Photo Release: Komagata Maru Commemorative Stamp

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Parm Gill, Member of Parliament for Brampton—Springdale pose with Canada Post’s commemorative Komagata Maru stamp, launched on May 6^th.

Photo by Jason Ransom

Today Conservative MP Parm Gill unveiled a stamp commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Komagata Maru tragedy. In 1914 the Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia where 356 of its 376 passengers from India were denied entry into Canada and forced to return to India.
“Since being elected I have been working with members of the community to find ways of commemorating this black mark in our Canadian history. I advocated the creation of this stamp to continue our Government’s efforts to commemorate this tragedy,” stated Gill. This stamp builds on the Prime Minister’s 2008 apology on behalf of the Government of Canada for the Komagata Maru tragedy. As part of the apology our Government also announced $2.5 million dollars in funding to build a monument, a museum, write books, plays, and websites that help commemorate and raise awareness of this tragedy in our country’s history. “There will be many opportunities to attend events to mark the hundredth anniversary, and I encourage all Canadians to take the time to remember those who lost their lives and the families that were affected by this tragedy,” concluded Gill.
StarBuzzOnline.com