Anti-Sikh sentiment in Canada
India Pakistan Afghanistan Within Canada, anti-Sikh sentiment has included hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Canadian Sikhs as a religious and ethnic group.
Singh argued the case that Sikh men were not allowed to bring their wives and children to Canada,[14] only were able to travel through one direct steamer and were required to have four times the money than of the Japanese immigrants.
The Japanese steamship SS Komagata Maru, which departed from Hong Kong and arrived in Vancouver on May 23, 1914, was carrying 376 passengers, predominantly Sikh immigrants from the Punjab region of British India.
[21] In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologised for the incident, but many in the local Sikh community refused to accept it and requested it should have been made at the House of Commons.
[22] This then took place in 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government formally apologized for the incident, acknowledging the injustices faced by the passengers and marked an official recognition of this chapter in Canadian history.
Exclusionary policies and societal prejudices restricted their employment opportunities, limiting them to sectors like agriculture, lumber mills, and railway construction, where they endured harsh working conditions and exploitation.
This systemic discrimination not only hindered their economic prospects but also reinforced broader societal biases, perpetuating a cycle of marginalization and inequality for Asian communities in North America.
Between 1910 and 1920, a fall in almost half the number of the 2,000 Indians in Canada, many of whom were Sikhs, was a result of the racism they faced, intention to reunify with family members who migrated to America and for economic opportunities.
[29][30] During the mid-20th century, Sikhs in Canada faced pervasive racism and discrimination, reflecting the broader challenges of immigrant communities in a society that was often unwelcoming to visible minorities.
[40] On March 24, two Sikh men were attacked outside an Edmonton, Alberta liquor store after a rally by the members Bernard “Bernie” Miller and Kyle McKee of the white supremacist group Blood & Honour.
In January 2015, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in South Edmonton was vandalized with racist graffiti, including the phrase "Leave Canada."
[42][43]In November 2015, Sikh MP Harjit Sajjan, who was newly appointed as Minister of National Defence, faced racist abuse on social media.
The incident occurred on the Canadian Forces' Facebook page, particularly on the French-language version, where derogatory comments were made by a few military personnel, including a Warrant Officer from CFB Valcartier.
The outer walls and doors of the Gurdwara were defaced with racist graffiti, including a swastika, a smiling face, and profane messages, spray-painted by unknown perpetrators.
[48] During a public event in Brampton, Ontario, a heckler hurled racist comments at Canadian Sikh politician Jagmeet Singh, accusing him of supporting Sharia law and being a Muslim.
The racist vandalism was widely condemned, serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges of ignorance and fear that minority communities continue to face.
[53] In January 2018, a Sikh man named Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal was asked to remove his turban, while visiting a Royal Canadian Legion branch in Tignish, Prince Edward Island.
[59] On March 20, 2023, a Sikh international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, British Columbia.
When Singh and his group asked why he made such a threat, the man launched into a racist tirade, calling them "dirbag raghead" — a derogatory term often used against Sikh men who wear turbans.
[63] In the 1980s, B'nai Brith Canada launched a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission in an attempt to remove lapel pins, which were perceived as racist.
The pins included a turbaned Sikh, an Oriental in a Chinese Coolie hat and semi-clothed black man holding a spear all staring at a white male with the inscription below "Who is the minority in Canada?".
The posters, which featured an image of a Sikh man in a yellow turban alongside a derogatory message, were discovered in multiple locations, including the main library.
The panel noted that while Mailloux was entitled to his views on general immigration issues, his specific targeting of the Sikh community crossed the line and was unacceptable.
[73] In 2019, Jagmeet Singh, MP and NDP Leader, was targeted in a racist tweet by a People's Party of Canada (PPC) candidate Mark Friesen.
[76][77] In February 2025, Viresh Bansal, the Ontario Liberal candidate for Oshawa, is facing backlash over a resurfaced social media post in which he made derogatory remarks, including a homophobic slur directed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a comment about "cleaning trash people" in response to a post by federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
[79][80] In 2012, Gurmukh Singh a driver for Aaroport Limousine Services alleged they cut him off for refusing to trim or tie back his religiously prescribed facial hair.
[85][86] Over the years, the WSO has played a significant role in advocating for Sikh rights, religious freedoms, and combating anti-Sikh hate in Canada.
[87][88] In 2006, WSO acted as legal interveners in the case of Multani v Commission scolaire Marguerite‑Bourgeoys to allow Sikh students to wear Kirpans in public schools.
[89] In 2019, during the ongoing debate over Bill 21 in Quebec, the WSO were involved in a legal case World Sikh Organization of Canada v. Attorney General of Québec.
