Tim Hortons franchisee Kamta Roy Singh has donated seed money to the India School of Dance, Music and Theatre (ISDMT) in honour of the late Justice Murray Sinclair. The funds will be used to provide resources to teach students about Sinclair and support the school’s commitment to promoting Truth and Reconciliation.
“I certainly think Honourable Justice Sinclair has left a major impact in our community,” said Singh, who owns four Tim Hortons franchises in Winnipeg. “As someone who fought for equal justice and stepped into reconciliation, he certainly put the spotlight on this province and Canada. He not only inspired us but challenged us. I think we have to keep his legacy alive in our hearts.”
Sinclair served as Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge from 1988 to 2009 and as chair of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 2009 to 2015. He was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2016, where he served until 2021. Following his tenure in the Senate, he became the 15th chancellor of Queen’s University. His term ended on June 30, 2024, just a few months before his death on November 4, at the age of 73.
Praising his legacy, Pamela Rebello, executive director of ISDMT, said, “We are left to amplify his voice and continue his vision if we treasure his legacy. He not only inspired us but challenged us, so our only choice is to make it happen and pick up where he left off.”
Seed money for resources typically ranges from $500 to $1,000, Rebello explained. Donors hope not only to continue supporting ISDMT but also to inspire others in the community to contribute.
ISDMT will use the first $500 from Singh’s donation to purchase books recently published by Justice Sinclair and his son, Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, a professor and writer who was the keynote speaker at an ISDMT show in April.
“From the books, we start a trickle-down effect — of scripts, music, and choreography based on the Seven Sacred Teachings of Indigenous People,” Rebello said. “It makes sense that, as seed money, the idea is planted and it generates more.”
