Prabhnoor S.

prince george , British Columbia

Prince George Regional Heritage Fair

Sikh History in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Baltej Singh Dhillon

Baltej Singh Dillon is a Canadian Sikh who worked extremely hard to create equality for Sikhs in the RCMP. By the later 1900s, multiculturism in Canada had greatly begun to increase, however Sikhs and other groups still faced a lot of discrimination due to the attitudes towards racial diversity at the time. The Sikhs had to work very hard to earn their rights and freedoms and create the multicultural Canada we live in today. Mr. Dhillon worked very hard for Sikhs' religious beliefs to be respected in the RCMP.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing I learned is that Mr. Dhillon arrived in Quesnel, there was a giant sign that said "Welcome to Quesnel Turbo Cop" and that he was known as the Turbo Cop by the community in Quesnel.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I have learned that it is very important to learn about Canada's history and your own history and it makes us who we are today. The hard work of Mr. Dhillon and Canadian Sikhs is what made the opportunistic, peaceful, and multicultural Canada we live in today.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Today, I live a very peaceful and opportunistic life in Canada, where everyone's rights, freedoms, religion, and culture are respected. People of all backgrounds are treated equally and respectfully. However, Mr. Dhillon and Sikh pioneers faced a lot of discrimination. They were not welcomed and had to work very hard and make many sacrifices to earn their rights and freedoms. Today, there are many Sikhs in the RCMP and Sikhs live a happy, peaceful, and opportunistic life in a multicultural Canada because of the hard work Sikhs like Mr. Dhillon did before.