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Naranjan Singh Grewall: first NRI Mayor of Mission, BC, Canada

 

Naranjan Singh Grewall:

NRI Naranjan Singh Grewall was the first (Indo Canadian) Mayor of Mission, B.C., Canada and the first Indo Canadian mayor within any city in Canada, in 1954.

He was elected Canada's first Sikh city councilor,to a public office in Mission, not only in Canada, but all of North America in 1950.

In 1941, he came to Mission, B.C. from Toronto, Ontario. He purchased and became the operator of six lumber companies across the Fraser Valley. Referring to holders of forest management licenses as 'Timber Maharajahs', he warned that within 10 years 3 or 4 giant corporations would effectively control the industry in B.C.

Mr. Grewall became a voice for the growing industry and openly critiqued the then government's policies of granting licenses to their friends. Throughout his life, Naranjan Grewall remained incredibly charitable.

During one trip to India, both Niranjan Grewall and his wife devoted themselves to the building of a modern school in their village of Jodhan in 1957.