Celebrating Summer in Vancouver South
On Sunday, June 29, we hosted a wonderful community summer barbecue and picnic at Memorial South Park.
Over three hundred enthusiastic friends, supporters and volunteers, mostly from Vancouver South, joined us for good conversations and great food. Some of us reminisced about our high school days at John Oliver. Lots of laughter and fun!
Thanks to everyone for making it a great day!
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- Barj with Gavin, Harmon and Ajay
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- Barj with Jojo and Isa Solacito
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- Barj with Edel and his children and Ching and Nellie
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- Barj with Robert, Edel and Gurjit
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- Barj with volunteers
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- Michael Lam, Raj Sidhu and Barj
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- Barj to his right with Nellie Vandt, Celyna Sia Sherest and friends
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- Barj with Jaswinder Sandhu and Anna Funk
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- Barj with Victor and Dora Kliewer and Kuljinder Shoker
Celebrating Canada
Celebrating Canada Day at Sunset Community Centre.
There is no other city like Vancouver, and absolutely no other country like Canada. I’m proud to be Canadian!
And what a Canada Day celebration it was at Sunset Community Centre this year! Wonderfully hot and everyone happy, it was a great turnout with fun-filled activities for all.
There were lots of kids running around with our flag painted on their faces, while other enjoyed delicious food at the community centre. Thank you to the organizers for putting on the party. Happy Canada Day!
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- Celebrating Canada Day
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- Barj with the architect working on the Sunset Community Concept Master Plan
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- Barj with Patty Sahota (former BC MLA) and her niece
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- Barj with Jennifer and Doug Clarke, and Manjit Thandi
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- Barj with Bhalwinder and Mark, both directors with the Sunset Community Centre Association
Celebrating Philippines Independence Day
This year, the Filipino community celebrated the 116th anniversary of Philippines independence.
Filipino Canadians are proud that their ancestors fought the first revolution against western colonial rule in Asia. On June 13, I was fortunate enough to attend a gala commemorating Philippines Independence Day at the Renaissance Hotel in Vancouver.
Elena Agala and Barj at the Philippines Independence Day gala
I am fortunate to know Elena Agala, seen with me in the photo above. She is well known within the Filipino Canadian community, and has been instrumental in supporting relief and development in the Philippines through the network of Rotary Clubs in the Lower Mainland. In January 2014, she lead a team of dentists and educators to the typhoon stricken areas in the Philippines to provide relief, supplies (clothes and medical) and dental care. This Rotary Dental Mission was a partnership between Caring Hearts Dentistry Society (Richmond), Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise, and Rotary World Helps.
Many families were affected by the natural disaster that hit the Philippines. Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver provided a donation of $3,000, and I also contributed to this effort. In the past I have also supported similar efforts when families of some of our workers have been effected by natural disasters in the Philippines.
Showing compassion and supporting communities is an important part of being Canadian, and I am happy to have been a part of the Independence Day celebrations.