Brampton park being renamed after Canada's first Sikh Member of Parliament

A GTA park will soon sport a new name honouring Canada’s first-ever Sikh member of parliament.

Brampton’s Rhapsody Park, a small park with green space and a playground located at 50 Burlwood Road, will soon bear the name Gurbax Singh Malhi Park. Brampton City Council voted to approve the park’s renaming earlier this year during their August 11 meeting.

Malhi, a longtime Brampton resident himself, was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 as the Liberal representative for Bramalea-Gore-Malton. He served for 18 years until he was defeated in 2011 by the Conservative candidate. Not only is Malhi known as the first Sikh federal representative in Canada, but he was also one of the first in the western world.

“Serving for 18 consecutive years as the Member of Parliament for Bramalea–Gore–
Malton, and the fast–growing community of Springdale, the Hon. Gurbax Singh
Malhi has helped open the doors of Canadian Parliament for minorities, for
generations to come,” reads a release from the City of Brampton.

During his time in Parliament, Malhi held several notable positions, including minister of national revenue, minister of human resources and skills development, minister of industry, and minister of labour.

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The City of Brampton will host an official renaming ceremony at the GTA park on Tuesday, December 7, at 12 pm. Malhi will be in attendance, along with Mayor Patrick Brown, City Councillor Harkirat Singh, and Regional Councillors Gurpreet Dhillon and Rowena Santos.