Canada Post honours Sikh soldiers with new Remembrance Day stamp

Canada Post unveiled a new commemorative stamp at the annual Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony in Kitchener, Ont., over the weekend, in an effort to recognize “the long history of Sikh soldiers serving with the Canadian military.”

Historians say approximately 250,000 Sikh soldiers fought alongside Britain and its allies in both world wars. However, discrimination in Canada prevented many Sikhs from enlisting.

“Only 10 broke the barrier in the First World War – most fighting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Europe – including eight who joined before conscription,” Canada Post wrote in a press release.

“Nearly a century later, research brought to light the forgotten stories of these and other Sikh soldiers in Canada, whose courage and resilience inspired future generations and helped build a more inclusive country,” the Crown corporation added.

One of those soldiers was Private Buckham Singh, who at 22 years old was the youngest Canadian Sikh soldier to enlist.

“He was wounded and returned to action after recovering in hospital – only to be injured again,” Canada Post explained. “He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and died from the disease in 1919.”

Singh was laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, Ont., which is the only known military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier who served in WW1. In the last two decades, it has also become the site of the Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony, which is one of the largest annual gatherings of Sikh soldiers and veterans in North America.

The new stamp was designed by the marketing agency Burke & Burke and was illustrated by Canadian-Punjabi artist Parm Singh. The stamp features an illustration of a Canadian Sikh soldier wearing a Poppy with his head bowed as a sign of respect, and in the background is Private Buckham Singh’s headstone adorned with Canadian flags. 

The stamp is available at canadapost.ca and in postal outlets across Canada.