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“He was up against giants and he succeeded,” Balwant Sanghera, who knew Johal for 35 years, said. “He was very hard-working, but he was also very humble, he never bragged about anything, he was always very respectful.”
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Johal, born in India on Aug. 17, 1922, died peacefully Monday just shy of his 99th birthday. He founded Terminal Forest Products in 1965, doled out millions-of-dollars to charities, was the recipient of the Orders of Canada and B.C., and the holder of an honorary doctorate in law from the University of B.C.
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By Balwant Sanghera
RICHMOND – Our pioneers set foot on Canadian soil more than 130 years ago. Since then they have worked very hard in the growth and development of the South Asian community and their adopted country, Canada. As a result of their struggles and sacrifices, our community has achieved a prominent place in Canada. Due to theirefforts, to-day, our community has become one of the most visible, resilient, generous and powerful ones in this country. We owe all of this to those brave, hardworking, visionary trailblazers of our community. India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas’ Chairman Asa Singh Johal is one of those respected pioneers.