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Paldi is a settlement on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is in proximity to Duncan. This town included an Indo-Canadian community, and in 1973-1974 Paldi was the only Sikh enclave of any kind in all of Canada.
Contents
Map of Paldi, BC, Canada
Mayo Singh (1888-1955) founded the town, naming it after his hometown, Paldi, Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Singh, originally named Maiya Singh, was a Minhas Rajput. He believed that having a name that would be easier for Anglo Canadians to pronounce would benefit his business prospects, so he began going by "Mayo." Hugh J.M. Johnston, the author of Jewels of the Qila: The Remarkable Story of an Indo-Canadian Family, wrote that the name "Mayo" "may have had some resonance for" Mayo Singh because one of the viceroys of India was Richard Bourke, the Sixth Earl of Mayo.
The first gurdwara opened in 1917. A new gurdwara opened in 1928. In 2012 the gurdwara was for sale.
In 1953 Herb, Ted, and Gordon Singh, sons of Mayo Lumber Company partner Doman Singh, founded the Doman Lumber Company, which became Doman Industries.
Archana B. Verma wrote The Making of Little Punjab in Canada, which included a study of Sikhs living in Paldi.
Government and infrastructure
The Paldi post office first opened on June 1, 1936. On April 30, 1954 it closed, but on January 6, 1959 it was open again. On June 30, 1969, the post office closed permanently.