This spring and summer, in-person and online engagement sessions focus on creating a museum in B.C. to celebrate Canadians of South Asian heritages.

The website is where people can upload written or video submissions and .

Surrey resident co-chairs a 13-member ministerial advisory committee tasked with gathering public input about the project.

香蕉视频直播淭he B.C. government promised to build a museum, but the engagement is all about trying to figure out what the objectives should be, and should it be a museum/cultural centre,香蕉视频直播� Gurm said.

香蕉视频直播淲hat kind of space should it be, that香蕉视频直播檚 another question, and then what do we want to call it, and where do you want it built? There are lots of questions on the (survey), that香蕉视频直播檚 just a few of them.香蕉视频直播�

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No construction timeline is given for the museum, plans for which date back to the provincial election campaign of October 2020, when .

The museum will be the first of its kind in Canada, according to B.C. Premier David Eby, and will 香蕉视频直播減reserve the rich history of the diverse South Asian communities in this province for generations to come.香蕉视频直播� Eby made the statement May 23, 2024, .

At Surrey City Hall on April 2, the day the B.C. government launched expanded public engagement focused on the project, that aimed to push for the quicker creation of the museum.

The museum concept has been criticized by some for using a broad term 香蕉视频直播淪outh Asian,香蕉视频直播� but Gurm is quick to defend what香蕉视频直播檚 considered a 香蕉视频直播渢emporary working name香蕉视频直播� for the facility.

香蕉视频直播淭he criticism is that 香蕉视频直播楽outh Asian香蕉视频直播� does not reflect a person,香蕉视频直播� Gurm said. 香蕉视频直播淪outh Asia is a place, a space made up of seven countries. So when we香蕉视频直播檙e talking about the museum, not only are we talking about that, but we香蕉视频直播檙e talking about people who might have gone from there to Africa and then to Canada or there to England and then to Kenya and then to Canada. So it香蕉视频直播檚 hard to describe who it is, other than it香蕉视频直播檚 people from an area. That香蕉视频直播檚 why we call it South Asian, to reflect all those people in that area.香蕉视频直播�

Gurm, born in the village of Mangata, Punjab, India, grew up in Vancouver. Today, she香蕉视频直播檚 an award-winning who is involved in history and museum projects.

Feedback will be summarized into a report published later this year, possibly before the B.C. election on Oct. 19.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e hoping that by September we would have a report on the engagement so that we can inform government as to what we want,香蕉视频直播� said Gurm, who co-chairs the advisory committee with Am Johal.

香蕉视频直播淧olitically, with government cycles, you know that during election time they香蕉视频直播檙e probably going to promise you more things than when they香蕉视频直播檙e sitting in session.香蕉视频直播�

The current round of engagement will be a good reflection of what the community thinks, Gurm hopes. The more people respond, 香蕉视频直播渢he better the data and the better the decision,香蕉视频直播� she added, 香蕉视频直播渂ecause if nobody bothers to engage, then you香蕉视频直播檝e just got people sitting around a table, you know, like myself and others that are on the committee deciding, and I didn香蕉视频直播檛 want that.香蕉视频直播�

So far, Gurm says people prefer either Vancouver or Surrey for the museum location.

香蕉视频直播淚t would be great for Surrey,香蕉视频直播� she underlined. 香蕉视频直播淚 do teach at KPU, and KPU has multiple campuses where we have space. It could be a partnership between the province and KPU, you know. It香蕉视频直播檚 an educational facility, and if there are lull times at the museum, then the university could use it (the space). But again, it香蕉视频直播檚 a biased opinion and I will be the first to admit that.香蕉视频直播�

The creation of such a museum is important, Gurm said, because when she was growing up, 香蕉视频直播渢here was nothing reflected in our history books about contributions of South Asians. They were written from a very Western European perspective, and so that change is needed because if we look at self-identity, self-concept, it香蕉视频直播檚 important to know who we are and where we come from. And when we don香蕉视频直播檛 have that, it has an impact on health. And if you don香蕉视频直播檛 have a healthy person, you香蕉视频直播檙e really not gonna be a good citizen, so to me, it香蕉视频直播檚 really important that we do try to do these types of things.香蕉视频直播�