Maritime Sikh Society (Halifax)

The Maritime Sikh Society runs the gurdwara at 10 Parkhill Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, the main Sikh institution of the Maritime provinces. Its own history begins with a few Sikh professionals. Gajinder Singh Chowdhury, believed to be the first Sikh in Nova Scotia, reached Canada in 1958 and Halifax in 1959. The first monthly congregation met on a Sangrand day in April 1967 in an apartment on Morris Street, Halifax. At Baisakhi in April 1968, at Gurcharan Singh Sidhu's home in Dartmouth, an ad hoc committee under Dr Kirtan Singh was formed to draft a constitution. It was approved in 1969, when the society had 27 members paying a ten dollar fee. Sources therefore give 1967, 1968 or 1969 for its start, and each marks a real step.

Leaders: the first executive in 1969 was Dr Kirtan Singh (president), Gurcharan Sidhu (secretary) and Gajinder Chowdhury (treasurer). After a split over membership qualifications in the 1970s, which the history says was later healed, Gurcharan Singh Sidhu became president. Later presidents named in the history include Pyara Singh Randhawa (1978 to 1979, and again 1996 to 1997), Bant Singh Gandhu (president in 1982), Kulvinder Singh Dhillon (1988), Gurdip Kaur Toor (1992 to 1993), Surjit Kaur Sidhu (1993 to 1994) and Gurinder Kaur Dhillon (1997 to 1998). The history does not give a full list. It prints the surname as Gandhu each time it names Bant Singh, and we found no second source for the spelling.

Key moments

• 3 May 1971: the deed is signed for a lot at 10 Parkhill Road, bought for 7,300 dollars.
• 4 June 1978: foundation stone laid. 19 November 1978: the gurdwara opens during Guru Nanak's birthday celebrations, when about fifty Sikh families lived in Nova Scotia.
• June 1984: after the attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib, the society organises a peaceful protest march in Halifax.
• 12 July 1987: the ship Amelie lands 174 men at Charlesville, Shelburne County. The society cooks langar for those held at CFB Stadacona in Halifax, raises funds and finds a lawyer, and Sikh organisations across Canada post bonds for their release.
• 27 January 1992: 13 stowaways found on a Polish container ship stay at the gurdwara for about a month, and all receive immigration status.
• 1992 to 1993: an all-women executive under Gurdip Kaur Toor, which the society calls the first at a gurdwara in North America and possibly the world (its own claim, repeated by SikhNet). Women led again from December 2009 under Kanwal Kaur Sidhu.
• 2 February 1997: the expanded gurdwara reopens.

Where it stands: its website says Gurbani paath and kirtan are held every morning and evening, with special diwans on weekends and Gurpurabs. A 2010 interview says the gurdwara has no professional granthi and that volunteers do all the seva. A charity listing says construction of a larger building began in December 2019, with the 1978 gurdwara closed meanwhile; the listing is undated and we could not open a dated report of the new building.