Though the oldest existing gurdwara on the continent, having opened in 1911, it is the third-oldest to be built in Canada and North America. The first Gurdwara in Canada was built by early Sikh-Canadian settlers in Golden, British Columbia in 1905,[2][3] which would later be destroyed by fire in 1926.[4] Meanwhile, the second-oldest Gurdwara to be built in Canada opened in 1908 in Kitsilano (Vancouver), aimed at serving a growing number of Sikh settlers who worked at nearby sawmills along False Creek at the time. It would later be closed and demolished in 1970, with the temple society relocating to the newly built Gurdwara on Ross Street in South Vancouver.[5]
The first Sikh pioneers came to the Abbotsford area in 1905 and originally worked on farms and in the lumber industry.[6] First plans to build a temple were made in 1908. After a property situated on a hill was acquired, the settlers carried lumber from a local mill on their backs up a hill to construct the gurdwara.[6]
When the Gurdwara opened on February 26, 1911, Sikhs and non-Sikhs from across British Columbia attended the ceremony and a local newspaper reported on the event.[7] The temple was a two-floor building that from the outside looked like the contemporary wood houses often seen in local frontier towns.[7] Features and decoration typical for Sikh architecture and design were only used in the interior. The first floor contains the Langar and common dining room for the community, and the second floor contains the prayer hall.[7] The building was extended twice in 1932 and in the 1960s. Until 1975 the Gurdwara belonged to the Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver (founded in 1905), then it was transferred to the Khalsa Diwan Society Abbotsford, who wished for greater autonomy.[8] In 1983, a new, much larger temple with a completely different architectural style was built on the opposite side of the road.[7] The old temple was designated a National Historic Site in 2002, with the designation declared by Prime Minister Jean Chretien at a ceremony on July 26.[7] In 2007, the temple reopened after renovation. For 2011, a small museum in the basement was planned in connection with the temple's 100-year anniversary.[7] To mark the centennial (1911-2011) of Gur Sikh Temple, Prime Minister Stephen Harper inaugurated the Sikh Heritage Museum in the ground floor of the Temple.[9][10]
Logo of the Gur Sikh Temple
On May 19, 2017 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Canada 150 exhibit at the Sikh Heritage Museum.[11]
^"Sikhs celebrate history in Golden". April 26, 2018. The original temple in Golden sat on a corner of a lot, in the south western area of town at the end of the street looking toward where Rona is now. The largest influx of men came from South Asia around 1905, which would be the time period that the temple in Golden would have began services. In 1926, a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where the South Asian men worked.
^"Golden's Sikh heritage recognized on new Stop of Interest sign". November 9, 2016. "We acknowledge the Gurdwara in Golden as the first in B.C., and quite likely the first in North America," said Pyara Lotay, on behalf of the local Sikh community. "We thank the B.C. government for recognizing Golden's Sikh pioneers and their place of worship with this Stop of Interest."
^"Golden Gurdwara is recognized for its historical significance". June 7, 2017. The original temple sat on the corner of a lot, which is now owned by Gurmit Manhas, at the end of the street past the School Board Office looking towards the Rona. Plans are being put together to erect a kiosk there that would share information about the original building, the first South Asian people to Canada, the importance of the Gurdwara to the Sikh people and the history of why they left and what brought them back. The largest influx of men came from South Asia in about 1905-06, which would be the time period that the Temple would have begun services. In 1926 a fire burned the timber limits of the Columbia River Lumber Company, where all the South Asian men worked and the men left for the coast having no work to do. When the forest started to grow back the men came back and soon it was necessary to build the present Gurdwara on 13th Street South.
