Family sells land for Canada dream, now seeks funds for repatriation
A family from Barnala district in Punjab, which sold nearly two acres of land to send their son and daughter to Canada, is now desperately raising funds to bring back the body of their son who drowned in a Montreal canal. Over Rs 20 lakh has been collected so far through local and online campaigns.
Fundraising campaigns launched in Punjab and Canada
Friends, relatives, and neighbours of the two victims—Lovepreet Singh of Tapa Mandi in Barnala district and Yograj Singh of Butala village in Amritsar district—have started physical and online fundraisers to cover the costs of repatriating the bodies. According to Balwinder Singh, a neighbour of Lovepreet's family, around Rs 2.5 lakh has been collected in Punjab through local contributions. Meanwhile, an online campaign in Canada has raised nearly 26,000 Canadian dollars, with a target of 40,000 Canadian dollars.
Incident details: rescue attempt turns fatal
The tragedy occurred late Sunday night when Yograj Singh accidentally fell into the Lachine Canal in Montreal. Lovepreet Singh jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue his friend but also drowned. Their bodies were recovered after a joint search operation by the Montreal Fire Department and the Canadian Coast Guard. Both victims were in their twenties and had been living and working in Canada.
Family's financial struggle and community support
Lovepreet's father, Balvir Singh, a retired CRPF personnel, had spent nearly Rs 29 lakh—raised by selling the family's land—to send his son and daughter to Canada. Lovepreet had been in Canada for about two-and-a-half years on a work permit and worked as a truck driver in Montreal. His elder sister, Harpreet Kaur, is also studying in Canada. Balwinder Singh said, "The family has a limited source of income and survives on the pension received by Lovepreet's father. We have decided to contribute at least Rs 10,000 each to help them." Another neighbour, Gurpreet Singh, added, "Some of us have contributed Rs 20,000 each. The family had sold nearly two acres of land to send both their son and daughter to Canada. Now they are left with nothing except their house and two buffaloes."
Online campaign gains traction abroad
Friends of the deceased in Canada have launched an online fundraiser, which has so far collected nearly 26,000 Canadian dollars. The organisers aim to raise a total of 40,000 Canadian dollars to cover the expenses of bringing the bodies back to India. The community both in Punjab and abroad has rallied together to support the bereaved families during this difficult time.
