Date of Birth:
1942
Birthplace:
Vancouver, BC
Current City:
Vancouver, BC

Ranjit Day (Ranjit Kour Dusange) was born on December 3, 1942 at Vancouver General Hospital. Ranjit recalls that she was very close to her father because she was born after her six brothers and was the first girl in her family. Ranjit spent a part of her childhood at her relative’s farm in Agassiz, BC when her mother became ill. She became very involved in the farm and used to help drive the tractor, plow the corn and do all aspects of working on the farm. She didn’t start school until she was 7 but used to go to Mission High School to participate in various activities. After floods came in affecting the farm, she returned to Vancouver and started her schooling at Kitsilano High School.

Around grade 9 or 10, Ranjit’s father transferred her to Fairview High School of Commerce as he thought her studies were not going well, and she started taking a business course in grade 11 and 12. Upon graduating, she got a job right away at an insurance company and worked there as a supervisor for fifteen years. She then married a man of European descent and left her job after she had two children. After her separation from her husband, she raised her sons as a single mother. A few years later, she started working at BCIT and worked there for 30 years and supported her family.

Ranjit had been a jogger for over 30 years and always encouraged her sons to maintain a healthy lifestyle, often taking them to play different sports like hockey, power skating, etc., when they were growing up. At the age of 40, Ranjit became very ill because of the stress of her mother passing away and she battled her illness for 5 years. She was finally able to recover after she shifted all her focus and energy on jogging.

Ranjit feels that there is not much of prejudice or discrimination being faced by the Punjabi community here in Canada as people now have awareness and have developed acceptance about Asian communities. However, she is really saddened by the fact that many of the kids of the new immigrants from Punjab who’ve come in the last 20 years, are getting involved in gangs and drugs and feels it’s because their parents don’t get involved in their kids’ lives.

Ranjit retired from BCIT after 30 years of service and now lives in Burnaby. She spends a lot of time with her grandchildren, while continuing to maintain a healthy lifestyle.