Retired Navy Member Honored for Crisis Intervention Work Following Halifax Walmart Tragedy
Harkiran Kaur, a retired Royal Canadian Navy member and Eastern Passage resident, received the Nova Scotia Strong Award for establishing a community crisis intervention program through the Maritime Sikh Society after the death of 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur at a Halifax Walmart in October 2024. The initiative has assisted approximately 40 people and is expanding to support non-Sikh newcomers.
Harkiran Kaur, a resident of Eastern Passage, N.S., and a retired member of the Royal Canadian Navy, received the Nova Scotia Strong Award on Tuesday during the 52nd annual provincial volunteer awards. The award recognizes resilience during a time of tragedy or struggle.
The recognition follows the death of 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur, who was found dead inside a bakery oven at the Mumford Road Walmart store in Halifax in October 2024. In response to the tragedy, Harkiran Kaur spearheaded a community-based crisis intervention program with backing from the board of directors and executive at the Maritime Sikh Society. The initiative was designed to support newcomers facing mental health, immigration, and personal crises.
To build the program, Harkiran Kaur drew on her 20 years of experience creating recall lists for the navy to establish a grassroots recall list for the community. The crisis intervention program has helped around 40 people since its creation.
While the 2021 census recorded 4,730 Sikhs living in Nova Scotia, Harkiran Kaur believes there could be 20,000 or more Sikhs living in the province currently. Immigration to Canada was capped in 2024, affecting the arrival of international students and foreign workers.
The program's reach has extended beyond the Sikh community. Indian newcomers from outside the Sikh faith have sought help from the program at the Halifax gurdwara and are not turned away. The initiative is also being adapted for other immigrant communities.