A new stamp from Canada Post was revealed at the 18th annual Sikh Remembrance Day event at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, honoring Sikh Canadian soldiers’ contributions in the military since World War I. Sandeep Singh Brar, curator of Sikh Museum.com, emphasized the stamp’s educational value in shedding light on this lesser-known aspect of Canadian history.
Named “Private Singh,” the stamp depicts a Sikh Canadian soldier paying respects, with the background featuring the grave of Pte. Buckam Singh at Mount Hope Cemetery. Pte. Buckam Singh, who enlisted at just 22 years old, was the youngest Sikh Canadian in the Canadian army and the first to join an Ontario regiment.
During World War I, many Sikhs attempted to enlist but faced discrimination, with only 10 eventually being allowed to serve in the Canadian Army. Pte. Buckam Singh served in the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion in France and Belgium, where he was wounded twice before succumbing to tuberculosis in 1919 at a military hospital in Kitchener.
Singh’s grave, the sole known military grave of a Sikh soldier in Canada, was rediscovered by Brar after finding Singh’s war medal in an English pawn shop. This discovery led to the establishment of the Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony held annually at Singh’s grave for the past 18 years.
Brar collaborated with Canada Post to develop the stamp, reflecting both historical and contemporary Sikh military service. He highlighted the stamp’s significance in recognizing the diverse contributions of various communities to Canada’s history and military.