Abbotsford Sikh Temple
Abbotsford’s 1911 Gurdwara: A National Historic site
The Abbotsford Sikh Temple is a Canadian National Historic site and possibly the oldest standing Sikh Gurdwara in North America. It was built in 1911 and is the oldest surviving example of the temples which formed the religious, social and political centre of pioneer Canadian Sikh communities. Architecturally, it is an adaptation of traditional Sikh forms to Canadian conditions which nevertheless embodies the fundamental beliefs of Sikhs and their early experience as immigrants in Canada.
Abbotsford is a city found in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, western Canada. A 10-minute drive from the Washington, U.S.A. border, Abbotsford has an altitude of 54 m (177 ft) and an incredible view of Mount Baker. It is surrounded by the beauty and serenity of mountain country and sits on the south bank of the Fraser River. Its proximity to Greater Vancouver, which is 68 km (42 mi) away, makes it an excellent holiday destination. Making up about 20 per cent of the population today, Indo-Canadians were some of Abbotsford's early pioneers, first arriving around 1902 from Northern India. Most of the Indo-Canadian pioneers were young Sikh men who had to leave their families behind in India so they could earn money abroad to support them. The Abbotsford Lumber Company hired these men, who made a significant contribution to the economic, social, cultural and political well being of the community.
The Trethewey family bought the assets of Cook, Craig, and Johnstone in Abbotsford in 1902. Their Abbotsford Lumber Company employed European, Japanese, Chinese and Indian workers. A company town laid out from the mills along Mill Lake Road was soon built. The company donated lumber to the young pioneer Sikh men to build a gurdwara (a Sikh temple). The men carried the lumber over one kilometre (three-quarters of a mile) on their backs from Mill Lake, where the lumber company sits, to what is now South Fraser Way, where the temple still stands.
The western storefront styling of the temple reflected the desire of the men to integrate in their new home. As was traditional, the temple was placed on a high piece of ground, overlooking the community. The Gurdwara was recognized as a National Historic Site on July 31, 2002. Although it wasn’t the first Gurdwara to be built in B.C., the Vancouver Temple was built in 1908, it is the oldest standing Gurdwara in Canada, perhaps North America
Description of Historic Place
The Abbotsford Sikh Temple is a one and one-half storey, wood-frame vernacular structure set on a full raised basement, with a false front parapet, an upper balcony running along three of the facades, and a prominent poured concrete stairway leading to the main central entrance on the upper level. It is located on a prominent knoll on South Fraser Way in the centre of Abbotsford, between the early settlements of Clearbrook and downtown Abbotsford. The Sikh Temple has been designated as a National Historic Site, including the original Temple building with its additions, the present 'Nishan Sahib' (flag pole) and the bases of earlier flag poles, including the remnants of the base of the original 'Nishan Sahib'.
Contact information
Address: 33094 South Fraser Way Abbotsford BC Canada V2S 2A9 Telephone 1 604 850-7338
