Sikh National Archives of Canada

Sikh National Archives of Canada
Location16 Regan Road, Unit 37, Brampton, Ontario, Canada, L7A 1C2, Brampton, Canada
TypeReligious and cultural archive
Established1999
Websitesikhnationalarchives.com

The Sikh National Archives of Canada (SNAC) is a Canadian Sikh organization dedicated to collecting, storing and archiving historical, religious, and cultural literature, scriptures, books, articles, and other materials relating to Canadian Sikhs and their religion. It further aims to improve the promotion and understanding of Sikh values, culture, and heritage. It is a registered charity in Canada.[1][2] Originally based in Ottawa, the archive is now located in Brampton.

Operations

Photograph of Ajit Singh Sahota, co-founder of the National Sikh Archives of Canada and former president of the World Sikh Organization, taken on 16 April 2026

The Ajit Singh Sahota began collecting Sikh materials after Operation Blue Star and the destruction of the Sikh Reference Library in 1984.[3] The archive became a registered charity in 1999.[4][1] It was co-founded by Ajit Singh Sahota, whom had served as the president of the World Sikh Organization from 2001 to 2005.[5][6] Since 1984, the archive's collection was housed at its main office in Ottawa on 1181 Cecil Avenue. Most financial support for the archive comes from individual donors and its operations are run by volunteers.[7] One volunteer active in the organization is art-therapist Rapinder Kaur.[8][9] Some of the materials in the archive's collection were donated by Jaiteg Singh Anant.[10] It has partnership agreements with the Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies (GNI).[11] In 2020, the organization digitized 350,000 pages.[3] The archive hosts data that may be useful for genealogy.[12]

The organization conducts community scanning events, where it volunteers to freely scan and digitize materials (such as documents, photographs, literature, relics, artefacts, letters, manuscripts, newspaper articles, magazines, scrapbooks, journal entries, and medals) held by the community related to Canadian Sikhs and Punjabis.[4] The archive hosts an online website that makes digitized literature and other material available for public reading.[7] It also hosts informational events at local libraries and schools.[13][14][15] The archive is currently located in Brampton, Ontario.[16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Sikh National Archives of Canada". Canada Helps. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  2. ↑ "SIKH NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA". Benevity Causes. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 Sahota, Ajit Singh. "Learn about the history of how the archives came into existence, it's mission and commitment to preserving the Canadian Sikh experience". Instagram (in Punjabi). Sikh National Archives of Canada. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Preserving & Digitizing Sikh Canadian Memories - Sikh National Archives of Canada". Sikh Heritage Month. 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "Ajit Singh Sahota". Ottawa Citizen. 23 May 2009. p. 28.
  6. ↑ "Ajit Singh Sahota's answer". Ottawa Citizen. 19 February 2009. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 "About Project". Sikh National Archives of Canada. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Reynolds, Tony (27 November 2023). "Portrait of the Art Therapist". In the Hills. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Meet the team - Rapinder Kaur". art as therapy. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Sandhu, Gian Singh (6 January 2026). "Jaiteg Singh Anant: A life dedicated to memory, scholarship, and Sikhi". The Indo-Canadian Voice. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Library". Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Canadian genealogy links and resources - Religious archives". Government of Canada. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "National Sikh Heritage Month - Exhibition". Milton Public Library. 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  14. ↑ Guerra, Valentina (31 March 2024). "Sikh Heritage Week: learn about Sikhi and Sikh History in Canada with Brock's Sikh Student Association". The Brock Press. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Art + Archive Workshop". Vaughn Public Libraries. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Local History and Genealogy: Other Local Collections - Sikh National Archives of Canada". Brampton Library. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
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