India Gate needs help

Members of the public are invited to make Vancouver history. The Original Punjabi Market Association of Vancouver is selecting members to advise in the design and construction of the gate to be built in Vancouver’s Punjabi Market on Main Street.

"Individuals interested in being selected to the advisory committee will need to submit their resumes, with a cover letter indicating their interest and what they feel this gate should represent," said president of the neigbourhood association, Daljit Singh Sidhu.

The gate, roughly estimated to cost $3 million, is to be dedicated to descendants of India who first settled in Vancouver more than 100 years ago. In 1993, then-mayor Gordon Campbell officially named the Punjabi Market and also approved street signs in the Punjabi language making it the first one of its kind established outside of India.

Members of the advisory committee are to represent all sectors and groups, from law to business to youth. They will be asked to give their input into the construction and development of the gate and assist with fundraising efforts, said Sidhu who has spent a decade lobbying for the gate.

The neighbourhood association is currently looking at two possible blueprints of the gate. Designed by the same man, who prefers to remain anonymous until a final decision has been made, the sketches are similar to the Millennium Gate which stands at the foot of Chinatown in East Vancouver.

"Both options are fairly similar," said Sidhu, "but one is a little more intricate and costs a little more. We’re asking the designer to sharpen his pencil so we can have the best for less money."

The gate’s exact price tag is still being calculated but Sidhu said that Premier Gordon Campbell and Mayor Sam Sullivan and council have already acknowledged support for the project.

"This historic monument will stand forever so it is very important for us to have the input and support of the Indo-Canadian community that has become part and parcel of this beautiful province of British Columbia and country of Canada," Sidhu added.

Anyone interested in submitting an application to be on the advisory committee can e-mail Daljit Singh Sidhu at [email protected].