It was a full circle moment for Williams Lake mayor Surinderpal Rathor Thursday evening (Aug. 8) at the Performances in the Park event.
Rathor, the city's first Indo-Canadian mayor, opened the evening, telling the large, diverse crowd of his first experience coming from India to Williams Lake in 1974. He recounted how he could not get a job at first because he was told he was not 'neat and tidy' with his beard and turban. Determined to succeed, a young Rathor shaved his beard and cut his hair, which he said saddened his wife.
"There was a day when I decided I've got to educate my Canadian friends ... we are segregated by colour, by race, by religion, by ideology. But let me tell you one way we are not segregated and that is (by) music, happiness, dance ... I wanted to make sure the issue I went through in 1974, I do my best so others don't have to go through."
With that, Rathor invited guests up to the stage to sing or dance, including Deskhsa Amal, Timmy Thampy as well as a large group of local women who performed Gidha dancing.
Thrilled by the performances, a group of men danced in the crowd and even hoisted the mayor up onto the shoulders of another man and danced. Rathor was gently placed back down where he spoke of what the evening meant to him.
"Today's event is a true mosaic, a true celebration of multiculturalism," Rathor told the Tribune of the celebration.
"It's marvelous. These people are working here, living here, and raising their families. Why shouldn't they be participating in the whole culture? Happiness, good things, bad things, everything. It's their community, they should be part of it. I'm glad they are."
City councillor Michael Moses said the only time he has ever seen the park so busy before was during National Indigenous Peoples Day.
"Otherwise I've never seen it this busy. I've never seen it this happy."
Former city councillor Laurie Walters said the event was beautiful.
"It's joy, it's happy, it's coming together, it makes me proud."
Rathor said he was glad the event was so successful and, as a result of that, plans are in the works to form a committee to host a Bhangra dancing competition in Williams Lake next summer to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple.
