By Ron Fanfair

Published: 1:49 PM November 7, 202

Toronto Police members along with military veterans and active soldiers joined politicians and community members at the 17th annual Sikh Remembrance Day on November 2 at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener.

“Attending Sikh Remembrance Day holds a profound significance for me, especially as we honor pioneers like Private Buckam Singh,” said Constable Mandeep Chahal. “His story coming to Canada in 1907 as a young Sikh immigrant, enlisting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War One and making the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields of Flanders speaks to the resilience, courage and dedication that define the Sikh community.

“To stand here at Mount Hope Cemetery alongside our senior officers is to honor his legacy and the contributions of all Sikh soldiers who served with such distinction in World War One. Their stories, once forgotten, are now reclaimed and celebrated as an essential part of our shared history.”

TPS Chief Administrative Officer Svina Dhaliwal and Superintendent Mandeep Mann of 31 Division led the group of Toronto Police members at the event.

The ceremony was created to honour Private Buckam Singh who was one of nine Sikh soldiers that served in the Canadian Army during the First World War.

“As a historian, I spent a lot of time researching Private Singh’s life and his experiences,” said Sandeep Singh Brar who is the Sikh Remembrance Day Chief Organizer. “I have an idea of where he was from the military records and what the Canadian Forces were doing there. But one of the things I have wondered is what did he actually experience on the ground.

“I got an idea through letters written by Private Percy Kingsley from Picton who was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Through his words, we get an idea of what war was like. It was everything we imagined. Reading the letter, I know why so many soldiers returned to Canada and refused to talk about their war experience. They were traumatized for life.’

Major Sarabjot Anand is thankful for Buckam Singh.

“The hero of today’s ceremony has ultimately paved the path for soldiers like me to serve the nation we all love,” he added.

Buckam Singh succumbed to tuberculosis in 1919 in a Kitchener hospital at age 25.

His grave is the only known one for a Sikh soldier in Canada.

“Today’s special ceremony is not just to honour him,” said Rupinder Kaur, who is a co-organizer of the event. “It is to pay tribute to and thank all the veterans of conflicts and wars, past and present. Veterans have given so much for our country and our wearing of the poppy is a small way for us to give back and say thanks.”

Over 83,000 turban-wearing Sikh ally soldiers were killed and about 109,000 wounded in the two World Wars.