March

The first Sikh temple in North America was built at 1866 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC. On January 19, 1908, the first "Nagar Kirtan" (Sikh religious parade) took place in celebration of its opening and the first "Granthi" (priest) was Balwant Singh Atwal.

Serving around 2,000 people at its inception, the "Gurdwara" (temple) became the central place of worship for the local Sikhs. For over 60 years, the temple's free kitchen provided free meals to everyone who visited regardless of their religious affiliation.

The West 2nd Avenue Gurdwara became a vital source for discussing issues facing the Punjabi migrants, for accessing the latest news from abroad and for welcoming the new arrivals to Canada. Color photo on left: Sarjeet Singh Dosanjh, now 92, is seen in the front row at the first Sikh temple in North America, 1936.

He is featured along with his father Narain Singh, mother Maha Kaur and sisters Mindo Kaur and Jeeto Kaur. Sarjeet Singh is the only living person pictured in this iconic photo.