Arwinder Kaur: Punjabi, Sikh, French speaking, activist… “all at once”

Posted On: January 21, 2023

reading time : 5 minute

[LA RENCONTRE D’ONFR+]

HAMILTON – Hamilton Regional Association of French-Speaking Communities of Ontario (ACFO) since last November, Arwinder Kaur has set himself the challenge of representing French-speaking people in a vast territory, which extends beyond the city limits of steel. In the Hamilton area alone, 45,000 people say they are bilingual and 13,000 speak French as their first language. Challenges, identities and journeys on the microphoneONFR+.

“First of all, how is the French-speaking community west of Toronto doing?

I live in Brampton in the Peel Stake and have worked in four of them for almost eight years now. I can tell you that the community is doing well, although there is still a lot of work and demands to be made, especially when it comes to service in French. That said, a long way has been traveled and much has been accomplished there, such as the French signage we see more often today.

What route did you take before arriving in the Peel Region?

I was born in 1988 in India, in Punjab. Therefore I am Punjabi by my culture and Sikh by my religion. At the age of 5, I arrived in Belgium with my family as a refugee because in the 80s and 90s the climate was very erratic in northern India, and in the region from Liège I did all my schooling in French, including my education which higher.

Then, in 2012, I moved to Brampton, Ontario, an English-speaking province. It was really there, while waiting for my work permit, I realized that I missed French because I only had English and Punjabi around me, even though before arriving in Canada, I had sold the country as bilingual, which is far from the word. case.

*Arwinder Kaur participated in a 2018 protest against Doug Ford’s cuts targeting Franco-Ontarian. Courtesy*

Based on these observations, how do you bounce back?

During this period, I did a lot of volunteer work in French, especially within Entité 3. After that, I found my first real position as community liaison officer for the Oasis Center des femmes because the feminist movement is very dear to me. From there, I built quite a network, which led to me, in 2014, becoming the community liaison officer at Conseil scolaire Viamonde, a job I still hold today. For the rest, you know it (laughs).

Has this unusual journey as an immigrant influenced your commitment to immigration issues?

Yes, we can say that immigration issues and challenges have always intrigued me so far, whether in Belgium or here in Ontario. I am also someone who admires philosophy, sociology, anthropology and societal changes at the cultural and human levels, one might even say that this fascinates me. Immigration covers all of these issues.

*Arwinder Kaur participates in 2022 in the Toronto Franc’Open Mic scene. Courtesy*

Qis it a priority project on your ACFO Régionale Hamilton agenda?

The three priorities were first a strategic, non-symbolic rapprochement with Hamilton’s new mayor, Andrea Horwath because, during her election campaign, she had promised to look into the city’s French-speaking problems. Not just words because he gave them to us in writing. Moreover, during the election, he was the only candidate who agreed to answer the questionnaire sent out to all the candidates by our organization.

The second priority concerns two well-known French-speaking high schools that are still unsaid. This is a file that has been dragging across the table for years and the desire of the community here is to see it come to fruition. Lastly, we aim to continue to oversee the French consulting desk in Hamilton (which incorporates local French speaking organisations).

What are your hopes for the new mayor in light of the development of the Francophonie?

What I wish for is action and not just words or empty words. For example, when he says he’s going to check files and there’s going to be close collaboration, I expect there to be active collaboration.

You are right talking about two famous schools whose inauguration has been announced for 2018. Why such delay? Can we expect a release soon?

In this case, I can’t provide an answer because there are many layers and actors involved in this file. But, I think we’ll have more concrete answers in the months ahead given, to be precise, this rapprochement with the new mayor.

*Arwinder Kaur participates in the 2019 de Peel-Duffrin-Hamilton francophone Table meeting. Politeness*

With the change of mayor, the Franco-Ontarian flag now flies permanently in front of Hamilton Town Hall. This fight, led by ACFO Régionale Hamilton, is not a quiet river…

Indeed, with the former mayor, there was a problem with the permit that was granted several months earlier and then revoked by the municipal government. There are also missing files and people blaming others for it… In short, we would say that there are many little stories surrounding this file. Have we been given answers to all of this? The answer is no! But the story is settled now.

ACFO Hamilton’s outgoing president, Jérôme Pommier did a good follow-up on this file and they eventually handed over the flag and offered an apology. That said, this is a matter of symbolism and ACFO wanted more than symbolism, without minimizing the fact that this was a huge step to achieve because, ultimately, there are not many cities in the Southwest where the Franco-Ontarian flag flies. full time!

*Arwinder Kaur (center) during French-speaking Immigration Week 2022. Politeness*

Apart from French, you are fluent in four other languages: English, Punjabi, Hindi, Spanish, apart from Dutch, which you understand. Where did you get this polyglotism from?

It started in India, because considering the number of languages spoken there and the vastness of India, we had to speak English among ourselves, whereas at home it was Punjabi. So we grew up there, de facto, in a multilingual environment. As for French, and a little bit of Dutch, it was in Belgium that I learned these languages. Apart from Spanish I studied at the university there. But in general, I like languages.

Your tweeter profile reads: mother, wife, Sikh, Punjabi, Belgian, French speaking, Canadian, feminist, activist, humanist, linguist, sociologist, knitter, painter, optimist and pessimist. Who and/or are you really?

All this at once, because the identity is not fixed. »