Vancouver Indian Diaspora and members of South Asian Community in lower mainland was invited to participate in community engagement sessions organized by various community groups including Culture Chats BC Association, India Cultural Association Of Vancouver, South Asian Collective Society, Marathi Society of British Columbia (MSBC).
The Province of B.C. has initiated an engagement with the Canadians of South Asian Heritage in British Columbia to share their inputs for South Asian Museum or Culture Centre. Questions like where it should be located, what it should be called, what acitivities should be part of this museum or cultural centre needs to be explored and answered.
These community engagement sessions organized by various cultural associations & community groups took places in various cities including New Westminister, Port Coquitlam, and Vancouver. However, many community members experssed their wish for the community centre to be built within the City of Vancouver boundaries.
It is expected to hear from the Province of B.C. regarding the outcome of these engagement sessions in early 2025. The community members are looking forward to having their own space as a culture centre where they can preserve their South Asian heritage roots and share those with generations to come. All the other communities have their spaces, only the South Asian Community is left behind said Neeraj Kumar of Indian Cultural Association Of Vancouver.