Haq & History

February 5 - 13th

Opening Reception: Febuary 5th 6:00 pm at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery.

On view until February 13, 2020

Nearly one million people came to Canada from the Punjab region in the twentieth century. But who were these individuals, and what were their experiences like? The exhibit allows visitors to hear stories from and about these immigrants and see rare objects that chronicle their lives, including details about work, home life and keeping cultural traditions alive in BC. Through videos, panel text and artifacts, visitors to Haq and History will learn about Punjabi immigrants working in sawmills in the 1920s; hear about travel from Punjab to Canada in the 1950s; learn some of the challenges of sourcing Indian food in Vancouver in the 1960s; and eavesdrop on memories of life in the now-abandoned town of Paldi on Vancouver Island in the 1940s.

Previously on display at the Royal BC Museum.

Harjit Kaur Dhillon on her marriage and her voyage from India to Canada in the 1950s who later became an important community activist. RBCM Production.

Amarjit Singh Brar on sawmill work experiences starting in the 1920s. RBCM Production.

Nadeem Kulwant Parmar on why he came to Canada and food in Vancouver in the 1970s. RBCM Production.

Nsibe Kaur Puri on memories of Paldi and festivities in the 1940s and 1950s.
Video RBCM Production.

Sital Dhillon on growing up in Vancouver in the 1960s. RBCM Production.