OTTAWA, Canada: The first Sikh to join the Canadian Forces faces an uncertain future as the defense department mulls over a policy requiring recruits to wear helmets during artillery training.
“Twenty-one-year-old, Ranjit Singh, now stationed at a Manitoba base, says he won’t remove his turban to wear a helmet when he begins the specialized training on July 15th. That position could cost him his job under existing safety regulations.
Singh was allowed to wear a turban during earlier training at C-F-B Cornwalls in Nova Scotia. But he was told he would have to wear a helmet when he went on to enter a military trade.
The department’s director general of information says the safety policy is being reviewed to determine if further steps can be taken to accommodate Sikhs who want to join the Armed Forces.
Brigadier-General, Terry Liston, says the department likely will rule on the need for safety equipment on the artillery range before Singh is required to throw a live grenade during training on July 18th.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 25, 1986
