The kirpan, which is a stylized representation of a sword, will be allowed in public areas of Toronto courthouses subject to certain conditions.

The kirpan, the Sikh ceremonial dagger

Sikhs’ ceremonial daggers now allowed in Toronto courthouses

Published On Wed, 16 May 2012

Curtis Rush
Police Reporter

Toronto has become the first city in Canada to develop a formal policy allowing Sikhs to bring their ceremonial daggers into its courthouses.

The kirpan, which is a stylized representation of a sword, will be allowed in public areas of Toronto courthouses subject to certain conditions.

For instance, the court officer must be informed the person is a Khalsa Sikh, which is an initiated Sikh, and that they are carrying a kirpan.

Airport taxi drivers wait at the feeder station, which is where they stand by before they are called to the taxi stand to pick up passengers at the Edmonton International Airport on April 16, 2012. Photograph by: Ed Kaiser , edmontonjournal.com

Taxi drivers offered chance to train for transit jobs
By Elise Stolte, edmontonjournal.com April 16, 2012

(…)
EDMONTON – Two-hundred and fifty Leduc-based Airport Taxi drivers are losing their jobs at the airport, but might get the chance to drive public transit buses or work as cab drivers in the city.

Coun. Amarjeet Sohi said the City of Edmonton has agreed to cover the fees for drivers to attend a transit operators preparation course at NorQuest College. Letters inviting them to sign up are being sent out this week.

“The success rate from that course is phenomenal,” Sohi said. “People graduate from that training program, the majority of them are able to get employment with transit authorities.”

Other drivers might be able to get jobs with Airport Taxi’s new Edmonton-based blue fleet — the royal blue-coloured cabs parked at their new stand in front of the Crown Plaza Hotel downtown — or with other Edmonton taxi brokers.

They can take night shifts driving other cab owners’ cars in Edmonton, said Sohi. “There’s a commitment from the brokers to accommodate whoever wants to work in the industry.”

Though 20 per cent of Canadians identify as being part of an ethnic minority group, they represent only 7 per cent of blood donors. Narinder Jit Singh Mattu gives blood at the first-ever blood donor clinic geared to Punjabi speakers put on by Canadian Blood Services. The event was held at Sikh Lehar International temple in Brampton. Colin McConnell/Toronto Star

Brampton Punjabi blood-donation clinic a first
Published On Fri, 06 Apr 2012

Narinder Jit Singh Mattu gives blood at the first-ever blood donor clinic geared to Punjabi speakers put on by Canadian Blood Services. The event was held at Sikh Lehar International temple in Brampton.
Colin McConnell/Toronto Star
Stephanie Findlay and Valerie Hauch
Staff Reporters

A Brampton temple served Friday as a blood-donor clinic designed expressly for Punjabi speakers, a first for Toronto — and Canada.

“We’re in the right spot, in God’s house,” said first-time donor Vicki Bagree.

Recruiting from various ethnic pools has become a top priority for the Canadian Blood Services (CBS). “The majority of donors are 50-plus and Caucasian,” said Jennifer Mayhew, manager of donor services.

“We find that South Asians have a higher prevalence of the B-types, which is quite rare (in the blood bank).”

Though 20 per cent of Canadians identify as being part of an ethnic minority group, they represent only 7 per cent of blood donors.

The man violently uses his knife at around 21 seconds.

Immigrants changing Canada: Seneca College puts no restriction on wearing religious dagger (kirpan) by Sikh students 

WSO Convention Calls for Accommodation of the Turban at Canadian Workplaces

WSO Convention
Kelowna (November 5, 2011): The World Sikh Organization of Canada held its biennial convention on Saturday November 5th at Kelowna BC and adopted a resolution calling on provincial governments to exempt Sikh workers from hard hat requirements.

Jaspreet Singh

Vaisakhi Leeds 2011 / Panj Pyare carrying their Kirpans during the Nagar Kirtan

WSO Helps Resolve Seneca College Kirpan Issue
Toronto (October 19, 2011): The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has helped Seneca College student Jaspreet Singh secure the right to freely wear his kirpan on campus, and will be working with Seneca College in developing a policy document with respect to the kirpan as well as training materials for faculty, students and security.