A labour of love
AFTER 14 YEARS OF FUNDRAISING, THE SIKH TEMPLE ON OLD GUELPH ROAD IS NEARLY COMPLETE
The Gurdwara Shaheedgarh Sahib Hamilton on Old Guelph Road in Dundas is finally getting the finishing touches for which the local Sikh community has spent the last 14 years fundraising. The temple recently took possession of ornate domes to top off the south side of the building. Another 54 smaller domes of similar design will line the parapets. The domes were built over six months out of fibreglass by Lakhvir Singh in India. Singh is in Hamilton to oversee the installation and says that the main dome is the largest one he has ever constructed for clients in North America.
“This has been a 100 per cent community effort,” said Harpreet Singh Gill, one of four directors of the Gurdwara, referring to the fundraising done through donations to raise the estimated $120,000 for the project.
The larger domes — which include the massive 3,000 kilogram central dome that rises 36 metres above the ground — were installed by crane on Wednesday. Close to 70 members of the Gurdwara came out to help, whether by pitching in with the physical labour or preparing food. The small domes were still being hauled up by volunteers even as darkness fell the next day.
Gill says the main structure of the building will be painted white to match the domes in the next few months, with a large celebration planned for when this labour of love — one that has been years in the making — is totally complete.