The Gur Sikh Temple Abbotsford in British Columbia is the oldest existing Sikh temple in North America and a National Historic Site Canada. This makes it currently (2010) the only Sikh temple outside of India and Pakistan, that is designated as national historic site. A gurdwara, meaning “the doorway to the Guru”, is the Sikh place of worship and may be referred to as a Sikh temple.
Shrine’s History
The first Sikh pioneers came to the Abbotsford area in 1905 and originally worked on farms and in the lumber industry. First plans to build a temple were made in 1908. After a property situated on a hill was acquired the settlers carried lumber from a local mill on their backs up a hill to construct the gurdwara. When the Gurdwara opened on February 26, 1911, Sikhs and non-Sikhs from across British Columbia attended the ceremony and a local newspaper reported on the event. The temple was a two-floor building, that from the outside looked like the contemporary wood houses of seen in local frontier towns.Features and decoration typical for Sikh architecture and design were only used in the interior.
The first floor contains the Langar and common dining room for the community, and the second floor contains the prayer hall. The building was extended twice in 1932 and in the 1960s. Until 1975 the gurdwara belonged to the Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver, then it was transferred to the local Sikh community of Abbotsford, who wished for a greater autonomy. In 1983, a new, much larger, temple with a completely different architectural style was built on the opposite side of the road. The old temple was designated a National Historic Site in 2002, with the designated declared by prime minister Jean Chrétien at a ceremony on July 26 of 2002. In 2007, the temple was completely renovated and reopened. For 2011, the creation of a small museum in the basement is planned in connection with the temple’s 100 years anniversary
Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There
By RoadPublic transit in British Columbia consists mainly of diesel buses, although Vancouver is also serviced by a fleet of trolleybuses. Several experimental buses are being tested such as hybrid buses that have both gasoline and electric engines. Additionally, there are CNG-fueled buses being tested and used in Nanaimo and Kamloops systems. British Columbia also tested a fleet of Hydrogen-fueled buses for the Vancouver-Whistler Winter Olympics in 2010.By RailThe nearest Railway station is Canadian Pacific Railway.By AirThe nearest Airport is Vancouver International Airport, the Victoria International Airport, the Kelowna International Airport, and the Abbotsford International Airport.
