Parvasi Awards

Parvasi Awards


Year 2015 Awardees

Best Writer Award

PRINCIPAL SARWAN SINGH ( Prolific Writer)

Since publishing his first book in 1978, he has written more than 30 books in Punjabi. He has been writing sports columns for leading Punjabi Newspapers in India and Canada for many years. He is a well known name in sports circles. He has recently written biography of Balbir Singh Senior, member of three Olympic gold medal winning teams for India.
He has won several awards in his long career -
National Award for Sports literature in 1983 and 1990.
Shiromani Punjabi Writer Award from the language Dept, Govt of Punjab.
Punjabi Sahitya Academy Award in 1999.

Best Youth Award

JESSICA GAUDREAULT (Water Polo Player who won silver medal at recent Pan Am games in Toronto)

Jessica played for junior Canadian water polo team which won many international competitions.
She played for Team Canada at
- Junior World Championships in Italy 2011.
- FINA World Youth Women's Water Polo Championships in Perth, Australia 2012
- FINA World Youth Women’s Championships in Volos, Greece 2013
- FISU Games in Kazan Russia in 2013
- and many other international championships.
She is now a key member of the Canadian women`s water polo team

Outstanding Social Service Award

SEVA FOOD BANK & CJMR 1320

Seva Food Bank is an initiative of Sikhs Serving Canada. Inspired by the spirit of “Seva” it addresses the challenges of food security, poverty reduction and economic renewal. It develops and executes programs to provide food to the needy families and supports them in their journey to self-reliance by addressing the root causes of their hunger.
A large multicultural team of more than 100 volunteers of Seva Food Bank serve hundreds of needy families of all faiths every month.
Since 2012, on Guru Nanak day every year, in partnership with CJMR 1320, hosts of Punjabi radio programs conduct a full day Radiothon to collect funds and food for Seva Food bank. The collection of funds and food is rising every year and has become a major source of funds for Seva Food Bank.
Last year CJMR 1320 Radio hosts
Dilbag Chawla, Rajinder Saini, Kuldeep Deepak,Tony Marwaha, Satpal Johal Sukhbir Sidhu, Raj and Harjot, Dr Balwinder , Sukdev Gill, Davinder Bains, Jatinder Jaswal, Navraj Grewal, Gur Tirath Singh Pasla, Jasvinder Khosa and Aman helped collect $ 110,000 and 30,000 tonnes of food.

BEST SPORTSPERSON AWARD

JAGJIT SINGH KULAR( an outstanding Hockey player, coach and sports administator in a career spanning 3 countries)

Jagjit Singh Kular comes from the famous village in Jalandhar district- Sansarpur, which has produced the largest number of international hockey players for India.
He played for Kenya in 1968 Mexico City Olympics and 1972 Munich Olympics. He also played for Kenya in World Hockey Championships in Barcelona 1971 and Amsterdam 1973 and several Africa Championships. He has won numerous awards in his long and distinguished career.
He came to Canada in 1974 and was assistant national coach for Canada from 1978 to 1988. He was Executive Director of Field Hockey Ontario and Quebec. He has been Manager of Senior and Junior national teams. He is currently manager of the national Junior Hockey team.

Best Journalist Award

ADRIENNE BATRA (Editor-in-Chief of Toronto Sun and 24 hours Toronto)

She is the first Indo Canadian Chief Editor of a major Canadian newspaper.
She was also a TV host on Sun News network.
She is the recipient of Diamond Jubilee medal for her work in journalism and communication. She became a familiar face as the Director of Communications for Rob Ford's 2010 Mayoral campaign.
Later she was Rob Ford’s Press Secretary in Mayor’s office.
Born and raised in Saskatchewan by parents who immigrated to Canada from Punjab in 1967, she has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Public Administration.
She has served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves where she obtained the rank of Lieutenant.
She worked as an opposition researcher at the Saskatchewan Legislature and later became the Manitoba Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Best Artist Award

KULWANT SINGH (Talented Painter)

Kulawant singh grew up in Bhatinda, Punjab and was interested in becoming a painter since childhood. He studied Fine Arts in Punjab University, Chandigarh and completed Maters degree in history of Art from Guru Nanak Dev university, Amritsar where he was the Gold medalist.
He regularly won first prize for his paintings during his university years. He also won several national prizes for Portrait and Figurative painting in All India Art exhibition and Vishwa Chitra Kala Parishad competitions.
He immigrated to Canada in 2002 and continued painting as a hobby and discovered that his talent is being appreciated by people who understand art.

Best Business Person Award

SURJIT BABRA(well known and highly successful Businessman and a serial Entrepreneur in the field of Air travel)

Surjit Babra was born in India and raised in Kenya and India.
He selected travel business as his career in the UK in 1972.
He established the first SkyLink Travel office in Toronto in 1979.
Since then, he started and invested in numerous travel companies, aviation companies and other transportation companies with great success.
His company SkyLink Travel Group has a global presence and operates in many countries.
He has received numerous honors for his achievements as a businessman and for his community service and philanthropic activities.

Lifetime Achievement Award

MOE SIHOTA(well known personality in politics and public life in British Columbia)

He studied law at the University of Victoria and has several firsts to his credit.
He was
1. The First Indo-Canadian elected to a Legislature in Canadian History as MLA in 1986 and re-elected in 1991 and 1996.
2. The First Indo-Canadian appointed to a Cabinet in 1991 as Minister of Constitutional Affairs in BCs NDP government.
3. The First Indo-Canadian Government House Leader and Minister for Crown Corporations.
4. The First Indo-Canadian provincial party President as NDP President in BC from 2009-2013.
He also served as Minister of Labour, Minister of Environment, Minister of Education and as Minister of Social Development in his long political career.