B.C. gurdwara files petition calling for federal investigation into Sikh leader's murder
CBC
The temple in Surrey, B.C., where a prominent community leader and proponent of an independent Sikh state was gunned down in June, is pushing Ottawa to respond to allegations of foreign involvement in the crime through a federal petition.
On June 18, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara on 120 Street in Surrey's Newton town centre.
Since then, homicide investigators have identified two suspects in the case, but there have been few details on the motive for the killing.
According to other leaders at the temple and the area's member of Parliament, many community members believe the death was a result of foreign interference and want the federal government to undertake an investigation.
"People are always asking … asking to explain, who's behind this?" said gurdwara secretary Gurmeet Singh Toor.
Earlier this month, Toor filed a federal e-petition asking the government to launch an investigation and "unveil the real motive and hands behind this gruesome murder."
E-petitions are used to draw attention to an issue of public interest or concern and request action from the House of Commons, federal government, minister or an MP.
Toor's petition is sponsored by Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal, who represents Surrey–Newton.
"The community has come to me, and they want to make sure that [Nijjar's death] is properly investigated to bring the truth out," Dhaliwal said.
Dhaliwal said sponsoring the petition is important to him as he wants to amplify the concerns of his constituents. He says some fear for their safety following Nijjar's death.
"This is a top priority," he said about getting answers to the murder.
Dhaliwal said he has met with former public safety minister Marco Mendicino and Surrey community leaders following Nijjar's killing. The main question asked by those leaders was whether India had any role in the murder, Dhaliwal said.
Nijjar was active in advocating for an independent state for India's Sikh minority in the northwestern state of Punjab.
The Indian government had offered a reward of one million rupees, or about $16,000, last July for information that could lead to Nijjar's arrest or apprehension, while the country's counter-terrorism body referred to him as a "fugitive terrorist" who led a conspiracy to murder a Hindu priest.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
City staff are working on long-term plans to prevent toxic and smelly algae blooms at the Hamilton harbour – and short-term plans to mitigate blooms when they happen – but are cautioning residents that it's not the type of problem with a quick fix.
Another blockade of the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't play out like what happened in February 2022 — thanks to police being empowered to act faster and harder, according to a report that's going to Windsor city council next week.
On the first day of 2025, Alberta's default electricity rate is set to be replaced by the new "rate of last resort," in what the province says is a bid to protect consumers from a volatile electricity pricing landscape.
Canadians and Americans sit next to each other in the stands of a small Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., hockey arena to watch the Soo Thunderbirds face off against their cross-border rivals, Michigan's Soo Eagles.
A number of school bus routes in northwestern Ontario have been cancelled Wednesday after a dump of snow overnight in the region. A number of weather advisories also remain in effect in the region, including snow squall warnings in the Greenstone area.
Waterloo regional councillors have voted down a motion that would have asked the Waterloo Regional Police Service to cut $4 million from its proposed 2025 budget.
Residents of a neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Charlottetown hope to have a community garden in place on some vacant land by the time spring arrives.
Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution.
The RCMP says it's considering deploying Mounties-in-training to help police the Canada-U.S. border as political anxiety over border control mounts in the face of tariff threats from the incoming Trump administration.
Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were honoured Tuesday night before the Calgary Flames played the Columbus Blue Jackets, on the same ice where Johnny etched his place as a cherished member of the city's hockey community.