The Royal BC Museum, in partnership with the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies at UFV and through collaboration with regional institutions, completed its first phase of community consultations throughout the province to gather feedback from the Punjabi community, a pioneer group that has made a significant impact on the province’s cultural, economic and social history. The first consultation took place in Victoria at the Royal BC Museum in November, 2015. The community staged an ‘intervention’ where they embedded their Punjabi migration experiences within the permanent gallery of the RBCM.
The subsequent seven consultations were held in Abbotsford, Prince George, Surrey, Vancouver, Golden, Kelowna and Duncan. These consultations were the first step in the creation of a provincial Punjabi legacy project that preserves and shares community history. The consultations invited attendees from a range disciplines, institutions, and experiences to suggest what this legacy project might look like and include.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s message of congratulations and support for the project can be viewed here.
The Premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark also sent her congratulations on this milestone event as part of a much wider recognition of South Asian contribution and history in British Columbia. The Premier’s letter can be read by clicking here.
The next phase of the project is underway as the reports are being prepared based on the various community consultations and feedback.
