By a reporter
TORONTO: A humble and gentle Sikh, Toronto entrepreneur Surjit Singh Babra has always tried to live his life as per his faith’s tenets of kirat karo, wand chhako (earn an honest living and share with society).
Beginning his entrepreneurial journey in the early 1970s under the brand name of SkyLink, he has made his name in the airline/aviation/cargo industry by creating many high-powered companies.
But even when he was busy building his SkyLink Group with its various offshoots – SkyLink Aviation, SkyLink Travel, SkyLink Express, SkyLink Holidays plus Dollar Rent, Babra never forgot to donate to charitable causes and set up SkyLink Children’s Charity to support underprivileged kids.
Living up to his faith’s tenets, Babra has just donated one million dollars to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) towards establishing its new School of Medicine in Brampton.
It will be the first new medical school to open in the Greater Toronto Area in over a century.
“I have made the donation because we have a dearth of doctors here. Our population has increased so much over the decades, but no new medical college has opened to train new doctors. The doctors coming out of this school will be quickly absorbed by many hospitals around the GTA,” says Babra who is currently the Chairman and CEO of SkyLink Capital Corp.
In appreciation of the Babra family’s huge donation, Toronto Metropolitan University has decided to name the school’s largest classroom, the Surjit and Remy Babra Classroom, an active learning space designed to foster innovative, engaging and interactive learning experiences.
“The seed I am sowing today will help future generations. Since everyone deserves good healthcare, we need to give back to society that has given us so much,” says Babra who was honoured with the Business Person of the Year award by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce in 1996.
He says he is excited to make the donation also because of his past links with Ryerson University – renamed Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in 2022.
“I had worked with Ryerson in the digital area many years ago. One of my daughters also studied there. So when they approached for support in March this year, I studied the proposal and decided to commit the donation.
I am excited the state-of-the-art new School of Medicine will integrate artificial intelligence in diagnosis,” says Babra who has also been supporting Toronto’s Sick Kids’ Hospital for nearly two decades.
Thanking the Babra family for the donation, Toronto Metropolitan University president and vice-chancellor Mohamed Lachemi said, “Surjit and Remy have identified a vital need in our communities, and I am grateful for their partnership in addressing it. Their investment will support a new generation of doctors who are culturally aware, technologically adept, and prepared to transform our healthcare system.”
Dr. Teresa M. Chan, dean of School of Medicine, said Babra’s “generous gift will help the school realize its commitment to fostering equity and diversity in healthcare.”
Set to welcome its first batch of MD students from September 2025.
the new School of Medicine will be located at the former Bramalea Civic Centre which is being converted into a state-of-the-art medical facility. It will also house a primary care clinic.
Babra, who is a recipient of many awards, including Mother Teresa Humanitarian of the Year Award, B’nai Brith Canada’s Award of Merit, Gulland Excellence Award, Transformation Enterprise Award, World Travel Mart Award and Navigator Award, also supports underprivileged kids in India through his SkyLink Children’s Charity.
“Through our SkyLink Children’s Charity, we have been supporting children in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan in India for many years now,” he says.
“We support Akal Academy near Dehradun in the education of poor children. They have a sponsorship programme under which you support a kid’s education from kindergarten to grade 10. We have adopted 10 kids there,” says Babra.
In India’s desert state of Rajasthan, he supports small farming families with drip irrigation, water tanks and education of their daughters.
“I sponsor 35 girls – they get cycles and books. We have created water tanks so that these girls don’t have to walk long distances to fetch drinking water for their families from distant places.”
Ever a humble person, he says, “I just pass on to others whatever is being given to me (by God).”
Apart from his SkyLink Capital Corp., Babra also has partnership in Highbury Canco – a food manufacturing business. Highbury Canco purchased the Heinz Leamington plant in Ontario, with 250 employees.
They have over 550 employees today.
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