Email - Canadian Sikhs Honor Peanut Butter Lady
Posted by Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia on Thursday, 7/20/2000 2:48 PM MDT

From: Harbans Lal ********************************************* Wednesday, July 19, 2000 The Halifax Herald Limited Sikhs honour woman who offered help 'Peanut butter lady' assisted refugees in 1987 By Michael Lightstone Thirteen years ago, she was the unassuming kitchen supervisor at her local fire hall. But to many Sikhs in Canada, Rosalie Stoddard will forever be known as "the peanut butter lady." The Woods Harbour woman was instrumental in helping 174 people who came ashore at tiny Charlesville, Shelburne County, in July 1987. It was like a surreal scene from a movie: residents of a sleepy, seaside hamlet awoke one Sunday to find the new arrivals wandering around in the fog. Most were Sikhs from India's northern Punjab region who said they were fleeing persecution in their homeland. All but one were men. Ms. Stoddard served the tired refugee claimants peanut butter and jam sandwiches and Kool-Aid at the Woods Harbour Volunteer Fire Department hall. She also helped them cope with journalists who were covering what was a sensational national news story. News outlets couldn't resist the mysterious nature of the Sikhs' arrival, and the fact that some had said they wanted to take a taxi to Toronto. Ms. Stoddard is "a friend of every human being who's hungry, who's thirsty and who needs help," said Jagpal S. Tiwana, vice-president of the Maritime Sikh Society. The community recently honoured her at a brief ceremony in Halifax. The tribute was part of an event marking the launch of a new book about the history of the local Sikh community and recognizing three founders. "She did a tremendous job," Mr. Tiwana said, adding Ms. Stoddard's patience and actions should serve as a model of tolerance. "She didn't care whether they were poor or Africans or Asians - it didn't matter. She said they were human beings first," he said. Ms. Stoddard, now 49, said she attributes her open-mindedness to her parents and Baptist upbringing. She's been honoured by other Sikh communities in Canada, but the Charlesville story has also seen hate mail sent her way. "There's good and bad in every race and religion. You can't tar and feather everyone with the same brush," Ms. Stoddard said. She said some of the poison-pen letters came from as far away as England. Ms. Stoddard acknowledged reaction in her community in 1987 was mixed. Most people supported the newcomers, but others wanted them kicked out of the country. "I have a philosophy that it doesn't take any more muscles to smile than it does to frown," Ms. Stoddard said in an interview. "And as long as you treat people the way you want to be treated, usually you'll get treated that way back." The refugee claimants dropped off at Charlesville arrived on the Amelie, a freighter that sailed from Germany they had paid to board. Most went on to Toronto and Vancouver. Canadian immigration officials ordered others to leave the country. Ms. Stoddard said she was so inspired by the 1987 experience she decided to upgrade her education and has since started a small business. Part of her story is told in The Maritime Sikh Society: Origin and Growth, a book edited by Mr. Tiwana. Told by the RCMP that the refugee claimants were to be driven to metro, "I decided we should feed them before they left, as it is at least a three-hour drive," the book quotes her as saying. Ms. Stoddard and a few other volunteers made platefuls of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. "There wasn't a sandwich left when they boarded the buses," the book says. The Book, " The Maritime Sikh Society : Origin and Growth" can be ord'd from Jagpal S Tiwana 134 Greenwich Dr, Dartmouth, NS, Canada B2N 2N5 email : [email protected] : Tel 902-435-3793 Price " $10 + $3 for Shipping & Handling Paul Tiwana http://home.istar.ca/~cye/india.html "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."--Eleanor Roosevelt

Email - Canadian Sikhs Ho... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 20.Jul.00)

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