History
Sikhs began arriving in Ontario in significant numbers from the 1960s onward, as Canadian immigration laws were liberalized. By the 1970s, Sikhs were establishing gurdwaras across the Toronto region, particularly in Etobicoke (Rexdale) and Scarborough. Major waves of Sikh immigration followed in the 1980s — including refugees fleeing the violence following the 1984 Delhi pogroms — and the 1990s onward. Brampton emerged as the pre-eminent Sikh city in the diaspora through the 1990s and 2000s, driven by its affordable housing, established Punjabi community, and growing employment base. The Ontario Gurdwara Committee coordinates over 40 Gurdwaras in the Greater Toronto Area alone.