Jagmeet Singh, 38, became the first Amritdhari (baptised) Sikh to lead a federal political party in Canada with his victory in the National Democratic Party leadership race on Sunday. A criminal defence lawyer, he will be the first turbaned Sikh to run for the country’s prime ministership in 2019.
Here are five more Sikh trailblazers in Canadian politics:
Ujjal Dosanjh, 70, was the first Punjab-origin premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. He is a former Canadian minister of health. He served as the 33rd premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and was a Liberal Party of Canada member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011. He succeeded Herb Dhaliwal as the Vancouver South representative in the House of Commons.
Herb Dhaliwal, 65, was the first Sikh to become a federal cabinet minister in 1997. Then prime minister Jean Chretien appointed him revenue minister. Two years later, he became minister of fisheries and oceans and in 2002, he was appointed minister of natural resources and minister with political responsibility for British Columbia. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1993 as the Liberal member of Parliament for Vancouver South.
{{/usCountry}}Herb Dhaliwal, 65, was the first Sikh to become a federal cabinet minister in 1997. Then prime minister Jean Chretien appointed him revenue minister. Two years later, he became minister of fisheries and oceans and in 2002, he was appointed minister of natural resources and minister with political responsibility for British Columbia. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1993 as the Liberal member of Parliament for Vancouver South.
{{/usCountry}}Nina and Gurmant Grewal, 58 and 59, are the first married couple in Canadian history to serve the House of Commons as Conservative Party MPs at the same time. First elected to parliament in 1997 for the riding of Surrey Central and re-elected in 2000, Gurmant represented the riding of Newton – North Delta from 2004-05. Nina represented Fleetwood—Port Kells from 2004 to 2015.
Tim Uppal, 42, was the first turbaned Sikh to become a federal minister in Canada. Then prime minister Stephen Harper appointed the Conservative Party’s Edmonton MP to his cabinet in 2011. During his tenure as minister of state for democratic reform, Uppal focused on over-populated constituencies and redistribution of federal riding borders.