OUR TEAM

Satwinder is a seasoned commercial lawyer who has provided leadership to and advised many nonprofit entities. Among others, he was the Chair of the Peel Multicultural Council (Kimbermount Place) social housing initiative. Satwinder was a founding member of the Centennial (now Sikh) Foundation. He has participated in and written about leading cases which have established the rights of Sikhs to wear their articles of faith. In 2001 he coordinated the Canadian contingent of a NGO presenting at the United Nations WCAR conference. He was a board member of the Peel Police Services Board. By day his practice focuses primarily on commercial and condominium law. Satwinder has been involved in anti- racism initiatives for decades and is currently chair of his law firm’s equity, diversity and inclusion committee. He has contributed to a book on condominium law and has written articles on the quest of Sikhs in their right to wear articles of faith.

Baljit is an accomplished businessman and an excellent team player. Serving as a Lay-Bencher (director) at the Law Society of Ontario for twelve years, he has offered his time and perspective on numerous issues. He has collaborated with many organizations, helping them with social and political issues that affected their business and communities. Baliit’s selfless efforts have garnered a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for social service in the community.  Always willing to go the extra mile, he brings skills and perspective that will add value to any organization. 

Bhagwan has over 30 years of experience working in various senior management roles in IT, including 25 years at a financial services firm. He has also owned and managed commercial real estate for over 10 years.  Among other volunteer positions, Bhagwan Grewal was the Chair of the South Asian Advisory Council of United Way for Peel Region and is a member of the City of Mississauga Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC). Bhagwan holds a Masters of Science degree. 

Deepa is a lawyer and Executive Director at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (2019 to present) she was working as the Director of Legal Services at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (2016 – 2019). Before joining the Schlifer Clinic, Deepa was Project Co-Ordinator, Staff Lawyer and Executive Director at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (2007 -2016). Deepa, in her role at the Schlifer Clinic, manages Legal, Counselling and Interpretation services at the Clinic.  As a Director of Legal Services Deepa managed the Independent Legal Advice (Sexual Assault) Program at the Clinic. Since 2016, Deepa is an Adjunct and Visiting Faculty at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. Deepa was also appointed as Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School (2017- present) for her role as the Co-Director of the Feminist Advocacy Program, hosted at the Schlifer Clinic. Deepa also manages three important projects related to the Criminalization of women and Risk assessment of gender-based violence. Deepa was the Law Foundation of Ontario’s Community Leadership in Justice Fellow at Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto (2017). She has trained thousands of service providers for best practices and legal education to work

with forced marriage survivors, racialized non-status women, and immigration law clients in the context of gender-based violence. Deepa has appeared before parliamentary committees and commissions on a wide range of social justice and human rights issues as well as acted as an observer at various forums such as UN headquarters. She has represented hundreds of clients at multiple tribunals and courts in multiple jurisdictions. Since 2017, Deepa has supervised the Clinic’s public interest interventions at various appellate Courts and has represented the Clinic at the Supreme Court of Canada. Deepa works as a consultant with many organizations for strategic planning, social responsibility, evaluation, change management and equity and diversity audit and training.

Dr. Syan graduated from the Government Medical College of Patiala and pursued post-graduate training in internal medicine from the prestigious Post Graduate Institute, Chandigarh. He trained as an Internal Medicine Specialist in Scotland and was awarded the MRCP (UK) designation. Dr. Syan pursued his career as an Internal Medicine Specialist in Saudi Arabia before serving as a chief of Internal Medicine and chairman of the Intensive Care Unit, at the regional hospital in Yorkton Saskatchewan for four years. He was awarded the FRCP in Internal Medicine.

Dr. Syan worked at the Ottawa Heart Institute for a year. He was awarded the FRCPC and subsequently was accorded the Diplomat Nuclear Cardiology, USA. He retired as a cardiologist in Sudbury.

He has shown a lifelong commitment to community services. He was the president of the India Canada Association in 2007. He was on the Police Advisory Committee, Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Art Association as well as being a board member of the Sudbury Sikh Sangat. He immensely enjoys his time with his family. All three daughters are high grade medical specialists. 

While not involved in his entrepreneurial activities and community activities, Dr. Syan enjoys singing and Bhangra.

Nav is an accomplished entrepreneur who has led in the growth of a successful insurance brokerage in Ontario.   Over the past 20 years, he has been a strong advocate for political participation as a vehicle for community activism,  having mentored current and past elected officials, as well as served in the roles of Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff  for members of Cabinet in the Government of Ontario.  In addition, Nav has led as the Chair and Campaign Manager for many successful  political candidates at all levels of Government.  His passion for community activism provided him with the privilege to serve  as a Board Member with the William Osler Health Foundation, where his efforts contributed to the naming of the Guru Nanak Emergency  Department at the Brampton Civic Hospital. Nav has also provided his leadership to community organizations such as the  Centennial (now Sikh) Foundation, as well as the Spinning Wheel Film Festival, which provided a platform for filmmakers to preserve  and promote Sikh history and culture in Canada.

Pawanjeet Garewal is a community leader and progressive thinker. She is  rooted in her philosophy for way of life and service in Sikhism.  For over 30 years Pawanjeet has supported the settlement journey of hundreds of newcomers to Canada. Her love for human service knows no bounds,  and her humility opens difficult doors for people. She loves to problem solve and be a conduit for access to resources for people in distress  and need from all walks of life.

"Give me more-so I can give away more” sums up the philosophy of Pam Hansra. Pam is an entrepreneur-philanthropist and role model for women of South Asian origin in Ontario today. She came to Canada in 1974 and is the first Indian Punjabi woman to venture into the financial lending industry. With over 25 years of experience, Pam heads a fast-growing financial consultancy company in the GTA and emerged as a major fund-raiser for major political party and Indian Air Force Veterans Community Association, Canada. Over the years Pam has helped students at all points in their educational journey whether it be donating books, clothing, or teaching materials to primary schools in Punjab, India or providing scholarships to well-deserving kids to attend high-school and post-secondary education. Pam

has also assisted several international students, young women from low-income families and new immigrants by finding employment opportunities and mentoring them to leverage various private and public resources to achieve success in Canada. Pam has an uncanny ability to connect with people with the right resources. Pam continues to use her strengths to leverage her network to connect those in need and support her local community.

Compassion and service is at the heart of everything Prempaul puts her name to. As a realtor, Prempaul has shown her dedication to families in her community for over sixteen years. Her entrepreneurial spirit has exposed her to various changemakers in her social network. In addition to her professional skill set, Prempaul is grounded in her fundamental values of Sikhism. Her selfless service, commitment to equality, and her empathy for humanity are at the forefront of everything she participates in. Above all, Prempaul is passionate about access to justice and fairness concerning women, the elderly and the under-privileged. Her care and consideration guide her to act and to be a voice of support and change for those in need. Prempaul understands the immigrant story and the many challenges as well as the opportunities of success that people experience. She is a firm believer that kindness and encouragement can go a long way and create a ripple effect that has the power to change lives. Her active engagement in Sukhmani Haven is a benefit to all.