Brampton, Canada
“Every Punjabi kid loves the maple leaf”
Mehakjot’s interview is published here as a transcript. The recording is not yet available.
Born in 1990 in Punjab, India, Mehakjot completed a post-graduate degree in pharmacy and worked in the industry for five years before moving to Canada in December 2019. Despite having significant work experience and an extensive network in Canada, his employment search was exacerbated by the COVID lockdowns that happened soon after he moved. He eventually found full-time employment as a logistics coordinator at a trucking company. He started driving Uber in 2021 for additional income and continues to do so in his spare time. He now lives with his family, wife and daughter in Brampton.
Every Punjabi kid loves the maple leaf. With many of my friends and family members having settled in different parts of the world, including UK and Australia, Canada - particularly due to its historical connection to the Sikh diaspora - held a special charm for me.
At the peak of COVID lockdowns, I was in Canada when my daughter was born in India. I couldn't see her till she was around two-and-a-half years old. When I first met her at the New Delhi airport and we drove to Ludhiana, I desperately wanted to hold her, but despite our daily multiple video-calls, I was still a stranger for her. They applied for her visa while we were in India, but it got rejected, so I had to return to Canada without my daughter, separated once again from her. That was the hardest moment.
Time is money, here in Canada. I started driving Uber in 2021 for additional income and continue to do so in my spare time. I now live with my family, wife and daughter in Brampton.