Concordia receives major donation from Westmount family

The funds are earmarked for the Roshi and Baljit Singh Chadha Executive Classroom, a 50-seat, teaching space on the sixth floor of the new John Molson School of Business (JMSB), which is slated to open in fall 2009.

The horseshoe-shaped classroom, which will feature tiered seating for premium sightlines and the latest audio-visual technology, will be part of the new building’s cutting-edge facilities aimed at enhancing the learning experiences of the JMSB’s 7,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

Chadha’s association with and commitment to Concordia dates back 25 years, when he was a graduate student. He currently serves as president of Balcorp, one of Canada’s prominent international trade and marketing companies. He also sits on the board of governors of Concordia University, has advised the Office of the Mayor of Montreal on Indo-Canadian affairs, served on the advisory board of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and was appointed in 2003 by then-prime minister Jean Chrétien to the blue ribbon Security and Intelligence Review Committee in Ottawa. He has tirelessly fostered tolerance and multiculturalism in Canada and carried out philanthropic work to promote education, multiculturalism and the arts.

Since 1981, Roshi Chadha has been an executive of Seja Trade Ltd. With a deep commitment to education, she serves as a member of the senate and board of governors of McGill University and board of trustees of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. She has also recently served as a member of the board of the McGill University Health Centre and is actively involved in its fundraising efforts.

In 1999, Roshi and Baljit Chadha co-founded the Chadha Family Foundation, which provides bursaries every year to Indo-Canadian students at both Concordia and McGill.

In a stirring speech, Baljit Chadha made a passionate appeal to attendees to contribute to the education of Quebec’s young people, much like he and his wife have done for many years. “To my peers and fellow citizens, this is my challenge to you: if you have the future of this province and country at heart, speak out, volunteer, contribute financially and in any way you can so we can make our country a better place in which to live,” he said.

Concordia President Michael Di Grappa said that as recent immigrants to Canada, the Chadhas have embraced their adopted country and become both distinguished and highly active members of the Montreal and Sikh/Indo-Canadian communities. “Many Concordia students are first-generation Canadians as well, and their diverse cultural heritages enrich our university," said Di Grappa. "We are truly proud of our university’s both longstanding and ongoing efforts to advance our missions of diversity and accessibility.”

Kathy Assayag, Concordia’s vice-president, Advancement and Alumni Relations, said the Chadhas are pillars of the community who have been among Concordia’s most generous benefactors. “The Chadhas embody the virtues of commitment, dedication and social consciousness that are valued by the Sikh tradition and preserved these values in Canada,” said Assayag.