Gur Sikh Temple
| Abbotsford Sikh Temple National Historic Site of Canada Lieu historique national du Canada du Temple-Sikh-d'Abbotsford |
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|---|---|
 Lieu patrimonial du Canada |
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| Recognized since | November 1, 2002 |
| Type | National Historic Site |
| ID | 9358 |
| place | Abbotsford |
| Coordinates | 49 ° 3 '3.7 " N , 122 ° 18' 26.1" W |
| Recognized by | Government of Canada |
| Approved by | Historic Sites and Monuments Act |
| Entry Canadian List of Monuments | |
The Gur Sikh Temple ( Gurdwara ) of Abbotsford in British Columbia is the oldest still existing Sikh temple in North America and was declared a National Historic Site of Canada by the Canadian government on November 1, 2002 . It is also currently (2010) the only Sikh temple outside India and Pakistan that is a listed building.
The first Sikhs arrived in the Abbotsford area in 1905 to work in agriculture and forestry. In 1908, the first plans to build a temple began, which was then completed at the end of 1911. The official opening ceremony finally took place on February 26, 1912.
The original temple consisted of two floors. There was a kitchen and a communal dining room on the ground floor and the prayer room on the upper floor. The architectural style of the temple corresponded externally to the contemporary wooden houses in Abbotsford and only in its interior were decorations and design elements typical of Sikh architecture used. The temple was later expanded twice with additions (1932, 1960s). Under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien , it was added to the list of National Historic Sites of Canada .
From 2003 to 2007 the Khalsa Diwan Society renovated the temple and tried to restore the original facade. The reopening took place on April 1, 2007.
At the end of August 2011, the Sikh community celebrated the 100th anniversary of their temple. Then Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper and then Prime Minister of British Columbia Province Christy Clark attended the celebrations and unveiled a memorial.
Web links
- Abbotsford Sikh Temple on sikhiwiki.org
- Oldest Sikh temple reopens. South Fraser Way was transformed into a sea of saris yesterday. on canada.com on April 2, 2007
Individual evidence
- ↑ Abbotsford Sikh Temple National Historic Site of Canada. In: Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved October 17, 2013 .
- ↑ Canada's 100-Year-Old Temple - Report on Al Jazeera English (video, English, 2:10 min.)
- ↑ a b c Gur Sikh Temple. Khalsa Diwan Society, accessed August 31, 2019 .
- ^ Neil Corbett: PM and premier join Abbotsford Gur Sikh Temple celebration . BC Local News, August 28, 2011