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He has been recognized as being the first Sikh man to enlist with the Canadian Army in World War I.  PDSB has honoured Buckham Singh by naming a school in Brampton after him.

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Not every person worth remembering made it into the history books. Each month, the Secret Life of Canada shouts out a Canadian or Indigenous person that has had a lasting impact worth celebrating. These historical figures may not be on money or monuments but their legacies live on.
Pte. Buckam Singh's military contributions to Canada weren't widely known until almost 100 years after his service - but he has since been recognized as the first Sikh man to enlist with the Canadian army during the First World War.

Pte. Singh volunteered to fight for Canada despite the government's restrictive immigration policies against South Asian people.

Here are five things we learned about the soldier, whose service and sacrifice we celebrate this coming Remembrance Day.

1) He was unable to immigrate with his family

Singh was born in India and moved to Canada when he was 14 years old. When he arrived in 1907, it was a tumultuous time in the country for South Asian people.

At this time, over 98 per cent of South Asian immigrants to Canada were Sikhs. They became a target of hate groups like the Asiatic Exclusion League.

The Canadian government resisted South Asian immigration, but due to a labour shortage, British Columbia accepted Sikh labourers. Unfortunately, the immigration restrictions meant Sikh men like Singh were not allowed to immigrate with their families - a deterrent to discourage their migration.

2) Sikh Canadians were some of the earliest South Asian immigrants

In 1908, the Canadian government passed a law that stipulated all immigrants had to come to Canada by "continuous journey and through tickets from the country of their birth or nationality or citizenship." This meant coming to Canada would be almost impossible for most Sikhs, as there were no direct ships that sailed between India and Canada.

Sikh immigration fell from 2,623 people in 1907 to just six the following year, and the impact on the community's immigration numbers would be felt for the next 40 years.

3) He was wounded twice

Despite the forced separation from his family due to restrictive immigration policies, Singh enlisted to fight in the First World War in 1915. He would become a member of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. He as one of just nine Canadian Sikhs to fight in the war.

Singh was shipped out very quickly. He served with the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion in the battlefields of Flanders in 1916, and was wounded twice in separate battles.

4) He was treated in the hospital run by Lt. Colonel John McCrae

Injured from a gunshot wound, Singh was treated at a hospital run by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, the physician who would go on to write one of the most famous wartime poems: In Flanders Fields.

By 1917, as he was waiting to be sent back to the frontline, Singh developed tuberculosis. He was admitted to a Canadian-run military hospital and underwent surgery to remove fluid from his lung.

5) He was laid to rest with full honours, but never saw his family again

Singh was sent back to Canada to recover after his surgery. After arriving in Halifax, he made the long train journey to try to recover in Ontario. Sadly, he succumbed to the tuberculosis on Aug. 27, 1919, in Kitchener, Ont.

He had no family or community around him.

Singh was buried by the Canadian military with full honours and laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener. His grave is one of the only resting places of a Sikh Canadian soldier from the First World War.

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Meet Private Buckam Singh, one of the first Sikh soldiers to serve Canada | CBC Radio

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Not every person worth remembering made it into the history books. Each month, the Secret Life of Canada shouts out a Canadian or Indigenous person that has had a lasting impact worth celebrating. These historical figures may not be on money or monuments but their legacies live on. Pte.

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Learn more about the history of the Komagata Maru by visiting this site created by Simon Fraser University and Citizenship and Immigration Canada

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(say "va-SAH-kee"), also known as , is an important festival celebrated by Sikhs. Read on to learn more about this annual festival.

What is Vasakhi?

Sikh men hold sabres, known in Punjabi as "talwar", as they prepare to lead the annual Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Vaisakhi started as a harvest festival in the Punjabi region of northern India.

It also celebrates the creation of the Khalsa order. It promotes justice and equality and the creation of a more equal and just society. Members commit to wearing the five articles of faith and practice daily meditation. They also have access to their Sikh spiritual guide.

Today Vaisakhi is celebrated in Sikh communities around the world. The celebration is held on either April 13 or 14 every year.

What are the origins of Khalsa?

Wikimedia/public domain

Back in 1699, there was Sikh guru (a mentor) named Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He tested the courage and faith of his followers.

Crowds of people had gathered. The Guru held up a sword and asked if there were any volunteers who would give their lives for their religion. One after another, five men came forward and joined the Guru in his tent.

The crowds grew confused and uneasy. Then all of a sudden, the five men emerged from the tent alive. They were all wearing turbans. These five men are known as the Panj Piare , which means "the beloved five."

They had been baptised by the Guru. They became the first members of the Khalsa - devout members of the Sikh community.

How is Vaisakhi celebrated?

Due to current events celebrations are more challenging, but let's see how Vaisakhi celebrations have usually occurred in the past.

Devotees sit in front of the illuminated Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine on the occasion of Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year, in Amritsar, India, Tuesday, April 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Sikhs begin the Vaisakhi with a visit to the gurdwara , a place of worship. After religious services are held, people begin a day of celebration.

They wear colourful, traditional clothes as they take part in parades through the streets. There is lots of singing, dancing and chanting of hymns.

There's also a lot of free food. Giving out free food comes from a tradition called langar . Everyone in the community, no matter how rich or poor they are, would come together and share a meal.

Photo by Ciutat Vella BCN licensed CC BY-NC 2.0

Are there any other special traditions?

Photo by S Pakhrin licensed CC BY 2.0

During the festival, many people perform a traditional folk dance known as the Bhangra . This energetic dance is performed to the rhythm of a drum called the dhol.

Bhangra is said to have its roots in the 14th century. Punjabi farmers would dance to celebrate their harvest. Over time, it became a part of celebrations. You can see it at weddings and festivals, with both men and women dancing away.

On Vaisakhi, people dance the Bhangra while wearing bright costumes. It helps bring a splash of colour to the day's celebrations.

Photo by Guy Evans licensed CC BY 2.0

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(say "va-SAH-kee" ), also known as , is an important festival celebrated by Sikhs. Read on to learn more about this annual festival. Sikh men hold sabres, known in Punjabi as "talwar", as they prepare to lead the annual Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver.

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In order to view this video you will need to first visit https://byod.peelschools.org and login, select video resources, click on Learn360, and search for Sikh Introduction

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Official Statute for Sikh Heritage Month

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Official Statute for Sikh Heritage Month