Canada is home to the largest number of Sikhs outside of India. Most Sikhs settled in places like Greater Vancouver and Toronto, but the third-largest concentration is in southern Alberta.

Professor Michael Hawley, Ph.D., Mount Royal University, embarked on the project to study the history of southern Alberta’s Sikh community. The project uses social media to uncover layers of Sikh settlement going back to before Alberta existed as a province. The Southern Alberta Sikh History Project is recording the patterns of Sikh migration and settlement in southern Alberta, examining Sikh religious and cultural expressions over time, exploring Sikhs’ ongoing connections with Punjab, and looking to understand how Sikhs have been represented in the media, politics and law in the region.