit Pawa, Rakesh Dhir, Lucky Janda 

Richa & Vik Khanna, Atish Ram, Ravinder Khanna Rena & Robin 

Dhir and Evening emcee Robin Gill 

Kash & Roshanac Heed, Andrew Saxton, Brandi Ferguson 

Rita Singh, Anita Dalakoti, Shushma Datt, Nikita Singh, Rupa Vig 

Kristin Uppal, Gina Summerfield, Jack Uppal, Terry Uppal, 

Robin Dhir 

Anuja & Praveen Varshney, Randy & Monika Garg 

Thank you for making it 

a true Night of Miracles! 

Presenting Sponsor 

Mr. & Mrs. Lucky and Kiran Janda 

VIP Sponsor 

Evening Sponsors 

Media Partners 

2009 A Night of Miracles Cabinet: Atish Ram, Rupi Samra-Gynane, 

Mandy Ram, Robin Dhir (Chair), Rupeela Gill, Kaajal Hayer, 

Shawn Goyal, Joti Samra, Betty Hayer, Vik Khanna 

2009 Advisory Council: Shushma Datt, Herb Dhaliwal, 

Dr. D. P. Goel, Lucky Janda, Naeem (Nick) Noorani, Belle Puri, 

Ratana Stephens, Jack Uppal, Praveen Varshney 

Gift Venue Printing Video 

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Beauty 

Think Plums, 

Wines and Berries 

for Holiday Glamour 

Celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman, 

who works with stars including 

Vanessa Hudgens and Emily Blunt, 

offers the following tips for looking your 

most beautiful this holiday season. 

This holiday season it’s all about 

vivid hues in plum, berry and wine, 

says Freedman. Not only is this colour 

palette universally flattering, he adds, 

but the juicy tones add brightness and 

instant glamour to the face. 

The “season appropriate” blush: 

“I heart Benefit’s Throb powder, a beautiful 

toasted cranberry colour that gives a natural 

looking flush. Sweep from apple of cheeks toward 

temples. I like to dust on the chin and along 

the hairline to give the face warm glow.” 

Burgundy/plum eyeshadow: 

“My tip for adding these fun, unique 

shades to your makeup bag is to head 

to the drugstore. I love Maybelline’s 

Rose Tints duo. These shades give eyes 

instant intensity but with a soft vibe. Here’s 

how to apply them: 

1. Sweep the lighter shade across the lid and 

on the brow bone. I like to take the lightest, 

shimmery colour and smooth into the inner 

eye/tear duct area. This trick catches light and 

brings eyes to life. 

2. Using a small, tight brush, use the darker shade 

and dot/stroke under the bottom lash line. Keep 

it very close to the lash line. I like to wet the 

small brush to get the most colour impact and 

help with staying power. Line about 3/4 toward 

the inner eye. 

3. Using a slightly larger eye shadow brush blend 

the deeper shade into the crease. I would go 

from outer corner to 3/4 toward the tear duct. 

Blend up and outward to give the eyes a sexy 

lilt.” 

Alluring lips: 


All over shimmer: 

“One mainstay in my kit is Lorac’s 

Perfectly Lit pressed shimmer powder in 

Luminous. It’s a gorgeous champagnehued 

highlighter that can be used on 

cheeks, eyes and lips. I like to sweep a 

touch on apples of cheeks, middle of the 

eyelids and blended into the center of the 

lips with your lip colour to give an extra 

eye catching glow. This is a makeup bag 

must-have!” 

A few of our favourite 

shades right now: 

n Benefit’s blush in Dallas: 

An ultra-wearable colour 

that adds a natural-looking 

glow to warm skin tones. 

n M.A.C lipstick in 

Viva Glam 1: A very 

flattering, easy-towear 

sheer red. 

n M.A.C’s Mineralize 

eye shadow duo in 

Midnight Madness: 

It features an 

absolutely gorgeous 

gold. 

Crisp, dramatic brows: 

“With an amped-up eye your best bet 

is to make sure your arches don’t look 

low watt. Be sure to give your brows a 

nice tweeze/clean-up early in the season 

so they are always camera ready. 

When doing your makeup, define your 

brows with a pencil or powder that’s 

one shade lighter than your hairs. You 

want a shadow of definition, not a hard 

filled in line.” 

My tip: if you are wearing your hair up, 

give brows a touch of extra crispness 

since they will be centre stage.” 

“Girls, it’s time to stand out and be bold! This season grab a lip colour that demands attention. If you’ve been in a lip gloss haze the 

last few years, maybe it’s time to rediscover the ‘drama mama’ inside and embrace a classic (red lipstick). More pigmented than a 

gloss, lipstick gives your mouth a beautiful crispness. Bonus, with deeper shades your teeth look extra pearly!”

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Sanjana Krishna from Vancouver, B.C. 

Parvinder Khaira from Surrey, B.C. 

October 

2009 

When Parvinder Khaira won 

a trip to Las Vegas, he 

assumed he’d give the prize, 

which included a stay at the 

Luxor hotel, away to married 

friends since only couples were 

eligible to redeem it. But that 

was before he met Sanjana 

Krishna. 

Within a couple of months of 

their first date, a dinner that was 

so enjoyable that they stretched 

it out into a five-hour event, they 

knew they were headed for marriage. 

Among the characteristics 

the two soul mates have in common 

is a sense of practicality, 

and they both decided early on 

that they would prefer to put 

their savings towards the purchase 

of a new home rather than 

a reception. 

“We made the difficult but 

sensible decision to only have 

the religious ceremonies for our 

wedding,” says Sanjana. “As a 

devout Hindu, I realized the most 

important part is taking our vows 

while walking around the sacred 

fire; everything else about having 

a wedding was second.” 

Seeing his bride for the first 

time on their wedding day was a 

moment he’ll never forget, says 

Parvinder. 

“She looked like someone 

who had been sent from heaven 

just for me,” he recalls. “I 

couldn’t take my eyes off her and 

kept having to pinch myself to 

ensure this indeed was real.” 

Sanjana was just as 

entranced by her groom. “I kept 

thinking how dashing he looked, 

and how brave and noble he was 

for being able to survive all the 

pre-wedding drama and make 

it to that moment. His strength 

and immense love for me really 

shone through in that moment.” 

Having one event rather than 

two on their wedding day meant 

that when Sanjana had a sudden 

yen for gelato following the 

wedding, the couple had time to 

head over to her favourite gelato 

place on Commercial Drive 

before they were due to go to 

their parents’ homes for postwedding 

rituals. 

The store happened to be 

closed but the sight of the 

couple in their wedding finery 

was enough to inspire the owner 

to open the doors especially for 

them. 

“She treated us and our 

friend Jasmit to extra large 

scoops of gelato! We’ll never 

forget that wonderful wedding 

gift from kind strangers,” says 

Sanjana. “I think that moment is 

a real testament to what a kind 

and accepting city Vancouver 

is.” 

The newlyweds, who are living 

in their new townhouse in 

Burnaby, decided on a belated 

honeymoon in mid-November. 

Parvinder got to redeem that 

couples-only prize trip to Las 

Vegas, after all. 

“He met me and married me 

just before the expiry date to 

redeem the prize,” says Sanjana. 

“Maybe that was his real reason 

to expedite our wedding?” she 

wonders tongue-in-cheek. “No 

complaints here in any event.” 

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Polly Sidher from Surrey, B.C. 

Peter Konar from Toronto, ON 

Polly Sidher and Peter Konar 

had a little extra planning 

to do when they prepared for 

their wedding day. Unlike most 

couples, they didn’t leave the 

details of the actual ceremony 

up to a priest. Instead, they 

sat down with two priests to 

come up with a ceremony that 

would incorporate both Polly’s 

religion and Peter’s. 

“It was a fusion wedding as 

I am Hindu-Punjabi and Pete 

is Roman Catholic,” explains 

Polly. “It was very interesting 

to work together with our two 

priests in creating a fusion 

wedding. It was something that 

I had never seen before, and I 

was certainly glad to be a part 

of it!” 

The wedding day got off to 

a bit of a challenging start. 

“I woke up on the wedding day 

with swelling, as my bangles 

April 

2009 

were blocking the circulation 

in my arms,” explains Polly. 

“The makeup and photography 

appointments were delayed.” 

“The beginning of the event 

was riddled with rain showers 

and some delays,” adds Peter. 

But any stress melted away 

a soon as the bride and groom 

saw each other as the ceremony 

began. 

“I had a feeling of relief 

as soon as my eyes met his,” 

recalls Polly. “Amongst all of 

the obstacles, it was exciting 

and calming to see my handsome 

groom.” 

“I saw her approaching, and 

she literally took my breath 

away!” says Peter. “Another 

thing that really stands out is 

that as soon as we said our 

vows, the sun came up behind 

us! Symbolism at its finest.” 

Professional 

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Horoscope 

by Georgia Nicols 

December 2009 

Aries (March 21-April 19) 

This month you want to travel. 

You’ll also enjoy taking a course, 

or going back to school, or learning 

any kind of training. Philosophical, 

metaphysical and profound subjects 

will interest you — especially 

over a coffee, or a glass of Merlot. 

This next month is all about pushing 

out into the world. It’s exciting! 

You’re enthusiastic. Lots of new 

stuff is bubbling up. Some of you 

might fall in love with someone 

from another culture or a different 

country. Enjoy this thrilling swirl of 

“newness!” 

Cancer (June 21-July 22) 

It will be so easy for you to 

get down to business this month. 

Why? Busy little Mercury with the 

help of the Sun wants to galvanize 

you into action to get organized! 

You’ll be clearing out closets, cupboards, 

sheds, and garages. (Cancers 

have a lot of stuff!) You want to 

departmentalize, categorize, label, 

and sort everything. Because the 

heavens are helping you now — 

roll up your sleeves and get busy. 

For starters, give yourself the right 

tools to do a great job. (You’re even 

focused on getting healthier!) 

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) 

This is one of the busiest times 

of the year for you. It’s jam-packed 

with short trips, errands, increased 

conversations with everyone, shopping, 

buying and selling, as well as 

an increased reading, writing, and 

studying. It’s all a bit much, but you 

have no choice. Group activities 

plus competition with someone 

will also create further demands on 

your time. Just accept this. Crank 

it up a notch! You can handle this 

because Saturn is in your sign: 

“When the going gets tough, the 

tough go for coffee.” 

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) 

Behind the scenes research will 

be productive because both the 

Sun and Mercury are lurking in a 

hidden part of your chart. It’s as if 

they’re working behind the scenes. 

Use this energy to work alone 

to come up with whatever you’re 

looking for, especially answers to 

questions, solutions, secrets, and 

the fruits of research. Nevertheless, 

your sex drive is strong. (Ooh la, 

la!) Plus, friends and groups are 

good company. You’re not alone 

now. Au contraire! This month, 

friends could become lovers. 

Taurus (April 20-May 20) 

You’re never casual about money. 

You love your creature comforts, 

and they don’t come cheap! 

(Especially land, wine cellars and 

antiques.) This month your focus 

is on shared property, debt, taxes 

and anything you hold jointly with 

someone else. Clean up fuzzy details. 

While you’re doing this, you 

might have to negotiate with others 

because of differing values. “This 

has to go — it’s a piece of junk!” 

“Whaaat? Do you know what it’ll 

be worth in 50 years?” And so it 

goes. 

Gemini (May 21-June 20) 

Certain things in your life are 

coming to a climax. Where you 

did your homework, and prepared 

properly, you’ll have a sense of 

accomplishment and satisfaction. 

However, where you cut corners 

will be glaringly obvious. “Aaagh! 

I hate smelling the coffee!” This 

is also a time to focus on forming 

partnerships and working units 

with others. Suddenly, it’s a big 

deal in your life. Now you discover 

how much you need them and how 

much they need you. (“How do you 

like me so far?”) 

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) 

What a marvellous, fun-loving, 

creative, flirtatious, playful time! 

You want to play! No matter how 

busy you are in other areas of your 

life, you will still book movies, 

parties, entertaining diversions, 

playful times with children, and 

watch sports, musical events, and 

dabble in the creative arts as much 

as possible. You have to do it! 

Furthermore, you feel sexy, attractive, 

prankish and flirtatious. New 

love can blossom. Plan your busy 

schedule so that you can have as 

much fun as possible. 

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) 

Home and family take top priority. 

Many are tackling repairs at 

home, because people are visiting, 

or there are family gatherings 

or chat sessions where you live. 

Nevertheless, you also want some 

down time for some serious thinking. 

Certain details in your life are 

provoking memories from your 

youth. This takes you back. You 

might even reinvent your past so 

you have a happy childhood. Why 

not? Enjoy tweaking your home. 

(“I’ve got the place child-proofed 

— but the kids are still getting 

in!”) 

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) 

You’re focused on your cash 

flow. You’re dreaming up moneymaking 

ideas, thinking of changing 

jobs, or wondering how to be selfemployed. 

(“I’d like to be rich but I 

don’t want to work too much.”) This 

is a great time to shop for wardrobe 

goodies. You feel sexy and attractive! 

Because your ambition is 

aroused until next summer, buy 

some power outfits. Make people 

sit up and take notice when you enter 

the room. (Most Scorpios like a 

combination of black and black; 

however, some just wear black.) 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) 

Ta da! This month you have increased 

energy, plus the ability to 

attract people to you, along with 

opportunities. It’s all about you! 

Naturally, this is also a time of new 

beginnings because you’re starting 

your own personal year (birthday 

to birthday). Since the Sun is the 

source of all energy, this is also 

your chance to recharge your batteries 

for the rest of the year. And 

because the Sun is all about creativity 

and giving birth to whatever 

is new — you have a strong need 

to express yourself! (Go do that 

voodoo that you do so well!) 

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) 

It’s a popular time. You’re out 

there flying your colours! (All 

Aquarians are marvelous networkers.) 

This month is a wonderful time 

to join committees, clubs, groups 

and organizations. You might form 

a partnership with someone. Others 

are ready to extend their help. 

But more than that, now is the time 

to focus on your goals and dreams 

for the future. Share these ideas 

with others to get their feedback. 

Work your trap line. 

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) 

The Sun is now moving across 

the top of your chart creating the 

illusion of a spotlight on you. (Seriously.) 

You will see that others 

notice you more than usual, especially 

important people — parents, 

bosses, teachers, VIPs — and the 

police. You’re high viz.! Why not 

turn this to your advantage? (It’s 

a once-a-year thing.) Because 

this “light” makes you look more 

competent, more capable, and 

more attractive to others — milk 

this for all it’s worth. Demand the 

advantage! Go after what you want. 

It’s also a good time to think about 

your life direction in general. 

Carpe diem! p 


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FURNITURE

Cuisine 

by Gurj Dhaliwal 

Must-Have 

Holiday Side Dishes 

The holiday season is synonymous with “entertaining.” 

Whether it’s a family dinner, a potluck with friends, or 

an office buffet, one thing you will always need is a savoury side dish. 

For many people, the sides on the table are the main draw. These three delightful 

side dishes can be prepared well in advance and reheated or tossed 

just before serving. So this year, roll up your sleeves and dress your table up 

with food that tastes as good as it looks. 

Butternut Squash Gratine with Masala Almonds 

Ingredients 

1 large butternut squash 

1 onion thinly sliced 

2 garlic cloves minced 

2 sprigs of thyme 

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

½ cup white wine 

1 tbsp. whipping cream 

1 cup sliced almonds 

1 tbsp. garam masala 

1 tsp. olive oil 

salt 

black pepper 

Method 

1. First, toast the sliced almonds in the oven 

at a temperature of 275 degrees for about 10-12 

minutes or until golden brown. When the nuts 

have cooled down, toss them in 1 tsp. of olive oil 

and garam masala. 

2. Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable 

peeler, then split it in half lengthwise and scoop 

out all of the seeds. Prepare the squash by chopping 

it into a medium or ½-inch dice. 

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 

large sauté pan over medium to high heat. Then 

after a few minutes, when the pan has almost 

reached smoking point, add vegetable oil, butternut 

squash and a pinch of salt and turn the 

heat down to medium. 

4. Add garlic, fresh thyme, and sauté for 3 

minutes. Deglaze with white wine and reduce 

until wine has evaporated, then add cream and 

reduce by half. 

5. Transfer butternut squash into an oven-proof 

serving dish and bake the gratine in the oven for 

25 minutes or until golden brown. 

6. Sprinkle the top of the gratine with masala 

almonds and serve. 

Brussel Sprouts with Smoked 

Bacon & Crispy Onions 

Ingredients 

½ kg. brussel sprouts 

200 grams double smoked bacon diced 

1 red onion, thinly sliced 

1 tsp. bacon fat 

1 tbsp. butter 

1 tbsp. sugar 

1 tbsp. crispy onions (store-bought) 

salt 

black pepper 

Method 

1. Start by prepping the brussel sprouts. 

Trim away any outside leaves that have 

blemishes and then cut the sprouts into 

quarters. 

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a 

boil. Place the sprouts in the boiling water 

and blanch them for approximately 3-4 

minutes until the sprouts are almost cooked 


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all the way through. Then, drain and place the 

sprouts into an ice water bath to shock them. 

Finish the process off by draining the spouts 

onto paper towel. 

3. Over low to medium heat, heat up a wide 

sauté pan. Add in the diced double smoked 

bacon and begin by rendering out the fat. After 

about 5 minutes discard any excess bacon 

fat but keep 1 tsp. in the pan. 

4. Add in the sliced onions and cook 

over medium heat for about 8 minutes until 

the onions are soft and translucent. Add 

in the sugar, butter and the drained brussel 

sprouts. 

5. Season with salt and pepper and continue 

to cook over medium to high heat for 4-5 

minutes for all the flavours to come through. 

6. Serve in a dish and for the added crunch 

factor in this dish sprinkle over the store 

bought crispy onions. 

Roasted Beets with Spinach Salad & Curried Goat Cheese 

Ingredients 

6-8 medium sized red beets 

14 oz. baby spinach 

6 oz. soft goat cheese 

1 tsp. garam masala 

1 tsp. turmeric powder 

1 lime zest only 

2 tbsp. olive oil 

1 ½ tsp. red wine vinegar 

salt 

black pepper 

Method 

1. Place the whole beets in a large pot. Add 

a pinch of salt and cover with cold water. Bring 

to a boil over high heat and then turn down to 

medium & cook the beets for approximately 25- 

30 minutes. 

2. Drain and let the beets cool down for 5 

minutes. Put on gloves and using a wet kitchen 

towel peel away the beets skin from the flesh. 

Place the beets on the cutting board and cut into 

1/8 wedges. 

3. Make the curried goat cheese by first letting 

the goat cheese come to room temperature. 

In a bowl mix together the cheese, lime zest, 

masala, turmeric and a pinch of black pepper. 

4. To assemble, in one bowl place the baby 

spinach and sprinkle over salt and pepper. Next, 

spoon over 1 tbsp. of olive oil and 1 tsp. of red 

wine vinegar and mix. 

5. In another bowl mix together the beets, 1 

tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. red wine vinegar, and pinch 

of salt and pepper. 

6. Assemble the salad by putting the dressed 

spinach down first on a serving platter. Next, 

place the cooled down and dressed beets, followed 

by chunks of the curried goat cheese. p 

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Health & Fitness 

by Shefali Raja, BSc., RD Community Nutritionist 

Super Foods 

to fight super cold and flu bugs 

Seasonal influenza, H1N1 virus and the common cold can drastically 

impact your health, especially in those with underlying chronic 

conditions and the young. To protect ourselves, physical barriers such 

as hand-washing, not sharing cups or water bottles, staying out of busy 

public places altogether and getting a vaccine are all good strategies that 

we hear about over and over again. But it’s also important to remember 

that a healthy diet is still the best defence in helping your body produce 

adequate white blood cells and immune compounds to help fight infections. 

Here are some super foods that we should try to eat regularly. They 

are not going to prevent a cold or flu but can definitely make the symptoms 

less severe and move these bugs out of our system quicker. 

Super Foods to include regularly 

Foods rich in antioxidant rich vitamins 

A, C, or E can help you gear up to 

fight a cold before you even get one. Antioxidants 

destroy free radicals, the active 

molecules that damage cells. Some excellent 

sources of these vitamin-rich foods 

include: red peppers, broccoli, kiwi, citrus 

fruits, sweet potatoes, orange fruits, green 

vegetables, nuts, seeds and wheat germ. 

These antioxidants can be easily obtained 

through the diet without needing to rely 

on a supplement. 

The probiotics contained in yogurt 

help keep germs from invading our 

system by lining the intestines with good 

bacteria. Yogurt also contains many vital 

nutrients such as protein, calcium, riboflavin, 

and vitamins B6 and B12. A 

recent study found that healthy children 

aged three to five who took a probiotic 

supplement during the fall and winter 

suffered significantly less fever, coughs 

and antibiotic use, and also missed less 

school days. Look for yogurts made with 

extra probiotics or a product that contains 

1 billion to 10 billion live cells per dose 

(capsule). Choose a probiotic supplement 

that contains both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria 

strains. Children’s products 

are available on the market; these usually 

contain one-quarter to one-half of the 

adult dose. 

Zinc can be used to manage respiratory-tract 

infections, pneumonia and the 

common cold. Zinc- rich foods include 

oysters, seafood, red meat, poultry, 

yogurt, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole 

Mom’s Moong Lentil Soup 

½ cup whole moong lentils (dark green 

in colour) 

1 tbsp canola oil 

¾ tsp ajwain seeds 

¾ tsp whole cumin seeds 

3-4 pieces of cinnamon sticks about 1 

inch in length each 

1 small onion finely diced 

1.5 Tbsp grated ginger 

1 Tbsp grated garlic 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

Soak moong lentils in about two cups of hot 

water, preferably overnight or at least for a 

couple of hours if possible. 

Once the lentils are soaked and somewhat 

softened, drain and cook them in about four 

cups of water until they are very soft. This 

1 tsp ground cumin 

2 tsp salt 

1 tsp sugar 

1 small green chilli pepper finely minced 

1 small carrot diced finely 

1 small stalk of celery diced finely 

1 medium size tomato shredded or 

finely diced 

1 Tbsp lemon juice 

Cilantro for garnish (optional) 

Water 

process may take about 30 or so minutes. 

Keep an eye on them and add more water if 

need be. There should always be at least as 

much water as there are lentils. Once cooked, 

drain the water and keep the lentils aside. 

Add oil to the pot and place on high heat. 

Add ajwain and cumin seeds and once they 

start to crackle, add all the ingredients listed 

above except for the cilantro. Mix and add six 

to seven cups of water and the cooked moong. 

Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with 

cilantro if you like or enjoy the soup as is. 


GrandTaj_Oct04 12/12/04 1:35 AM Page 1 

grains, enriched breakfast cereals, nuts, 

seeds and lentils. Zinc is a mineral that 

is very important for a healthy immune 

system, but it has the opposite effect when 

taken in high doses. So avoid taking too 

much zinc from a supplement; stick to 

your diet and what you get in a multivitamin 

and mineral supplement. Sucking or 

chewing zinc lozenges seems to decrease 

the duration of cold symptoms, especially 

cough and runny nose. Most studies show 

a significant reduction in cold symptoms 

when adults take zinc gluconate or zinc 

acetate lozenges every two hours while 

awake, within the first 48 hours of the 

onset of symptoms. When zinc lozenges 

dissolve in your mouth, zinc is released 

and binds to the cold viruses, making 

the virus unable to attach to cells in your 

throat, interrupting the infection process. 

Most zinc lozenges contain 10 milligrams 

of zinc each. Do not take more than 40-50 

milligrams (four to five lozenges) of zinc 

per day; half that amount for children. 

Having adequate fluids is very important 

when you don’t feel like eating a 

whole lot. Drink plenty of hot liquids 

such as hot water, tea, soups and broths to 

relieve nasal congestion and prevent dehydration. 

Fluids also help keep the lining of 

your upper respiratory tract moist, which 

can ease sore throat symptoms. 

Green tea contains immune-boosting 

chemicals that not only delay the illness 

but can help you recover faster while you 

have an illness. Brew up a batch of plain 

green tea or add some extra ingredients 

like ginger for more flavour. The natural 

plant compound gingerol found in ginger 

helps to fight off infections. Ginger is 

also very good for digestion and alleviating 

stomach pain and maybe very helpful 

when you are feeling nauseous. Many 

people find fresh ginger root also helps 

treat the coughing that often accompanies 

colds and flu. 

Soups such as chicken noodle and 

similarly made vegetarian varieties have 

shown to stop mucus production, help 

clear clogged airways, ease a sore throat, 

give you more energy, especially when 

made with lots of nutrient-rich vegetables, 

onion and garlic. Garlic’s antimicrobial 

and antiviral properties have earned 

it a reputation as a classic cold-fighter. 

This fragrant bulb also contains a flavouring 

agent called allicin, which acts as a 

decongestant. Add garlic liberally to your 

favourite foods. For extra healing power 

kick it up a notch with some hot peppers, 

which act as a decongestant. Other spices 

that have a long history of antibacterial, 

antiviral effects include turmeric and 

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Grand Taj 

Banquet Hall 

The perfect place for 

Weddings • Receptions • Birthday Parties 

Anniversaries • Corporate Functions 

Business Meetings • Special Occasions 

604-599-4342 

8388 - 128th St., Surrey • www.grandtaj.com 

604-644-5641 

email: finduhousemann@msn.com 

2 Halls to serve you 

up to 1000 people 

No Charge for Hall 

& DJ Services 

Monday-Thursday 

We also do catering for every occasion 

including Gurdwara 

The Grand Taj is in the business of making wedding 

& other special occasions “unforgettable.” 

Coronation Park 

Independently owned and operated 


Professional financial solutions 

for business owners 

• Insurance • Investments • Employee Benefits 

www.ravihayer.com 

Ravi Hayer 

Financial Security Advisor 

& Investment Representative 

604.732.1508 ext 281 A division of London Life Insurance Company 

Get Better Grades On 

Your Child’s Report Cards 

Special Programs include: 

• Preschool (3-5yrs) 

• After School 

Tutoring / Tuition (K-Gr. 12) 

• Various Adult Programs 

Report Card 

Science A+ 

Math A+ 

English A+ 

Confidence A+ 

Smart Choices 

Institute of Learning 

604-767-4433 • 604-767-5840 

#204-8268 120th St, Surrey, BC 

www.smartchoiceslearning.com 

Grow your Business 

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ajwain seeds (they look like caraway seeds 

but are not the same). If you’re vomiting, 

soup can also help prevent an electrolyte 

imbalance because it contains sodium. 

Vitamin D, commonly known as the 

sunshine vitamin, plays a role in immune 

system function, and according to early 

evidence, it might help to prevent respiratory-tract 

infections. It increases the 

body’s production of proteins that destroy 

viruses, including the influenza virus. But 

there is still very limited research on this 

role and we simply don’t yet know enough 

to be able to do anything but speculate. 

Having said that, since so many Canadians 

are vitamin D deficient by late fall or 

early winter — the time when cold and 

flu season hits full stride — taking a vitamin 

D supplement probably isn’t a bad 

idea, even if it is for other health benefits 

than cold prevention. Given that vitamin 

D is synthesized in our skin when exposed 

to sunlight, low blood levels of vitamin D 

in the winter months may make us more 

susceptible to getting the flu. 

A daily routine of high-fat, high-sugar 

junk foods, skipped meals and lots of 

caffeine or alcohol can make you more 

susceptible to minor illnesses like colds 

and flu. Instead, make sure you eat plenty 

of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat 

protein, and herbs and spices that help to 

keep your immune system strong. Think 

of nutritious foods as part of your coldand-flu 

armour, and you’ll be ready to do 

battle whenever illness strikes. 

My mom always used to make us whole 

moong lentil soup when we were sick. It 

always did the trick and when I evaluate 

how it was made I can totally understand 

why. The lentils provided some protein 

and starch to keep blood sugars stable; 

they also contain zinc. Mom made it with 

liberal amounts of ginger, garlic, turmeric, 

ajwain, hot pepper, tinge of fresh lemon 

juice, a few vegetables, small amount of 

salt and lots of water so it was not too 

thick or heavy. When we look at all the 

research on these ingredients, it was the 

perfect food! 

At the hint of a cold, mom would make 

us hot milk with turmeric, ajwain and 

honey. She would also offer us lassi made 

with yogurt, water and salt to replenish 

our gut bacteria after we had been hit 

with diarrhea or vomiting. 

This is one more indication of how 

incredibly beneficial the ancient South 

Asian diet is and why we should continue 

including such ingredients in everyday 

cooking. I hope my mom’s soothing 

whole moong lentil soup recipe provides 

relief to your family this flu season. p 

604-599-4713 

604-599-4713 



Shifting Gears 

by Veeno Dewan 

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid 

Honda Quality Comes in Green 

The Civic hybrid has been around for 

a number of years and despite being a 

little upstaged by its new sibling, the 2010 

Honda Insight hybrid, the Civic hybrid 

remains an impressive buy. You retain the 

Civic reputation for quality, rock solid 

durability and reliability plus high resale 

but with a fuel-efficient hybrid engine. 

With a major refresh not long ago in 

the styling and interior department, the 

changes are restricted for this years model 

with just a new grille, front bumper and 

amber rear turn indicators arriving. New 

standard features on offer in the Civic 

hybrid include stability/traction control 

and a USB connector for after market 

MP3 units. The car retains those neat, 

smart conservative looks and a roomy 

comfortable cabin. 

Obviously the main reason for buying 

or considering a Civic hybrid is its main 

strength, the excellent fuel economy. The 

official ratings 4.7/4.3 L/100 km (city/ 

highway) versus the Insight’s ratings, 

which are 4.8/4.5 L/100 km. Also notable 

is the less polarizing, more conventional 

conservative looks of the Civic. However, 

the interior is more modern and stylish 

and fancier than you would think. And 

while the Honda Insight hybrid seems 

built to a price and has a more modest 

feeling interior the Civic hybrid’s cabin 

seems to have more quality and substance. 

In addition, headroom, legroom and 

general comfort are generous, front 

and rear. Standard convenience features 

include power windows and locks with 

keyless entry, heated 

side mirrors and automatic 

climate control. 

The cool looking dash 

works very well and 

all controls are within 

easy reach of the 

driver, A roomy back 

seat is compromised 

only at the expense of 

a smaller trunk (294 

litres versus 340 in a 

standard Civic sedan) 

and that rear seat does 

not split and fold due 

to the hybrid drive 

system battery, which 

is behind the back 

seat. 

On the road the Civic hybrid glides 

smoothly, like all hybrids, from a stop to 

speed with the gasoline engine kicking in 

under computer control. Note the IMA 

(Integrated Motor Assist) Civic hybrid 

engine does shut down when the car is 

stopped, but restarts the instant the brake 

pedal is released. Honda’s IMA does allow 

the car to travel on electric power alone, 

but only under very specific conditions so 

don’t think you can happily cruise along 

on electric power alone. 

Driving the Civic in the cut and thrust 

of heavy traffic is not such a chore as with 

normally aspirated cars as each time you 

brake you know you can revel or luxuriate 

in the fact you are not wasting precious 

gasoline. Also note you can save even 

more gasoline by leaving the air condi- 


Built for the great outdoors. 

With all the luxury of the great indoors. 

It’s a delightful duality. The comfort and appointments one expects from Mercedes-Benz, 

in a vehicle whose 4MATIC permanent all-wheel-drive system tempts you off the 

beaten path at every turn. The ML350 BlueTEC is built for the great outdoors in another 

way: with no sacrifice in performance, its turbo-charged, next generation BlueTEC 

diesel engine meets the world’s toughest emission regulations. The 2010 M-Class. 

Visit your Mercedes-Benz dealer or mercedes-benz.ca/m. 

The 2010 M-Class. 

© 2009 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. 

Mercedes-Benz Surrey 

15508 - 104 th Avenue, Surrey, B.C., 604-581-7662 • www.surrey.mercedes-benz.ca 

SALES. PARTS. SERVICE


Driving the Civic in the cut 

and thrust of heavy traffic 

is not such a chore as with 

normally aspirated cars 

as each time you brake 

you know you can revel 

or luxuriate in the fact you 

are not wasting precious 

gasoline. 

2009 Lincoln MKZ 

with driver-side memory, dual-zone automatic 

climate control, a six-speaker CD 

stereo with satellite radio and an auxiliary 

audio jack, and the Ford/Microsoft Sync 

multimedia integration system. Options 

include chrome wheels, xenon headlights, 

a sunroof, an upgraded THX-certified 

sound system and a voice-activated navigation 

system. 

The Lincoln is motivated by a 3.5-liter 

V6 engine with output at 263 hp and 249 

pound-feet of torque. A six-speed autotioning 

off as much as possible as it is 

electrically powered off the battery. 

The Civic hybrid is a very occupant 

friendly, smooth-riding car, with 

a suspension tuned for comfort rather 

than sporty handling and has the benign 

predictable handling that make Hondas 

such easy, pleasurable cars to drive. The 

Honda Civic hybrid remains a competent 

performer and a neat, functional, 

five door compact sedan. The Civic 

hybrid buyer will enjoy the luxury and 

comfort of a solid vehicle without having 

to advertise to the world that they have 

their green credentials in order. 

Both major hybrid players, Honda 

and Toyota, are in the game with new 

hybrid offerings this year and it just 

remains to be seen what will develop 

next with this fascinating new technology. 

One thing is for sure hybrid power 

is here to stay and is becoming affordable 

for the masses at last. 

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid 

Base price: $27,350 

Fresh Luxury 

The 2009 Lincoln MKZ midsize 

luxury sedan continues the brand’s 

reputation for luxury and prestige but is 

positioned at attracting a younger clientele. 

And they have succeeded as the 

MKZ offers fresh styling, technology and 

performance. For a brief overview 

on the Lincoln, the waterfall 

winged-grille design is a 

throwback from early Lincolns 

going back to the 1940’s and 

looks rather splendid. While 

new LED taillights emphasize 

the vehicle’s rear lines and 

width and add certain flair to 

the rear. Along with exterior 

modifications, a new cabin 

design has also been introduced 

with an emphasis on improved 

materials in use, including 

real not faux aluminum and wood trim. 

Major and minor controls such as heating 

and cooling are now simpler to use 

and the new bright back-lit dash gauges 

are easier to read day or night. Note 

the new seats are also very well supported, 

heated and cooled and, as a matter 

of fact, the leather used on the seats is 

clad in luxurious high quality leather 

sourced from the UK and treated using 

a very environmentally friendly process. 

Back to the exterior, the grille is the key 

feature on the front fascia and the styling 

is sleek, muscular yet softer than its 

competitors. 

Standard features include 17-inch 

alloy wheels, leather upholstery, wood 

trim, heated and cooled power front seats 


CYAN 

MAGENTA 

YELLOW 

BLACK 

Trim Size: 27" x 39" 

Colours: CMYK 

Date: August 7, 2008 

Client: 

Mazda 

Mac Operator: DB 

Job Ticket: 87-75000-183 

Version: 1 

Media: Showroom Poster – M6 (Version 2) 

If any problems contact Doner media at (416) 485-9901 

CYAN MAG YEL BLK 

Al Khalifa 

Sales & Leasing Professional 

604-868-4392 

0% PURCHASE FINANCING FOR 

UP TO 60 MONTHS 

0% 

ON SELECT MAZDA MODELS† 

Shane Nakai 


M{zd{ 6 

HOWEVER YOU MOVE, 

THERE’S A MAZDA FOR YOU. 

604-313-5776 

Don't miss the vehicle sales event of the year as we 

celebrate our 1st birthday with a month long sale this May! 

As Surrey's newest Mazda dealership we've got state-ofthe-art 

facilities, a bright, high-tech showroom and a team 

that sets a new standard for professionalism. Visit Surrey 

Mazda during the month of May and you'll find the hottest 

vehicles in the market at the hottest prices and backed with the 

best customer service in the industry. 

zoo}-zoo} 

Take a test drive, Get up to $100. 

Purchase, Get up to $1,000. 

On all 2010 Mazda’s. 

GT model shown 



Shank Inamdar 

2008.5 MAZDA3 

WITH AIR CONDITIONING 


WELL EQUIPPED FROM $19,270** 

2.0 litre engine 148HP, Anti-lock brakes with 

Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Dual front 

airbags, Side air bags, Side curtain air bags, 

Engine immobilizer theft deterrent system, Tilt & 

Telescopic steering wheel, AM/FM CD player 

with Auxiliary Input, 4 speakers, Sport exhaust. 

the tot{lly, completely, 100% new M{zd{ 6 

778-896-8486 

2008.5 MAZDA3 SPORT 

WITH AIR CONDITIONING 


2.0 litre DOHC in-line 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, 

148HP, Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake 

Force Distribution, Dual front airbags, Side air 

bags, Side curtain air bags, Engine immobilizer 

theft-deterrent system, Tilt & Telescopic steering 

wheel, AM/FM CD player with Auxiliary Input, 4 

speakers, Exterior temperature gauge. 

2008 MAZDA5 

2005 

CANADA’S MOST FUEL EFFICIENT 

VEHICLE IN ITS CLASS 


6 passenger seating, Anti lock brakes with Electronic 

Brake Force Distribution, Dual front air bags, side 

airbags & curtain airbags, Keyless entry, Engine 

immobilizer theft deterrent system, Power windows, 

locks & mirrors, Steering wheel mounted audio 

controls, Rain-sensing front wipers. 

L/100 km: City 8.4 – Hwy 6.1 

MPG: City 33.6 – Hwy 46.3 

L/100 km: City 8.4 – Hwy 6.1 

MPG: City 33.6 – Hwy 46.3 

SPORT 

2008 ecoENERGY 

VEHICLE AWARD ◆◆ 

L/100 km: City 9.6 – Hwy 7.1 

MPG: City 29 – Hwy 40 

2006 


2008 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA 


2.0L DOHC in-line 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, 

166HP, Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Force 

Distribution, Front and rear stabilizer bars, Steering 

wheel mounted audio and cruise controls, Power 

lock, windows and door mirrors, Engine immobilizer 

theft-deterrent system. 

L/100 km: City 9.5 – Hwy 7.3 

MPG: City 30 – Hwy 39 

15420 - 104th Ave, 

EXPERIENCE 

Surrey, 

EMOTION IN 

BC 

MOTION 

604-583-7121 

Doner Canada Inc. File Name: 87-75000-183_M6_ShowroomPoster_2 NEW MATERIAL 

www.freewaymazda.ca 

AT YOUR BRITISH COLUMBIA MAZDA DEALER. 

OUR PRE-DELIVERY COMMITMENT MEANS EVERY NEW MAZDA IS CHECKED OUT, GASSED UP, AND FITTED WITH FLOOR MATS.• ASK ABOUT OUR OUTSTANDING COMPREHENSIVE AND POWERTRAIN WARRANTY COVERAGE. BOOK YOUR TEST-DRIVE ONLINE AT WWW.MAZDA.CA. 

GRADUATES GET AN ADDITIONAL CASH AWARD OF UP TO $1,000 TOWARDS A PURCHASE OR LEASE. † 0% Purchase financing not available on select Mazda3 models, Mazda6 and Mazda5 models. 

At 0% purchase financing, a financed amount of $20,000/35,000 the monthly payment is $334/584 per month for 60 months, the cost of borrowing is $0, and the total obligation is $20,000/35,000. Taxes, $46 max. PPSA extra. **Starting price 

for 2008.5 Mazda3 Sedan GX (D4XS58BA05)/2008.5 Mazda3 Sport GX (D5XS58BB05)/2008 Mazda5 GS (E6SD58AA00)/2008 MX-5 Miata GX (L2XS58AA00) is $19,270/$20,270/$22,185/$29,388. Total price, lease and cash purchase offers 

include freight and P.D.E. of $1,275/$1,390 for Mazda3, Mazda3 Sport, MX-5/Mazda5. Licence, insurance, taxes and other dealer charges extra. Dealer may sell/lease for less. Limited quantities available. Dealer order or trade may be necessary 

on certain vehicles. Offers available for a limited *$7000 time. Lease rebate and Finance applies on approved to 2007 credit for Mazda qualified customers 6 Speed only. See your dealer for details. ♦♦Based on 2008 fuel consumption ratings published by Natural Resources Canada.

Bring 

home a 

Put fuel economy in 

the palm of your hands 

CIVIC 

Best Selling Car in Canada 

11 Years in a Row* 

STARTING FROM (FOR CIVIC DX) 

$18,300 MSRP‡ 

Includes freight & PDI 

up 

CASH INCENTIVES to $ 

¥ 

on select Civic models 1,500 

2010 Civic SEDAN 

New MSRP $17,385 For Civic DX Sedan 

Accord Sedan EX-L V6 

model CP3689JN 

Includes Freight & PDI 

Put driving exhilaration 

LEASE 

at your fingertips $ 228 

# 

4.9 % 

FROM / APR @ 

ACCORD 

Just in time for the holidays, announcing 

lowered prices 

PURCHASE FINANCING 

STARTING FROM (FOR ACCORD LX) 

$26,500 MSRP‡ 

PER Includes MONTH freight & PDI FOR 60 MONTHS WITH 

$ 

0 DOWN | $ up 

0 SECURITY 


on select Accord models 3,500 

ON APPROVED CREDIT 

on our most popular asmodels. 

£ 

Civic DX Sedan 

model FA1E2AEX 

PRICE 

LOWERED 

BY 

Hands down winner 

for versatility 

CR-V 

as 

low 

$ 

1,000 

STARTING FROM (FOR CR-V LX) 

$29,350 MSRP‡ 

0.9 % 

† 

ON SELECT CIVIC MODELS 

You may be eligible for the 

$ 

1,000 

BC GOVERNMENT 

SALES TAX REBATE 

Includes freight & PDI 

¥ up 


¥ 

on select CR-V models 4,000 

¥ 

for 36 

months 

O.A.C 

Civic Sedan EX-L 

model FA1509JNX 

CR-V EX-L 

model RE4879JN 

†Limited time financing offer based on new 2009 Honda models. Finance example based on new 2009 Civic DX Sedan, model FA1529EX, available through Honda Financial Services on approved credit. ‡MSRP is $18,300 (includes $1,310 freight and PDI) financed at 0.9% APR equals $515.42 per 

month for 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $255.02 for a total obligation of $18,555.02. Taxes, license, insurance and registration are extra. Retailer may sell for less. Retailer order / trade may be necessary. ¥Cash purchase incentive offers will vary from model to model. $1,500 cash purchase incentive 

available on new 2009 Civic models, excluding Civic DX Sedan MT, model FA1529EX / 2009 Civic DX Coupe MT, model FG1129E / 2009 Civic Hybrid, model FA3629E; $2,000 cash purchase incentive available on new 2009 Accord Coupe and 2009 Accord Sedan models, excluding Accord EX Coupe 

MT, model CS1179J and Accord LX Sedan MT, model CP2539E; $3,500 cash purchase incentive available on 2009 Accord Coupe V6 and 2009 Accord Sedan V6 models; $4,000 cash purchase incentive available on 2009 CR-V models, excluding CR-V LX 2WD, model RE3839E. †/¥Offers valid from 

February 3rd, 2009 through February 28th, 2009 at participating Honda retailers. Offers subject to change or cancellation without notice. See your Honda retailer for full details. Select 2009 Honda Civic models qualify for the Government of British Columbia’s $1,000 Provincial Sales Tax reduction 

for fuel efficient vehicles. Visit www.livesmartbc.ca/taxes for more information. *As reported by Canadian manufacturers for calendar year 2008. NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. ©NHL 2008. All rights reserved. 

#Limited time lease offers based on new 2010 Honda models. Lease example based on a 2010 Civic DX Sedan, model FA1E2AEX available through Honda Financial Services on approved credit. £4.9% lease APR for 60 months. 

Monthly payment is $228.00 with $0 down payment or equivalent trade, $1,395 freight and PDI, environmental fees, first monthly payment and $0 security deposit due at lease inception. Total lease obligation is $15,461.60. Taxes, 

license, insurance and registration are extra. 120,000 kilometre allowance; charge of $0.12/km for excess kilometres. Retailer may lease for less. Retailer order / trade may be necessary. ¥Prices lowered by $500 on all new 2010 

Accord 4-cylinder models; by $1,000 on all new 2010 Accord V6 models; by $1,000 on all new 2010 Civic models except Hybrid; by $1,500 on all new 2010 CR-V models. #/£/Offers valid from November 3rd, 2009 through November 

30th, 2009 at participating Honda retailers. Offers valid only for British Columbia residents at BC Honda Dealers. Offers subject to change or cancellation without notice. See your Honda retailer for full details.


matic is the only available transmission. 

Front-wheel drive is standard, while the 

optional electronically controlled AWD 

system can transfer power from side to 

side as well as front to rear. 

Interior wise the MKZ has an unmistakable 

American, slightly retro feel with 

a tall, angular dual-cowl dashboard. Satin 

metal trim is combined with well crafted 

leather seating. Creature comforts 

abound and Lincoln’s excellent SYNC 

hands free media system is a stand out 

feature. 

Although some of the MKZ’s import 

competitors offer more technology and 

gadgetry the MKZ does offer extra interior 

room, especially in the rear with a 

decent three-occupant back seat that 

also folds down adding more versatility 

to an already impressive 15.8 cubic feet 

of trunk space. Standard safety features 

include front-seat side-impact airbags as 

well as full-length head curtain airbags 

All MKZs include antilock disc brakes 

and electronic stability control. 

On the Road 

The 2009 Lincoln MKZ handles well 

and rides comfortably with no vices. 

The 3.5-liter V6 performs well and is a 

smooth, well defined muscular power 

plant but the mild tuning and comfort 

derived suspension mean the Lincoln 

is not an exceptionally sporty sedan. 

It is more of a competent family sedan 

with a high luxury quotient. The rear 

suspension arrangement has been modified 

for 2010 and tuned more for ride 

comfort and mid level handling ability. 

The 2010 MKZ AWD feels good on 

the road with an absorbent, composed 

and stable ride with little float or excessive 

wallowing. The AWD system is 

very capable and performs well on most 

surfaces and should be a must have for 

our Canadian winters. There is very 

little to complain about the Lincoln 

MKZ. It does need some more refinement 

to keep up with European rivals, 

Mercedes, Audi and BMW, particularly 

in the cabin department, but these cars 

do cost many thousands of dollars more. 

There are no real vices and although it 

is outshined in the full-on performance 

categories by its rivals you can buy this 

car with the knowledge you are in one 

of North America’s most esteemed and 

prestigious luxury automobile brands. 

2009 LINCOLN, MKZ. 

Priced from $36,947 - $40,329 

ALLIED INSURANCE 

fast, efficient and friendly Service for all your insurance Needs 

Home • Tenants • Condominiums • Business • RRSP 

Travel • Medical • Life • Accident • Sickness 

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Covered! 

Delta 

Kennedy Heights Shopping Centre 

11969-88th Ave. (Scott Rd.) 

604-596-4588 

NewtoN 

Newton Town Centre 

121-7135 138th St., Surrey 

604-572-9292 

SERVICES INC. 

OPen 7 DAyS 

fleetwooD 

Fleetwood Town Square 

103-15988 Fraser Hwy, Surrey 

604-572-3311 

New weSt/BurNaBy 

Burnaby Square 

106 - 7885 6th Street, Burnaby 

604-523-0900 

9AM to 9PM 

GuilDforD 

Guildford Place Plaza 

#60-10330-152nd St., Surrey 

604-582-8644 

whalley 

Plaza 102 

10235 King George Hwy., Surrey 

604-582-8699 

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& Investor 

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www.canadian-visa-lawyer.com 


Movie reviews 

By Ron Ahluwalia 

Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani 

ajkumar Santoshi needs to 

Rrealize that he is not a master 

filmmaker of all genres. After 

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani 

(APKGK), it’s quite evident that 

he spent all his comedic prowess 

on Andaaz Apna Apna. 

Prem (Randhir Kapoor) is 

an unemployed high school 

dropout who lives off his parents 

and is the president of the 

Happy Club. (Yes, this movie is 

that juvenile.) One day, Jenny 

(Katrina Kaif) moves into his 

neighbourhood. Prem falls in 

love with her, but soon finds 

out that her marriage has been 

arranged to a loser. Prem and 

his Happy Club sidekicks go out 

of their way to save her. Then the 

story takes a twist that the directors 

hoped would be a surprise. 

Nope, it’s pretty darn predictable. 

The plot, one-liners and 

on-screen antics are very oldfashioned. 

It worked in the ’80s 

and ’90s but this kind of comedy 

is just not funny any more. The 

events are too far-fetched even 

for a masala flick. 

Pritam’s soundtrack sounds 

just like any other Bollywood 

soundtrack these days. The 

mix of English and Hindi lyrics 

becomes annoying very quickly. 

Kapoor looks rather awkward, 

his comedic timing is 

non-existent, and he spends 

most of the movie over acting. 

He is turning out to be all hype, 

and it’s disappointing. Katrina 

Kaif is no better. Her accent 

makes her English dialogue 

sound phony and her Hindi 

dialogue is slurred. What’s 

worse is that the leads have no 

chemistry. 

Govind Namdev plays a rich 

politician again. Zakhir Hussain 

is bland. The only players in the 

cast who leave a somewhat positive 

impression are Smita Jaykar 

and Navneet Nishan. Upen 

Patel’s “special appearance” is 

another reminder of why he’s not 

a big name in the industry. 

“Ajab” and “ghazab” don’t 

even begin to describe how 

much of a debacle this movie is. 

Don’t watch it. 

Dil Bole Hadippa 

Certain Hollywood movies 

should never have been made 

in English or any other language, 

and She’s the Man was one of 

them. Taking his inspiration from 

the Amanda Bynes bore-fest, 

Anurag Singh’s Dil Bole Hadippa 

(DBH) reaches the low bar set by 

its predecessor. The problem is 

that it fails to beat it. 

Rohan (Shahid Kapoor) goes 

to India to help his father (Anupam 

Kher) salvage his failing cricket 

team. Veera (Rani Mukerji) is a 

member of a performance troop 

who dreams of playing cricket in 

the big leagues. She’s the best 

batter in her village. When Rohan 

holds open tryouts for the cricket 

team, Veera disguised as Veer gets 

a spot on the team. Rohan conveniently 

falls for Veera, leading to two 

more hours of predictable cinema. 

There are few plus points 

to DBH. The sets and dancing 

are quite impressive. Kapoor is 

famous for his moves and Mukerji 

matches him step for step. The 

Punjab locales make for some nice 

shots on screen. Thankfully, the 

songs are well spaced. 

Problematic subplots and 

characters plague the movie. 

Rohan has unresolved angst over 

his parents’ separation. Kher’s 

complex over India being better 

than England lends itself to scenes 

that are ignorant of the reality of 

Indians living abroad. Veera is 

just another example of an undereducated 

Punjabi who uses faulty 

English between bouts of Punjabi 

and Hindi. So much is trivialized 

and it would have served the 

movie better to avoid 

such issues. 

This year has 

had a disproportionate 

number of bad 

soundtracks and 

DBH is an addition to 

that list. 

Rani Mukerji 

draws on her Bunti 

aur Babli character 

for inspiration. She 

looks like she had a lot of fun 

making the movie but her role is 

nothing new. Shahid Kapoor looks 

the part but his performance is 

a letdown; nothing about him in 

DBH seems real. Apart from their 

dancing, Mukerji and Kapoor 

do not work well as a romantic 

couple. Anupam Kher and Dilip 

Tahil are their usual selves. Rakhi 

Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra are 

only on screen to show skin. 

Viresh Hirjee is annoying. In a surprise 

appearance, Poonam Dhillon 

gives a wooden performance. 

I can’t, in good conscience, 

recommend this movie. There 

are plenty of well made mindless 

Bollywood movies to choose from 

so give Dil Bole Hadippa a pass. 

Baabarr 

aabarr doesn’t seem to have 

Bmuch of a plot or insight 

into the title character. SP 

Dwivedi (Mithun Chakraborthy) 

is assigned to Amangunj to 

put a stop to Baabarr (Sohum), 

a feared murderer of the Uttar 

Pradesh underworld. The film 

follows Dwivedi’s hunt for 

Baabarr. 

Director Ashuu Trikha is not 

a household name and Baabarr 

won’t make him one, but he is 

very talented at re-creating brutal 

and gory violence without it 

becoming overbearing. The story 

moves at a steady pace, but the 

lack of an overt plot makes the 

movie a bit tiresome. But it does 

have some great sequences, 

especially the climax and following 

scenes. 

The film suffers from songs 

that should have been edited out 

and stereotypical gangster characters 

that add no new nuances 

to the criime-film genre. 

On the plus side, setting 

the movie in UP is a welcome 

change from Mumbai and the 

cinematography is brilliant. 

Mithun Chakraborthy is relegated 

to the sidelines but does 

not overact at all — this might 

be a first for him. He’s in fine 

form. 

Om Puri has the best role in 

the movie but he’s just not physically 

convincing. His age should 

have been considered when casting 

him. 

Newcomer Sohum does well 

in a physically demanding role. 

He portrays his character’s few 

emotions well. 

The supporting cast definitely 

helps the bland plot. 

Sushant Singh is in good form 

after a long time. Shakti Kapoor 

is menacingly perfect. Tinnu 

Anand leaves a solid impression. 

Urvashi Sharma looks great 

and does well in a few scenes, 

but her talent is largely wasted. 

Govind Namdev is typecast and 

needs a career intervention. 

Baabarr is a decent flick but it 

presents little that’s really new for 

the audience to enjoy. 


Local Artist 

Shivangi Bhayana 

Shivangi Bhayana is probably best known as the host of the Eye 

on Bollywood segment of Shaw Multicultural Channel’s Asian 

Pulse, but it may not be long before she’s better known for her 

singing and music compositions. In fact, she’s already had her first 

break in the music industry. 

Within months of venturing onto the Bollywood music scene, 

Bhayana found herself doing playback singing and lyric-writing for 

the 2007 film Apne, directed by Anil Sharma and starring veteran 

actor Dharmendra, as well as Bobby and Sunny Deol. 

Bhayana landed the job shortly after 

completing almost two years of studying 

at Saraswati Musical Academy in 

Bombay. 

“I really had a keen interest in Bollywood 

music. That was the main reason 

I decided to go to Bombay to pursue 

music,” she says. “I was really lucky to 

work on Apne. It was the first big project 

I got after just being in the industry 

a couple of months. It’s just one of those 

amazing things that happened.” 

Bhayana can be heard singing the 

film’s title song, Apne toh Apne Hote 

Hain, with Shail Hada, at the beginning 

of the movie. “It’s a lot of hard work,” 

she says of the recording process. “Everything 

has to be perfect. You may think 

you sang beautifully but you’re probably 

going to have to do 30 takes.” 

Not that she’s complaining. After 

all, there’s nothing she’d rather be doing 

than singing, which has been her passion 

since she was four years old and began 

performing at family parties. 

In addition to school choirs, Bhayana 

was part of the Burnaby District Children’s 

Choir and the Burnaby District 

Youth Choir while growing up in the 

Lower Mainland. She also took private 

singing lessons and learned how to play 

the harmonium and the clarinet. 

It was after graduating from high 

school that she decided to move to 

Bombay to study at the Saraswati Musical 

Academy. “I was doing two to three 

hours of practice every day,” she says. “It 

was really tough. The teachers are a lot 

harder but it definitely made me a better 

singer and performer. It gave me more 

confidence and it was a lot about how 

you present yourself on stage. When I 

was younger, I was more stiff and rigid 

on stage. After going to the academy, 

I learned that the key to entertaining 

people is to engage them.” 

The most difficult part of the experience 

was being away from her close-knit 

family, which includes parents who have 

always supported her musical ambitions. 

“They’ve always been encouraging 

and very supportive,” she says. “I don’t 

think they’ve ever seen it as any less than 

any other career choice. They were really 

happy with it.” 

Since returning to Vancouver from 

Bombay last year, Bhayana has been 

working on two albums that she plans to 

complete next year. She describes the first 

as spiritual music consisting of shabads 

and bhajans set to original music that she 

has composed herself, and the second as 

Hindi pop fusion. 

Bhayana’s plans for 2010 also include 

returning to Bombay to continue her 

pursuit of a career as a playback singer for 

Bollywood features. “I had really positive 

feedback after Apne, but if you’re out of 

sight, you’re out of mind. I have to go 

back and build those relationships again 

and meet more people in the industry.” 

She’s not eager to live so far from her 

family again, but accepts it’s part of the 

price of realizing her dream. “You have to 

be persistent. I’m sure that one day I will 

see the results of all my effort.” p 

“I really had a keen interest 

in Bollywood music. That 

was the main reason I 

decided to go to Bombay to 

pursue music. I was really 

lucky to work on Apne. It 

was the first big project I 

got after just being in the 

industry a couple of months. 

It’s just one of those amazing 

things that happened.” 

Connect with Shivangi Bhayana at: 

www.myspace.com/bhayanashivangi 


Reflections 

Sucha Singh Sangra and his friend and teammate Jarnail Singh 

Jawanda relax in front of a bunkhouse in Youbou, B.C. 

The Sangra family in Kelowna in 1937: 

Back row (from left): Dhan Kaur, Charnjit Kaur, 

Bakhshish Singh and Banta Singh. Front row (from left) 

Sucha Singh, Harry Singh and Gurdial Singh 

Sucha Singh Sangra was born in 1934 

in Rutland, B.C., where his family 

owned a farm. He was the fourth of 

Banta Singh and Dhan Kaur Sangra’s 

seven children. When Sangra was three 

years old, his father, who had immigrated 

to Canada in 1907, took the family 

back to Punjab to see to family matters 

after Sangra’s grandmother and uncle 

fell victim to the plague that had ravaged 

parts of India. 

Although his father wanted to bring 

the family back to Canada, the lack of 

transportation at the time prevented 

their return and Sangra remained in 

India, where he would go to school and 

complete Grade 9 before getting married 

to Gian Kaur. 

His father finally returned to Canada 

in 1947 only to discover the family’s 

farm had been confiscated by authorities 

for lack of tax payments by the person 

who had leased the land. 

It wasn’t until 1950 that Sucha 

Sucha Singh Sangra 

Sangra himself would return to Canada. 

This time, with the Rutland farm gone, 

he joined his two brothers who lived in 

Youbou on Vancouver Island. Sangra 

fondly recalls that the three siblings 

worked in the local sawmill and shared 

a bunkhouse with 30 to 40 Punjabi 

co-workers, all of whom, he says, 

worked hard and were well respected by 

their Canadian co-workers and bosses. 

The employers even hired a cook to 

prepare Punjabi food for the men who 

lived in the bunkhouse. In their spare 

time the men would play soccer and 

volleyball. In fact, they formed a team 

and managed to win a trophy or two, he 

says. 

On their days off, they travelled to 

Paldi, a small town named after a village 

in India, to visit the Sikh temple. 

Then, in 1953, the Sangras once 

again moved back to India, where they 

opened an Anglo-Indian restaurant in 

the heart of Jallandhar. Sangra worked 

as a cashier in the restaurant. 

Sangra returned again to Canada in 

1960, this time finding work in a furniture 

factory in Surrey. Sangra recalls that 

living alone in rooming houses in Surrey 

and New Westminster wasn’t easy as he 

missed his brothers and the companionship 

of the bunkhouse in Youbou. To 

pass the time, he would go to the movies 

in New Westminster. He wasn’t particular 

about the movie, commenting that at 

25 cents per show, it was cheap enough 

to watch whatever was playing. 

Sangra’s wife, Gian Kaur, joined 

him in Canada in 1963. By the time 

the couple’s only child, their daughter 

Harjinder, was born in 1964, they had 

moved to their own home on Lanark 

Street, where they lived for more than 

30 years. 

Today, Sangra is enjoying his retirement 

in Vancouver, particularly the time 

he spends with his two-year-old grandson, 

Joven. p 


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