ThreePunjabis were appointed as Ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle in Canada's Ontarioprovince.
Moga-bornParm Gill, 47, was on Friday appointed as Ontario's new Minister of Citizenshipand Multiculturalism.
PrabmeetSakaria, who in 2019 became the first turban-wearing minister in Ontario whenhe was appointed Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction,now gets a full Cabinet rank as President of the Treasury Board.
"Itis an honour to be sworn in as Ontario's President of the Treasury Board. I amdedicated to working hard with Premier Ford and my colleagues to supportOntarians," Sarkaria said after his elevation.
NinaTangri, whose family comes from Bilga near Jalandhar, has been made AssociateMinister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.
Tillnow, she was serving as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of EconomicDevelopment, Job Creation and Trade.
"Excitedto be sworn in as the Associate Minister of Small Business & Red TapeReduction. Thank you to Premier," Nina said.
Butit is the appointment of Gill as Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalismthat surprised many in the Indo-Canadian community.
Gillhimself seemed to be surprised when he said: "Who would have thought ayoung boy who immigrated from India to Canada at a young age, raised by asingle mother, would today be sworn in as Minister of Citizenship andMulticulturalism for the Province of Ontario."
Hehad previously served as an MP in the House of Commons.
Withthe Ontario elections exactly a year away, Premier Doug Ford has elevated threePunjabis in his Cabinet with an eye on Indo-Canadian votes in the so-called 905region around Toronto, including Brampton and Mississauga.
The905 region, named after the area code, has the biggest concentration of thePunjabi community in Canada.