At the recent dedication ceremony for the naming of the new Royal Roads University in Langford as the John Horgan Campus, both Doni Eve, president of Sooke Region Historical Society, and I were delighted to be present to share in the wonderful recognition of our former premier, beloved to so many of us. After the announcement was made by Premier David Eby, it was so great to see Ellie Horgan go to the dais to acknowledge the honour, it brought tears to our eyes.
At the ceremony, it was Elder Shirley Alphonse who offered the blessing. We’re pleased to show here a photo of Premier Horgan with Shirley Alphonse at the opening ceremony for the new Sooke River Jack Brooks Hatchery in 2022. John was always so supportive of all our efforts for salmon and education at the Charters River Salmon Interpretive Centre.
At the event’s reception, hosted by Ravi Parmar (recently elected our MLA and now serving as a B.C. cabinet minister), we had the opportunity to share in all the stories about John Horgan, our shared salmon efforts and to chat about area history.
In Parmar’s new role as forests minister, it was great to chat with him about two families, who, like himself, had Indian heritage. These two family leaders, Kapoor Singh and Mayo Singh, played an extensive role in the early forest industry of British Columbia. Through their initiative and a lot of hard work, these partners established forestry empires extending beyond Sooke and Leechtown into the Cowichan Valley in the 1920s.
West of the town of Duncan, a village was set up, with family homes and crew bunkhouses which offered employment to hundreds of workers in the 1920s and 1930s, both in the woods and in the sawmills. Called Mayo at first, the village became better known as Paldi.
Actually it’s interesting to remember that in 1980, the boiler for the steam donkey we have on display at the museum was a gift from Rajindi Mayo. While there was a school at Paldi, during the 1930s there was a school at Kapoor village as well, with a Sooke girl as teacher. Kapoor Singh’s two daughters, Jagdis and Sarjit Kapoor, went on to further education at university and became medical doctors. They became known for the philosophy of “giving back” learned at their father’s knee, and established a small hospital back in India.
Today, the Kapoor name is recognized by a plaque at the park alongside the old Leechtown site, and by the 5.5-mile Kapoor Tunnel which now carries water from Sooke Lake to Goldstream to serve Victoria. We understand that currently there are more negotiations over further forestry lands between B.C. and the Kapoor family descendants. History continues.
Elida Peers is the historian with Sooke Region Museum.
