November 4, 2025
RED FM News Desk
‘Canada Post has unveiled a new commemorative stamp to honour the long history of Sikh soldiers who have served with the Canadian military. The stamp was introduced over the weekend during the annual Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony in Kitchener, Ontario.
Historians estimate that around 250,000 Sikh soldiers fought alongside Britain and its allies during both world wars. Yet, despite their courage, many Sikhs in Canada faced barriers to enlistment due to discrimination.
“Only ten broke the barrier in the First World War – most fighting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Europe – including eight who joined before conscription,” Canada Post said in a press release.
The corporation noted that renewed research in recent decades has shed light on the forgotten stories of these trailblazing Sikh soldiers, whose service and perseverance paved the way for greater inclusion in Canada.
Among them was Private Buckham Singh, one of the first Sikh Canadians to enlist. At just 22, he served with distinction, surviving multiple injuries before later succumbing to tuberculosis in 1919. Singh was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Kitchener, the only known military grave in Canada of a Sikh soldier from the First World War.
The cemetery has since become the site of the annual Sikh Remembrance Day ceremony, now one of the largest gatherings of Sikh soldiers and veterans in North America.
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