As president of Indo-Canadian Community Centre (ICCC) since 2016, he has played a pivotal role in the much-needed development of the organization and significantly enhanced the profile of ICCC in the community through numerous initiatives including: charity and philanthropy for the hospitals, food banks, relief funds for COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala floods disaster, EKAL Vidyalaya, ICCC partnership with the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute (uOBMRI); Compassionate Ottawa, Youth Program, etc. As treasurer, he was successful in making ICCC Community Centre building mortgage-free during 1999–2001 and raised relief funds for the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. He has a strong conviction on the saying that “Great things happen when we all work together”.
His birth in a Hindu family always prompts him to give back to the community with tan (body), mann (mind), dhan (wealth) for religious, spiritual and community initiatives. He has actively participated in the Hindu Temple of Ottawa-Carleton activities since 1984 and is now the vice president since 2018. His involvements include singing devotional bhajans, coordination of festivals, programs for children, technology applications, fundraising for the needy and the upcoming multi-million dollar Hindu temple expansion project which could provide additional community services and promote Sanatana Dharma and India’s growing soft power.
An ardent believer that that God and Guru reside in everyone, he regularly participates in spiritual gatherings at his home, gurudwaras, Art of Living centres and other gatherings. During the 1970s, he served as vice president of the Ottawa Junior Board of Trade, president of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers, and started Junior Achievement, Ottawa. He fondly remembers his grandfather, Dewan Chand Talwar, who showered immense love on him and also taught him the basic tenets of life: hope, responsibility, personal presentation. In 1970, he donated for a dharmshala in memory of his late grandfather in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. As part of his initiatives, he has four endowments – at the Ottawa Hospital Foundation for Kidney Research, Royal Ottawa Hospital Foundation for Mental Health Research-Schizophrenia, Children Hospital of Ottawa Foundation for annual research scholarship for final year MBBS residents and an Aqueduct Foundation at Scotia Trust for religious and other humanitarian causes. All these are his way to promote rich Indian heritage and cultural values and strengthen Canada’s multicultural mosaic.
His belief that prakriti (providence) makes him do all that he can do for himself and the society, constantly reminds him to greatly appreciate and be immensely thankful for everything, including people around him who make him. “I too had received support from people that made me reach here. My uncle, Shiv Charan Laul Talwar, patriarch of the family and my godfather, was a rich, intelligent businessman. His love, kindness and support for everyone always inspired me, and he made me understand the importance of family values and be thankful for nature’s blessings if something happens through you.”
Kanwal’s other two role models for inspiration, Daya Chand Malhotra (re. Dakshin Bharat-Pillars of Punjab – Professor Dhawan Book) and maternal uncle, Dev Pal Seth, were embodiments of love and always helped extended family and friends in many ways including starting a business. From them, he learned being responsible, kind and loving to those who hurt you. He adds, “I grew up with support and love from my family and many people including all neighbours. It makes me realize a bit of support can help many like a young and unknown Kanwal grow up to be what he is today”.
Born to Omkar Nath and Raj Kumari in 1944 in Lahore, Kanwal grew up in New Delhi. His family and grandparents had moved to Calcutta to Mr. Laul’s house before the 1947 partition and later settled in New Delhi where his grandfather purchased a house for the family. Both his mother and maternal grandmother inculcated values of patience and contentment in him. A student of D.A.V. School till grade 8, he was always academically outstanding. Moving to D.I. Khan School for his higher secondary, he scored the first division position in his board exams. Though he was less interested in sports, he enjoyed playing cricket. His academic performance easily helped him score a seat in every good college of the University of Delhi. After his B.Sc. in physics (honours) degree, he scored first division at prestigious IIT-Madras (Chennai) for his B.Tech. degree in electrical engineering and was also awarded a scholarship for MBA program at the prestigious IIM-Ahmedabad.
Life is a learning process
Canada first happened to him in 1959 – in his mind to financially support his family – while he was still in grade 10. He finally got to fly to Canada while still in MBA and landed in Montréal on 28 April 1967 when the EXPO 67 – World Exhibition opened. Canada was going through a phase of massive unemployment in the engineering sector at that time. His cousin and aunt supported him but he moved to Ottawa in May to work as a consulting design engineer for Ottawa’s tallest building, Place de Ville. Hard work pays, not without smart work though. Within three months, he was given a raise. He could sense the high competition in the new city, which pushed him to be even more competitive. He took another evening part-time job in electrical design and within a few months had two paying jobs.
To be in a better economic situation, he knew hard work wasn’t the only thing to help. He studied public administration (DPA degree at the Carleton University), volunteered at community organizations, secured a job at the department of defence production and soon witnessed a potential growth in his social, professional and economic status. His first arranged marriage failed and made him learn legal proceedings and self-representation at the Ontario Superior Court for his divorce proceedings in 1979. His hard work and constant quest for new learning provided him opportunities in management and consulting positions for large technical and financial projects at both Public Works Canada and Industry Canada departments. As a planning manager for Canada’s 1974–1984 conversion to the metric system, and his senior positions until 1997 in promoting Canada as an attractive tourism destination not only accomplished his love for travel for over 23 years in Canada, the USA and overseas but also enhanced his knowledge, skills and experience in handling public-private sector partnership and complex undertakings. “All this didn’t satisfy me. I was still missing something, or at least I thought so,” confesses Ken. “I took an early retirement at age 53 and the sudden death of my second wife, Dolly, at an early age of 50 in 1997 left me with new challenges. She was an accomplished and a well-known paediatrician. From 1999 onwards, as the president of Guru Reliance Consulting Limited, he undertook management consulting and strategic planning assignments in high technology and financial systems planning and retired from active professional employment in 2006 to spend time on travelling and a variety of other interests.
Reborn in personal progress
A person’s true growth is when experienced from all around. When he was growing professionally, his family too was growing and so was he as a human being. Dr. Dolly Singh influenced progress from religion towards spirituality through frequent attendance of samagams, wherein the universal and inclusive teachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji are recited and eloquently propagated with Bauji Jaswant Singh’s talks and writings.
Kanwal follows Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev and recently Gyanvatsal Swami for yoga and spiritual awakening. He believes in advaita (nondualism), one of the most influential schools of Vedanta. He helps in coordinating their Ottawa visits and events. A chance encounter with a mentor and friend, Brij Mohan Chadha, in 2001, along with messages from their gurus propel him towards inner peace and awakening.
Ken’s sons, Rajee Dharmesh and Rishi, and daughter, Sonia, are all doing well. Sonia is an established psychologist in Los Angeles and Rishi is a law student at the University of Ottawa. Quite in love with India, Ken still follows happenings and development in India and listens to PM Modi.