I first started watching hockey about three years ago with my family and I’ve seen Canada’s national sport change a lot in terms of its viewers and fans.
It’s fantastic to see that a majority of my fellow Indo-Canadian friends are starting to adopt different ways of living.
I know for a fact that if they chose Canada and specifically Surrey as a city they want to live in, they have a legitimate reason to go with that as well.
Hockey is what has taught my family to embrace the culture of Canada and most importantly brought my family closer to the many people of different cultural backgrounds, strengthening the bond between each other even more.
But the principle reason behind all this was what my family and I first came across a few years ago: Hockey Night in Canada – in Punjabi.
Since my parents have grown up speaking their national language, they were astonished to see that 20 years after arriving in Canada, they’ve had yet to experience one of the best sources of entertainment.
“What could be better than watching the national sport of the country that has given us shelter, freedom, occupation and helped us achieve our dreams and goals, in the mother tongue of the country we have been brought up in?” they stated.
There’s nothing wrong with watching hockey in English, but there’s also nothing wrong with having hockey commentary in the fourth most-spoken non-official language in Canada (according to Statistics Canada’s 2006 census).
It isn’t a reason to discriminate against anyone or anything. On one hand, we are ranting on about how Canada is a multicultural, multi-ethnic society that welcomes people from across the world, and on the other hand the time to show national pride and unity is being taken away from fans that enjoy watching hockey in their native language.
Having said that, it may even be the one and only language they are able to comprehend the sport with. Watching hockey in English is not the only way to increase English terminology.
Hockey is bridging any cultural gaps and changing the thinking of Indo-Canadian generations in an extremely good manner.
My personal thoughts are that I’d love to have Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi aired again by CBC, regardless how it is thought that it is an unnecessary waste of dollars.
Something that is exceedingly beneficial to the community and to the country as a whole would not be a waste of money. There is no lack of support to help get Punjabi commentary back on.
“Mahriaa shot te keeta goal!” as Punjabi commentators Harnarayan Singh and Amrinder Singh exclaim after the Canucks score a goal.
Navi Dosanjh, 15, Surrey