Aylmer couple celebrates 60 years together
Rabinder Kaur Dhaliwal and Maghar Singh Dhaliwal of Aylmer celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, January 31, 2016. The City of Gatineau officially congratulated the couple who moved to Aylmer in 1974.
“Aylmer has changed so much. We live on Vanier Road near the police station and there’s been so much development. The amalgamation of the city was a big change. We miss our old Aylmer,” they told the Bulletin; “we had a great collaboration with the former mayors of Aylmer, such as Mrs. [Constance] Provost. She’s a wonderful lady.” Mr. Dhaliwal and his wife spent two decades in British Columbia and Alberta before calling Aylmer home.
Mr. Dhaliwal landed in Vancouver from India in 1956 where he studied at the University of British Columbia. His wife joined him a few years later.
In B.C., Mr. Dhaliwal volunteered in sports, leisure, and education. He also promoted the rich Punjabi culture in Canada. “I coached Bhangra dance (traditional Punjabi dance), and we performed at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 1959 in Vancouver,” he told the Bulletin.
Mr. Dhaliwal also gave seminars on life in Canada versus India and participated in celebrations of his native tongue and religion. He was president of the Gur Sikh Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) in Abbotsford and taught Punjabi and English classes.
The Dhaliwals later moved from BC to Edmonton and, finally, Aylmer. Working with the Ottawa Sikh Society, Mr. Dhaliwal was instrumental in fund-raising across the country to build Ottawa’s Gur Sikh Gurdwara.
Mr. Dhaliwal was also busy working with Agriculture Canada and international associations, such as the Association of Official Seed Analysts and the International Seed Testing Association as a seed specialist.
Working at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm, he helped establish Canadian methods for testing seeds and organized training and certification for seed analysts. All the while, Mrs. Dhaliwal has been by his side. She raised three children and was an active volunteer in the community.
