By our reporter
TORONTO: Moga-born Jake Dheer is the one of the most well-known Indo-Canadian faces in Canada. He can be seen emceeing any major Indian event in Toronto – where it is India Independence Day celebrations, community welcome for any leader visiting from India, fund-raising gala events or major opening ceremonies.
This self-effacing Indo-Canadian is equally known across other Canadian communities because he sits on various trade boards, arts councils, community bodies, and foundations.
Jake Dheer has risen as high in his profession as many other high-achiever Indo-Canadians. He heads 10 TV channels of Canada’s major telecom player Rogers in the Dufferin-Peel region around Toronto.
This region under him includes the Indian-dominated cities of Mississauga and Brampton. Since these two cities have the largest concentration of the Indians in Canada, nobody knows the pulse of the community better than Dheer.
Indeed, Dheer’s rise is symbolic of the rise of the Indo-Canadian community in Canada in the past 40 years.
“When I landed here as a little boy in the early 1970s, racism was very rampant. We lived in the town of Kitchner (100 km west of Toronto) which was a German-dominated city. You were called Paki because of your colour and accent. My accent was fine, but you know kids can be very nasty,’’ recalls Dheer.
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Since there were not many Indians here back then, there were hardly any cultural avenues for them. So Dheer’s dad used to organizeg shows of Bollywood films for the community at the weekend.
“I used to help my dad and I remember that we screened major blockbusters such as Sholay, Silsila, etc., for our community in Kitchner. That’s how I fell in love with showbiz and films and later graduated in film/television from Toronto’s Humber College,’’ remembers Dheer whose family later moved to the city of Mississauga where he has now lived for almost 35 years.
One of the first Indo-Canadians to enter showbiz, Dheer worked with a cinema complex, publicity company and a major video chain before making his foray into television. “I was volunteering with Trillion Foundation – Canada’s largest granting foundation – who introduced me to the stage and I did some stuff for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News World and CTV.’’
Over the years, his contribution to television and volunteerism have brought him numerous awards, honours, fellowships and medals.
In 2005, this Moga man became the first Punjabi to be named the Citizen of the Year by his native city Mississauga. “It was a great honour by the people of Mississauga – now the sixth largest city in Canada.’’ Not surprisingly, he was also named one among 30 Most Influential People in his city by the local newspaper Mississauga News in 2013.
Apart from fellowships from Rotary International and Lions International, and numerous awards, Dheer has also been feted with the Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Canadian government.
Looking back, Dheer says, “My parents came here with very little and they struggled hard. Today, we Indo-Canadians have become very big, very successful and giving. No more `Pakis go home.’ We are welcomed everywhere now, we have become very influential – we have people like (billionaire) Prem Watsa….’’
Dheer says he is too proud of his Punjabi community for their accomplishments in Canada. “They came with only purpose – to succeed. They are determined, hard working and disciplined and dedicated to their family.’’
Indeed, Jake Dheer’s story is the foremost Punjabi success story in Canada.
From Moga to Mississauga, this son of Punjab has come a long, long way. ( This story first appeared in The Times of India on March 30, 2015)
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