NRI Naranjan Singh Grewall was the
first (Indo Canadian) Mayor of Mission, B.C., Canada and the first
Indo Canadian mayor within any city in Canada, in 1954.
He was elected Canada's first Sikh city councilor,to
a public office in Mission, not only in Canada, but all of North
America in 1950.
In 1941, he came to Mission, B.C. from Toronto,
Ontario. He purchased and became the operator of six lumber companies
across the Fraser Valley. Referring to holders of forest management
licenses as 'Timber Maharajahs', he warned that within 10 years
3 or 4 giant corporations would effectively control the industry
in B.C.
Mr. Grewall became a voice for the growing industry and openly
critiqued the then government's policies of granting licenses
to their friends. Throughout his life, Naranjan Grewall remained
incredibly charitable.
During one trip to India, both Niranjan Grewall and his wife
devoted themselves to the building of a modern school in their
village of Jodhan in 1957.
