Coat ofArms

Tuesday 12 July 2011

July 1987 - 174 East indian Refugees







In July 1987 a boatload of 174 East Indian refugees, mostly Sikhs, landed in the fishing town of Charlesville on Nova Scotia's south shore. Three men were quickly arrested and sentenced for devising and carrying out the smuggling operation.  The refugees were all kept at the Canadian Forces Navy Base Stadacona in Halifax, Nova Scotia and I had been sent there as a Military Policeman(MP) from CFB Chatam, NB to provide security for their Lawyer Edward Greenspan, Q.C of Toronto, Ontario who eventually got most of them released and a lot went to  Vancouver, BC.  21 of them had been confirmed involved in Terrorist activities in India and were keep in the Brig(Jail) and we(MP’s) oversaw them.   Hence why in October 1987 I was sent to provide Security for the Aircrafts of the Heads of Governments that would attend the Commonwealth Head Of Government Meeting(CHOGM) in Vancouver, BC.  I loved Vancouver, and always told myself that one day I would move here, and I did in 1991
Me pointing at the board with all the names of the refugees that are kept in the "Brig" or Jail for being suspected of being involved in terrorist activities in India, Ironically all 21 of them had the last name "Singh"



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