Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): The Dashmesh Culture Centre (DCC) Gurdwara Sahib Calgary hosted the Ward 5 Day of Action and Community Clean-Up on Saturday, August 29, bringing together residents, community organizations, seniors and volunteers from different backgrounds to promote cleaner neighbourhoods and stronger community connections.
The initiative, led by Ward 5 Councillor Raj Dhaliwal, was held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at DCC, located at 135 Martindale Blvd. N.E. Bags, gloves, water and clean-up routes were provided to volunteers, while residents who had not registered or been assigned to a team were also welcomed and connected with available clean-up zones.
Speaking about the importance of the event, Councillor Raj Dhaliwal said hateful comments had recently been directed toward the community and that the clean-up provided an opportunity for people from all communities to come together and demonstrate unity and togetherness. He emphasized that working side by side on a community initiative sends a strong message of respect, cooperation and solidarity.
The event also saw participation from members of the Hindu Society of Calgary, including Happy Mann , Rajesh Punj, Lokesh Sharma and other committee members of Hindi Society . They joined the clean-up and shared their thoughts on the importance of different communities coming together, supporting one another and maintaining a spirit of harmony. Their participation reflected the multicultural character of Calgary and the importance of building bridges through community service.
Members of the Chestermere Punjabi Bazurg (Seniors) Society also actively participated in the initiative. Volunteers included Jagjit Singh Grewal, Rajinder Singh Kooner, Gurraj Singh Virk, Hari Singh Mahesh, Ranjodh Singh Chahal, Sukhdev Singh Bhura Kohana, Sukhchain Singh, Baldev Singh Sandhu, Jaswant Singh Sohal, Ranjit Singh Tattla, Sher Singh and Mahinder Singh. They worked alongside DCC representatives and other volunteers during the clean-up.
Several collection locations were made available across Ward 5 for litter and larger items, including 95 Falshire Dr. N.E., 92 Castlebrook Way N.E., 156 Tarawood Lane N.E., 151 Skyview Bay N.E., 1749 Cornerstone Blvd. N.E., Genesis Centre and Dashmesh Culture Centre.
Ranbir Singh Parmar, Chairman of the Dashmesh Culture Centre Board of Trustees, and Harpal Singh Grewal, President of Dashmesh Culture Centre, expressed their appreciation to Councillor Raj Dhaliwal and all the volunteers who participated. They particularly thanked members of the Chestermere Punjabi Seniors Society, the Hindu Society of Calgary and other community members who came forward to support the initiative.
The Ward 5 Day of Action was about more than cleaning streets and public spaces. It became a visible demonstration of community unity, volunteerism
