In Loving Memory of

Labh Singh Chahal

A Tribute to Our Beloved Grandfather

Born 1946 • Joga, Mansa, Punjab, India

Passed Away at Age 80

“I was a man with nothing. I came with nothing. This country gave me

everything.”

Early Life & Education

Labh Singh Chahal was born in 1946 in the small village of Joga, in the

Mansa district of Punjab, India - just one year before the Partition that

would reshape the subcontinent forever. The son of Sucha Singh, he was

adopted by Jagar Singh and raised in a joint family. He grew up in humble

surroundings with few facilities yet carried within him an extraordinary

drive for knowledge and service.

He went on to graduate from Punjab University, becoming one of the first in

his community to earn a Bachelor of Education with studies in Hindi and

Science. Education was not merely a personal achievement for him; it

became his life’s mission.

A Man Who Changed His Village

Before leaving India, Labh Singh had already begun changing the face of his

village through education. He organized educational camps and worked at

the local school in Joga, planting seeds that he would return to nurture for

decades to come. He believed that knowledge was the greatest gift a person

could give, and he carried that belief with him across the ocean.

The Journey to Canada

In 1982, he made the courageous decision to leave everything he knew and

move from Joga to Canada. When a recession forced him to return to India

in 1983, he did not give up. He reapplied and came back to Canada in 1984,

this time bringing his young family — his wife, his son, and his daughter.

​

They arrived with little to no money, settling in Edmonton with almost

nothing but hope and determination.

Canada became his adopted home, and he embraced it with a gratitude that

defined the rest of his life.

A Life of Hard Work & Devotion

In Canada, he worked as a labourer throughout his life, not for glory or

recognition, but so that his children and grandchildren could have the

opportunities he never had. Despite earning his living through physical

labour, he was an educator at heart, and everything he did was in service of

his family’s future. He sponsored and brought his family to Canada, building

a foundation that would support generations.

He leaves behind four grandchildren, all pursuing paths in science,

education, and entrepreneurship — an aspiring optometrist and

mathematician among them. His legacy lives in each of them.

Values & Legacy

Labh Chahal was a man of deep and unwavering values. He was hard-

working, humble, grateful, community-minded, and family-first in

everything he did. He came with nothing and never forgot where he came

from. He instilled in his family a profound gratitude for Canada, teaching

them that this country had given them everything, and that they must give

back everything in return.

In his later years, after a lifetime of labour and sacrifice in Canada, Labh

Singh turned his attention back to the village where it all began. He gave

generously to his community in Joga, bringing outside resources, supporting

the school he had once taught at, and doing everything in his power to

transform the place that raised him. It was the fulfilment of a promise he

had always carried, to give back to both the land he came from and the land

that welcomed him. He took immense pride in being Canadian, and he lived

that pride through service, humility, and generosity every single day.

A man who came with nothing, worked hard, gave back everything,

and instilled gratitude and service into generations after him.

Rest in peace, Labh Singh Chahal. Your legacy lives on in

all of us.

Funeral Service to be held Wednesday February 18, 2026 1:00pm at Edmonton Crematorium and Funeral Home 6403 Roper Rd NW Edmonton.

A Live Stream link has been provided below for those who can not attend the service

https://youtu.be/7Pm6oX58WBU