Surrey’s Sikh community raises $28,000 for Summerland wildfire victims
Published 12:22 pm Wednesday, August 19, 2026
A coalition of organizations, places of worship, and South Asian media in Surrey collected nearly $50,000 in donations over two days for people affected by the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, B.C.
President of the Guru Nanak Food Bank and Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, Narinder Singh Walia, said people had dropped off $20,000 worth of essential items over the past 48 hours, and they also received cash donations totalling $28,000.
The money was used to purchase 14 skids worth of essential items from Costco.
“As a community, we have to stand up with all those people who are affected by the wildfire,” Walia said. “We are also thankful to all the people, all the community who stand every time with those people who are in need.”
It is “our duty” to help people in their time of need, he noted. “We have to stand with them,” Walia said.
All the donations were brought to Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib (15255 68 Ave.) before they were loaded into a trailer Wednesday morning (Aug. 19).
The semi-truck and trailer full of donations left Surrey mid-morning and will be dropped off at a Gurdwara in Penticton, where they will be distributed.
Guru Nanak Food Bank, Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, Sanjhay TV, Red FM, Connect FM, and Swift Radio collected the donations.
The Bald Range fire started on Aug. 7 about 15 km west of Summerland. As of Aug. 19, it is 22,693 hectares and still considered out of control. Fourteen evacuation alerts and eight evacuation orders are in place.