Members of the Bhavsager Sikh Temple in Oliver spent long days and nights on the road this past week, bringing vital food, water and other supplies to Princeton as well as stranded motorists, truckers, staff and guests stranded around Manning Park Resort.
With the closure of Hwy 3 due to various landslides and flooding including the main damage covering nearly 37 km of roadway between Sunshine Valley and Allison Pass Summit from 17 to 54 km east of Hope, Manning Park became a sheltering point for stranded travellers.
Relief efforts brought food and supplies to Princeton and Manning Park.
Hundred of others were also stranded in their cars along the side of the road. And Princeton has been reeling from the impact of severe flooding, leaving countless people out of their homes.
Harjit Sidhu, an elder at the Oliver temple told the Times-Chronicle that the local temple community was working with the Canadian arm of Khalsa Aid, an international NGO that provides humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world. Khalsa Aid operates on the Sikh principle of ‘recognizing the whole human race as one’.
A massive effort took place, not only on the roads delivering the important cargo, but in the kitchen of the Bhavsager Temple as dozens of volunteers cooked the food destined for people in need in Princeton and Manning Park.
A roti production line at the Oliver temple.
Sidhu said that amongst the food handed out to the stranded hungry and weary travellers and truckers included rice, curry, roti, pizzas and 7,000 litres of water. The multiple trips back and forth were made more lengthy by the fact the temple convoy had to travel north from Oliver to the Hwy 97C connector, across to Hwy 5 and then down to Princeton to rejoin Hwy 3.
This was necessary due to road erosion from the swelling Similkameen River east of Princeton. Commenting on the help the temple community extended, Sidhu said: “We like to help. The first Guru taught us if you have a dollar to feed yourself, feed yourself with 25 cents and help others with the 75 cents.”
Similar relief efforts by Sikh temple communities were undertaken across the hard-hit areas of the province delivering food, water, clothing, mediation, and more.
This Sunday, Nov. 21 the Bhavsager Sikh Temple in Oliver is celebrating one of Sikhism’s most important festivals with the birthday celebration of Guru Nanak the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth in 1469 is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab in October–November.
Sidhu emphasized that everyone is welcome to join in the festivities and enjoy some Punjabi food from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
