Gurdev Singh Gill

Gurdev Singh Gill (28 November 1931 – 17 December 2023) was an Indian-born Canadian physician, community leader, and activist. He was recognized as Canada's first medical doctor of Indian origin. As a community advocate, he furthered many issues relevant to the Indo-Canadian community.

Gill received the Order of British Columbia in 1990, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, in recognition of his services.

Early life

Gurdev Singh Gill was born on 28 November 1931 in Kharoudi, a village in the state of Punjab Province, British India, to Gurbachan and Dilbag Singh Gill. He had three siblings. Gill came to North America in 1949, first landing in Pasadena, California where his grandfather was, and later traveling to Seattle in a train. He then went to Duncan on Vancouver Island where his father lived, by ferry. He first worked in a paper mill. After completing grade 12, he enrolled in the University of British Columbia's medical school. There, he co-founded the East India Student Association and also served as the group's first secretary. In 1957, he became the first Indo-Canadian to graduate from the school. He was a founding member of the Indo-Canadian Friendship Society which led village improvement projects in Punjab, India, including set up of waste water treatment plants, enabling access to safe drinking water, and providing local schools with computers. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In addition, he also received UBC's Global Citizenship Alumni Achievement Award in 2013, and the UBC MAA Wallace Wilson Leadership Award in 2018.

Gill died in Chandigarh, India, on 17 December 2023, at the age of 92.