The Charan & Daljit Gill Grant
Mr. Charan Gill came to Canada from Hong Kong as a young man with a mission to advance what have now become our defining values as Canadians. Charan Gill was joined by his wife Mrs. Daljit Gill and their three children a couple years later.
They have both shown a lifelong commitment to social justice—each in their own way. While Charan was well-known for his ground-breaking, pioneering work in social activism, Daljit supported the work by feeding and hosting the many gatherings essential to making change. It is the often-unrecognized labor of love. While Charan may have led the people, it was Daljit that fed and cared for the people. This award recognizes their different yet essential contributions. Their work has touched the lives of thousands and inspired equally many to pursue social justice issues.
In the 1970s, Mr. Gill co-founded the Canadian Farm Workers Union to advocate for basic rights for farm workers; and when hate groups were vying to gain a foothold in Canada, Mr. Gill co-founded the BC Organization to Fight Racism. In the 1980s, Mr. Gill founded the Progressive Indo-Canadian Community Services Society (PICS) as the first social services agency of its kind. Its aim is to reduce barriers for visible minorities, support youth-at-risk, combat abuse against seniors, and provide transition support for immigrant women and children facing violence. His efforts led PICS to become a premier community organization with over 100 staff with a multi-million-dollar budget and includes the Seniors Housing Complex (2002), the Seniors Assisted Living Complex and Adult Day Center (2007), and the Harmony House (2012).
Mr. Gill was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Laws by Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2013 and the Order of British Columbia in 1999. Just before his retirement in 2017, he secured 2.5 acres of land in Cloverdale and launched the PICS Diversity Village project to provide long-term care for seniors.
Fighting for social justice is never easy, and it’s sometimes hardest on the families. Throughout Mr.Gill’s journey, Mrs. Daljit Gill has always been by his side, fostering his values and supporting his endeavors through the toughest of times. It is timely that Charan and Daljit Gill are duly recognized for their life-long achievements and community involvement. To honour their community service, the Charan and Daljit Gill Grant assists post-secondary students active on social justice issues.
For more information on Charan Gill, please click here.
Required Criteria
Income Requirement
Canadian applicants must have a family income of less than $30,000 per year or have a family income of less than $30,000 CDN per annum in terms of the purchasing power parity (PPP) in their home countries.
Public Post-Secondary Requirement
Applicants must be enrolled in a public post-secondary educational institution.
Preference will be given to students enrolled in programs related to social justice or who have considerable involvement in social justice organizations as long as they meet the required criteria.