B.C. Sikh community donates $164K made from temple sale
Posted April 4, 2019 11:18 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CLEARWATER – A shrinking Sikh community in Clearwater, B.C., has sold its temple and given the $164,000 they made from the sale to local charities.
Narinder Singh Heer, president of the Guru Tegh Bahadur Sikh Temple, says the community had shrunk to five families, and did not need the space.
The community had 55 families until 15 years ago.
But it dispersed because of job losses in the lumber industry and the younger generation moving out of town to live in bigger cities.
Heer says it was important to give to local charities because Clearwater is home.
Mayor Merlin Blackwell says the temple members’ donations will help a number of organizations, such as the local ski hill, the skating club and food bank.
He says the ceremony of handing out the cheques was so emotional that grown men were shedding tears.
