Abbotsford’s newest street signs are a small change with a big story behind it.
On Saturday, the city formally unveiled new signs for a portion of South Fraser Way that will now be known commemoratively as Komagata Maru Way. And front and centre at the celebration was Raj Singh Toor, vice-president and spokesperson for Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society.
Toor has advocated for four years for the commemoration of the roadway, for the portion that runs alongside the Heritage Sikh Temple National Historic Site. And as such he was an honoured guest at the event that drew in all of city council and many staff members, as well as community members and special guests.
Along with the renaming and the new signs, there is also now an interpretive plaque at the temple.
All of this is a way of honouring the passengers who were on board the Komagata Maru in 1914. There were 376 people from Punjab Province in British India attempting to immigrate to Canada, landing in Vancouver in May of that year. Most were denied entry and, for 63 days, the passengers stayed on the ship with dwindling food and water, and were forced to return to India.
Within hours of disembarking, 20 of the passengers were killed in an encounter with British Indian police and troops.
Toor’s grandfather was one of the passengers on the ship.
He said the signs and plaque “will help educate the community and remind us of how unique Canada’s and Abbotsford’s diverse makeup is.”
“We are all richer when we remember how special it is to have so many different ethnic communities living together. I hope that it will help to connect Canadians, British Columbians and Abbotsford residents with their past to build a more peaceful and tolerant tomorrow.”
The passengers suffered greatly, he added.
“We can’t undo the past, but we can move forward and leave a legacy for future generations by educating them about the past and create a legacy of acceptance for future generations,” he said.
The portion of the road being changed runs from Ware Street to Fairlane Street and the change won’t affect mapping or mailing addresses.
READ MORE: Abbotsford honouring Komagata Maru incident in renaming ceremony for main road
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