April

On August 28, 1912, Hardial Singh Atwal was the first child born to parents of Indian origin at the Sikh temple in Vancouver. His father Balwant Singh (the first Sikh temple priest), immigrated to Canada in 1906 and his mother, Kartar Kaur was a rare case of a Sikh woman who was able to migrate to Canada during this period.

Unfortunately, upon arrival she had been detained by Canadian immigration for some time. However, she was allowed entry into the country in what the government called "an act of grace" as she was expecting a baby and was traveling with two other young children.

At that time, Sikh men customarily went back to Punjab to marry and would return to Canada without their wives, which meant their children could not be born in Canada. In 1913, no more than 125 Sikhs would be allowed entry into Canada (Library and Archives Canada, 2016).

The birth of Hardial Singh was a monumental occasion for Sikhs in Canada as it marked the beginning of family formation.