Launch of Vancouver Desi news website

Fabian Dawson is editor of The Province’s new VancouverDesi.com news website, which will report on issues from the South Asian communities.

The Province newsroom today officially launched VancouverDesi.com — a comprehensive news website aimed at informing, engaging and entertaining one of the nation’s most influential and diverse ethnic groups — Canada’s South Asian community.

At launch, VancouverDesi.com already has more current local and international South Asian content and commentary than any other Canadian site.

Desi is a popular slang term for the people, culture and goods whose roots are from South Asia or the Indian subcontinent

“For us at The Province, being local means covering a community, a Diaspora and a cultural identity, not just a postal code,” said Fabian Dawson, editor of VancouverDesi.com and deputy editor of The Province.

“This is a very sophisticated demographic and Vancouverdesi.com will ultimately be powered by the South Asian community,” said Wayne Moriarty, editor-in-chief of The Province. “We have had a long and successful relationship with B.C.’s South Asian community and this is an extension of that strong bond.”

The site aims to create and post content and stimulate debate about culturally relevant issues with Canadian sensibilities, said Dawson.

“This is not about slapping a few South Asian stories on a mainstream news platform … Vancouverdesi.com is about bringing the mainstream into multiculturalism coverage,” he said.

“We’ll provide rich content from South Asian communities across Canada via the Postmedia network, local original reporting by The Province newsroom, partnerships with ethnic news outlets, high-quality news feeds from around the world and an unmatched network of diverse bloggers.”

CTV journalist Kuljeet Kaila is one of the site’s community bloggers.

“This website really showcases what Vancouver and B.C. and what Canada’s all about,” she said.

“You don’t have to be a part of the South Asian community to read it — and that’s the beauty of it,” said Kaila. “(Anyone) can read this site as well and get a good sense of what’s going on in the community.”

Kaila’s blog, “tech talk” focuses on technology used around the world.

Jas Sandhu, Director of the South Asian Professional Association, agrees.

“Sometime there’s a lot of positive news out there which might not hit the papers, so you want to get stuff like that out there,” he said. “I definitely think (the website) will be something useful.”

Radio India talk show host and author Gurpreet Singh said the site is “a milestone in the history of the Eurocentric media in Canada.”

“Vancouverdesi.com will go a long way in representing the Desi way of life, culture and the growing diversity within the South Asian community through its massive amount of coverage,” he said.

Richmond comedian and blogger for VancouverDesi.com Harvey Puni said the website finally provides a portal where the South Asian community can get an unbiased view on issues relevant to them.

“There has not been another site like this that … gets the legitimacy of being backed by someone like The Province,” he said. “I can go to this portal and get news that relates to the Indian community here in Vancouver and it relates better to people like me who were born in Canada but still want to get news about the Indian community without it being biased.”

“It’s an outlet for me to talk about stuff that is on my mind,” he said. “Along with being funny and coming up with just a lighter side … I can also have some deeper issues that I discuss, but I don’t have to be super serious.”

Puni’s blog, Hollywood Harv, comes from his comedic background, where he’ll be providing the lighter side of serious issues. His posts will cover “anything and everything” from sports to current issues and events.

Laura Ballance, founder and president of LBMG Vancouver, said there’s a need for a “high quality, targeted news site of this nature.”

“It’s clear it will become the must read website for the dynamic south Asian community in B.C.,” said the veteran media relations specialist.

Balwant Singh Sanghera, who was awarded the Order of B.C. for his multicultural advocacy, said he is impressed with the wealth of information contained in Vancouverdesi.com

“The commentaries are very stimulating,” he said.

lcahute@theprovince.com

twitter.com/larissacahute

Tags: Fabian Dawson, India, The Province

Deepak says:

October 2, 2012 at 4:30 pm

Dear Editor,
As an Indo-Canadian and a member of a family who has served in the Indian, British and Canadian military/para-military forces, I am surprised the Canadian Department of National Defence would consider adopting the name of a ‘Surrey cadet group to call itself the 3300 British Columbian Royal Army Cadet (Surrey Sikhs)’. The reference to Sikh (in this case Surrey Sikhs) is a named based on religion rather than geographical regions as stated in the writer’s opinion piece. Scottish Regiment in Victoria and Nanaimo, the Calgary Highlanders, Sudbury’s Irish Regiment are regional references. They do not say “Christian Highlanders”.
In this country of Canada, we should promote inclusiveness and respect for all religions and diverse communities versus identifying an entity purely on religion. Why would such a name as “Surrey Sikhs” minimize those of a Christian, Hindu Muslim, or Buddhist background or their contributions to the Canadian military or cadet forces? Even if one was to accept that reference should be made to a religious title versus a community, it should be noted that in India, there are approximately 24 Indian Army regiments, and in order of precedence, the Gorkha Rifles, Brigade of the Guards, and Bihar Regiment are consider some of the countries elite forces. The Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry and Jat Regiment are ranked 13th out of 24. The Canadian readers often confuse religion with region and/or community. The Indian community or the Punjabi community at large should be commended for their contributions to Canada. Not merely one religious entity (Sikhs) who in India, make up less than 2% of the India’s religious influence yet in Canada they wish to promote its sole religious values versus pure diversity and multiculturalism.
Deepak

Bibiji says:

October 2, 2012 at 12:14 am

please disregard racist remarks from “desis” and “non-desis”….uneducated, classless people with ignorant minds and misinformed opinions exist in every nation, culture, etc. Part of growing up is seeing past these scummy troll individuals and paying attention to those with substance, class, and a mind that sees beyond racism and prejudice views.

Don Berkeley says:

October 1, 2012 at 11:30 am

The Sikhs are a religion only and do not gain any respect by trying integrate their volatile religious
Doctrine into every walk of Canadian life including our sacred military
Eh

info says:

October 1, 2012 at 4:25 am

The Sikhs are nation without boundaries…not unlike the Scottish or the Irish

Jeff says:

October 9, 2012 at 11:14 am

If Sikhs are a nation, then what are they doing as part of another nation – Canada?