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Shelburne and Orangeville host flag-raising ceremonies for Sikh Heritage Month

April 16, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The flag raisings, held throughout the day on April 15, are meant to recognize and celebrate Sikh history and contributions to Canadian history.

In 2013, April was first recognized in Ontario as Sikh Heritage Month, created to both acknowledge and celebrate the Canadian Sikh community. Across Dufferin County, municipalities held their own flag raisings in tandem with the local Sikhs. Orangeville and Shelburne both hosted flag raisings and proclamations in the morning on April 15.

In Shelburne, municipal leaders and staff, along with Sikh community members, gathered at Jack Downing Park, across the street from town hall, to raise the Sikh flag together.

Shelburne Councillor Len Guchardi, attending on behalf of Mayor Wade Mills, welcomed attendees and expressed the town’s ongoing dedication to inclusion and diversity.

“I want to offer my welcome to everyone that is here today,” he said. “Today is a very special day for the town, because we are coming together to raise the Sikh Heritage Month Flag. The community, our town, we welcome everybody. We remain an inclusive community, and we thank you all for being a part of our community.”

Before the flag was raised, the Sikh community took time first to honour and thank Canada for welcoming them, singing ‘Oh Canada’ before the Sikh national anthem.

Once they concluded, the Sikh flag was raised, marking the end of the Shelburne ceremony.

Afterwards, the group moved to Orangeville to conduct a flag-raising ceremony outside of its town hall, at the intersection of Second Street and Broadway.

Representatives from the Town of Orangeville, led by Mayor Lisa Post and councillors Joe Andrews and Debbie Sherwood, met with Sikh community representatives inside town hall. Community leaders again began with an acknowledgement of the warm hospitality Canada has offered their community, and sang ‘Oh Canada’, followed by the Sikh anthem.

Following the anthems, community leaders shared the history of Sikh Canadians and their long-lasting legacy on Canadian history. Despite initially facing severe discrimination, early Sikh immigrants established their roles in the forestry and railway industries.

Mayor Post followed with a proclamation officially designating April as Sikh Heritage Month in Orangeville, recognizing the significant contributions Sikh Canadians have made to the country.

“Whereas the Sikh Heritage Month Act of 2013 proclaimed the month of April each year, as Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario… the province of Ontario recognizes the important contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to Ontario’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric,” she said. “Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate, and educate future generations about Sikh Canadians and the important role they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario.”

“Therefore, I, Mayor Lisa Post, on behalf of council, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2026 as Sikh Heritage Month in the Town of Orangeville, and encourage the citizens of our community to recognize and celebrate Sikh Heritage Month,” Mayor Post concluded.

Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario has historical significance for the community.

Ontario was the first province in Canada, and the whole world, to recognize the contributions of its Sikh population. April also holds spiritual significance, as it is the month Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi, a major holy day marking the new year in their faith.

With ceremonies held in both Shelburne and Orangeville, as well as other municipalities in Dufferin County and across the province, the day’s events underscored a shared commitment to recognizing the history, culture, and ongoing contributions of Sikh Canadians within the community.

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