April declared Sikh Heritage Month

The provincial government has declared April 2017 to be Sikh Heritage Month to recognize the contributions of the Sikh community to Alberta.
The announcement was made April 7.
“Sikh Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the beauty and wisdom of the Sikh culture and the contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to communities across Alberta,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.
“I encourage all Albertans to observe Sikh Heritage Month and to explore Alberta’s rich and diverse history,” she said.
There has been a Sikh community making significant contributions to the development of the province, primarily working on the Canadian Pacific Railway, on farms and in sawmills, since the early 1900s.
Both April and 2017 are significant milestones for Alberta’s Sikh community.
April is when Sikh Canadians celebrate Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year, while 2017 is the 350th anniversary of the birth of the tenth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
“Albertans of Sikh heritage are an important part of our province’s historic, cultural, political and economic fabric,” said Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Ricardo Miranda, “Sikh Heritage Month is an opportunity to reflect on their place in Alberta’s story.”
The provincial government will be celebrating Sikh Heritage month on April 28 in Calgary.