Tag Archives: OCA Canada

Canada OCs and James Bond 📽

James Bond Event Saturday October 23th Movie and Dinner

Dear OC’s

From Canada With Love, since You Only Live Once, you are invited to Live and Let Die and For Your Eyes Only see James Bond kick The Living Daylights of the bad guys in This World Which is Not Enough.

Wear your suave look and chic clothes and you are invited to the 25th James Bond film No Time to Die.

Venue
Cineplex
Fairview Mall, 1800 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto Ont M2J 5A7
Evening Show

Dinner and cocktails at Sanjay Chadha’s hacienda (Address in Toronto Whatsapp group).

Any questions contact Director of Communications Jasraj Singh  at ocacanada@gmail.com or Sumit Arora Director of OC engagement.

Jerry Godinho

Canada OCs get-together Sept 2021

Greetings to the OC community in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, New York and Australia. I hope this email finds you in the best of health and wealth.

14 OC’s along with our spouses got together for drinks, food and lots of laughter.

Jeevan and Bogie came decked full with their Spartan ties. The Greed is Good 80’s graduates with success showing in their fast cars and shaven heads were there. And then there were the young guns.

Sumant got married in 2003 and Cottonians are known for taking a long honeymoon. He decided to return to the fold after 14 yrs.

Next month we head to the movie and dinner by seeing the latest James Bond movie. Next year BBQ and a trip to the Shaw Festival on Niagara on the Lake.

In 1998 there were just four of us in the Greater Toronto Area. We are more than 50 strong here and if we are to include Montreal and Vancouver at least 75.

Stay strong, stay safe, fight the good fight and overcome evil with good.

Jerry Godinho
Lefroy

[click for larger view]

Please find below names of all the OCs who attended :

OCs who attended the dinner on Sept-11-2021

Left to Right
1. Ishan Soni
2. Jasraj Singh
3. Aman Sood
4. Jerry Godinho
5. Sumit Arora
6. Vishal Rana
7. Rishi Sood
8. Jeevan Goyal
9. Saranjit Ghakal
10. Sumant
11. Gautam Salwan
12. Gurpreet Bhogal
13. Prashant Sehgal
14. Sanjay Chadha

Thanks and have a great day ahead,
Jasraj SIngh
Ibbetson 2009

Canada OCs get-together 2021

Dear OCs,

Hope you are all doing well and staying safe.

Lots has happened since we last met in Brampton, Ontario in 2019 and it’s time to get together again and share our fond and everlasting memories of Shimla.

The 2021 OCA Canada Dinner is planned for September 11 at 6:30pm at Bombay Palace, Brampton. Please find the Google maps location below-

Bombay Palace Restaurant And Banquets
(905) 799-9777

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yki4qRZxrsVcQPMS8

Kindly confirm your presence, so we can call ahead and book the numbers. Please feel free to bring your partners, if you are married or dating.

Looking forward to meeting everyone again.

Thank you,
Jasraj Singh
Ibbetson- 2009

OCA Canada Dinner April 2019

On a wonderful spring day, 14 OC’s got together for a sumptuous, swank, Indian Khana. Sumit Arora planned the event, with all the young bucks half my age.

We talked about a lot of stuff about boarding, how things were different in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and in the 21st century.
It is amazing to see what we have in common. A love for our school, each other and to excel in every area of our lives.
I challenged the young generation that the baton of the OCA Canada is being passed on to them. They have to take it to the next level.
We are now approximately 50 OC’s in Toronto. The most outside India and the UK.
I have also challenged the young guns to think outside the box in our reunions.
Let’s do some Canadian things like getting a cottage for the weekend, go diving, jumping from the plane and spelunking. eh….
The heath of the OC fraternity is the best that I have seen it in the last two decades.
Cheers
Jerry

[Click for a full view]
The following is the list of OCs who attended-
  • Akshay Bansal
  • Kapil Khurana
  • Sandeep Botta
  • Jasraj Singh
  • Sumit Arora
  • Garv Sodhi
  • Vishal Rana
  • Aman Sood
  • Rishi Sood
  • Gerald Godinho
  • Saranjit Singh
  • Gautam Salwan
  • Gurpreet Bhogal
  • Iqbal Singh

OCA India report 2017-2019

OCA INDIA REPORT : 2017-19  (as on 31st March, 2019)

When the OCA India Committee, under the able guidance of its President Justice R.S.Sodhi (Retd.), took over charge of the Association w.e.f. 1st of April 2017, we all were very enthusiastic of lifting the OCA to a new heights by implementing some new ideas and projects to meet the objectives of our association. Some of the highlights of our team’s working in last two years are as follows :-

  1. In the initial phase, around May 2017, we were able to initiate the commissioning of an OCA Application for iphones and androids for the OCs to be on a common social platform with other Old students. The App was solely funded by the Batch of 1983 and was run on trial basis for some months to ensure its smooth operation and to get rid of unwanted glitches, if any. By beginning February 2018 we had successfully tested and launched the said App. on both platforms of Mobile phones. Which is being constantly upgraded with the help of a designated technical team.
  2. OCA India provided its full support to OC Capt. Sandeep Mansukhani who became the first Old Cottonian to scale the Mount Everest in his Second Attempt on 21st May 2018. Our heartiest congratulations to him and his family! I humbly take this opportunity to also state that OCA India had donated Rs.1,00,000/- in his first attempt in 2015 and Rs.50,000/- in 2018, for this noble cause.
  3. Meanwhile, our President had a vision of dedicating a ‘Wall of Honour’ in the War memorial at BCS to honour those Cottonians who had sacrificed ‘their today for our tomorrow’ while defending the nation. Justice Sodhi went out of his way to convince the Board of Governors and School management to implement the said Project. He also provided the necessary funds from his personal account to have the associated job-works done which were timely completed before the OC week began. On 27th September 2018 during OC week, the said ‘Brass Plaque’ (3X2 ft.) as donated by Justice R.S.Sodhi (retd.), was commemorated by the mother of One martyred OC ‘Capt. Sanjay Dogra’ of 1st Maratha Light Infantry, in Presence of the Headmaster, students, & entire staff whilst the School Band played harmoniously. A contingent comprising of an Officer and two Soldiers from Pune of 1st Maratha Light Infantry had been especially deputed by the Unit CO to present a Brass Plaque in the name and in honour of Capt. Sanjay Dogra’s sacrifice. Both the Plaques were duly installed on the Front wall (Left Side) of the War memorial.
  4. On the administrative front most of our general affairs were quite well managed by the entire team but our Association was served a Show-cause notice dated 08.07.2017 by FCRA deptt. in lieu of not filing the concerned account returns since the Sesqui-centennial celebration year 2009 ended. It was during this year such a Foreign Contribution account A/c No. 00131100913359 was opened in Punjab & Sind Bank, H Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi by OCA India. Nevertheless, an effective reply to such notice was duly submitted on 12.09.2017 together with FC3, FC4, C.A.’s certificates and all audited financial statements from 2009 onwards till date. All the requirements to the said notice were complied for and sent to the  department. The said Bank account was then closed by OCA as it was not purposefully used since so many years and the balance money was then transferred to OCA India Account, Delhi Chapter.
  1. Early this year Our president had also envisaged that the Canada Chapter be formed, as the country always had a lot of representation of OCs. Therefore, a due process was initiated in the month of April 2018 by the OCA Secretary who approached a dynamic OC Gerald Godinho (1983 batch +2) based in Toronto to get the OCs together and after his lot of persuasion and efforts an ‘OCA Canada Chapter” was formed successfully over a Lunch meeting on June 3rd 2018 with following as its members. Jerry (Gerald Godinho) deserves a special mention here who has been organising such Lunch/ Dinner events since last 20 years;

Gerald Godinho (Lefroy 1982) – President,

Gautam Salwan (1989) – Vice-President

Jasraj Dhanjal (Ibbetson 2009) – Secretary

Sanjay Chadha – Treasurer

Sameer Sodhi – Astt. Treasurer

Tanvir Sodhi – Class Representative & Member

  1. Buoyed up by the success of Canada chapter the president also requested the Secretary to initiate the process of forming an Australian Chapter, if possible. Currently the said project is still at a nascent stage under talks with an enthusiastic OC named Puneet Sachdeva based at Sydney.
  2. Under the OCA India banner the OCA HP chapter was duly able to form their Committee after many years upon conducting a due Process in September 2018 and after their General body duly approving the extension of existing President’s (HP Chapter) tenure by another 2 years. Now it comprises of the Following OC members ;

Narinder Chauhan – President

Preetinder Singh – Vice President

Vinayak Jishtu – Secretary

Ankur Chauhan – Jt. Secretary

Ashish Chauhan – Treasurer   

  1. The OCA Mumbai Chapter Lunch was successfully conducted on the 20th January 2019 at the ‘Gymkhana Club’, Mumbai and had a good participation of 25 OCs and 10 OC Wives. Simultaneously on that day, under the guidance its Hony. Secretary (Mumbai Chapter) Suneel Bandhu who deserves kudos here for the hardwork he has put in last 5 years of his tenure, the said process of Committee formation was duly conducted in Presence of Secretary & Vice President of OCA India. The members present duly approved the appointment of a New Committee comprising of the Following office bearers ;

Shiv Kapur – President

Yadvendra Sharma – Secretary

Sanjesh Bhatia – Jt. Secretary

Mohnish Sharma – Treasurer   

  1. Another project we had undertaken was the compilation and editing of a centralized data of all Old Cottonians worldwide. A senior OC Himmat Singh (Rivaz 1962) was entrusted to carry out a detailed compilation which he is still carrying out selflessly. Currently our records are scattered all over the chapters and with individuals but the same have not been compiled together at all. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to computerise all that into a verified list excel format in order to know more about our fraternity worldwide and also it has become necessary for our Association to have an effective means of networking amongst ourselves for both on professional and personal grounds which is also a must to keep the OC spirit alive.
  2. Last but not the least OCA India had been working since a long time in finding a solution to some suitable education programme for BCS students which could help them in choosing a career according to his aptitude and learning capabilities. Thereby after a long research about the same, an Onsite-online Career Education Programme, which connects their learning to work, an Independent agency providing such software was introduced to the Headmaster. If implemented by the school then the takeaways for students will be :

Discover and identify Interest, Strengths and abilities;

Explore and select Career Options;

Choose Majors/ Courses and Colleges;

Create Meaningful connections with peers.

The software also has dashboards for parents, a School Facilitator and the Headmaster to provide them info on students journey. Thereafter, it is left to  the Headmaster and Board of Governors whether to implement the said software programme or not.

Apart from the above, with the help of entire OCA team we successfully hosted the OCA India Annual reunion Lunches of 2018 & 19 at New Delhi, both of which had large attendance of 200+ people at each event. Also, the OC weeks of September 2018 & 19 at BCS were celebrated with much enthusiasm and vigour during our tenure. I would hereby like to thank the entire staff of BCS and especially the HM Mr. R.C.Robinson for extending his full support and co-operation to OCA India to conduct such events in School timely & effectively.

I take this opportunity to thank our President Justice R.S.Sodhi without whose fantastic organisational skills & guidance it would not have possible to achieve whatever little we could in the last 2 yrs. I am extremely grateful to our treasurer Mr. N.K.Mehra for extending his valuable services & advice towards managing OCA finances. I would especially extend my heartiest gratitude to our very able Webmaster Mr. Anil Advani who has been successfully handling the OCA Website from the time of its inception and till date selflessly & tirelessly. Lastly our entire Committee deserves Kudos for being always present on time whenever called upon by our President..

Wishing Mr. D.S.Jaaj – Hony. President & his new team (w.e.f. 01.04.19) all the very best for their future endeavours and I am sure OCA India would touch greater heights under its new torch bearers who shall keep the OC spirit alive amongst all of us.

Au-revoir …..!

Ash. Virk

Secretary – OCA India

9810194724


Canada OCs get together

The following message is from Jerry Godinho, President of OCA Canada-

“17 OC’s along with their spouses and friends from Greater Toronto Area and Michigan met on Sunday, June 3rd at Bombay Palace.

John McLauglin who is 85 drove 6 hrs from Flint Michigan, dressed in full regalia and drove back after lunch. It was good to see John’s picture in Ruskin Bond’s book.

Pratap Grewal shared about his life and how paralysis impacted him. He shared how he has overcome so many physical challenges in life. John and Pratap represent the true BCS spirit.

It was good to see Tom, Satinder and Ravdeep after a decade.

Akshay Bansal is the newest member as he is completing his MBA at York.

Later on in the summer we will be heading to Stratford to watch a play and another event at a Mexican restaurant is planned in September.

This is the list of the OC’s that attended the event-

  1. Angad Singh- 2007
  2. Satinder Singh- 1956
  3. Akshay Bansal- 2008
  4. Saranjit Singh- 1967
  5. Tom Mehra- 1979
  6. Shanker Basu- 1970
  7. Gurpreet Bhogal-
  8. Gautam Salwan- 1989
  9. Sanjay Chadha- 1988
  10. Tanvir Sodhi- 2004
  11. Sameer Sodhi- 2007
  12. John McLaughlin- 1948
  13. Jerry Godinho- 1983
  14. Jasraj Singh- 2009
  15. Jiwan Goyal
  16. Ravdeep Ahuja- 1989
  17. Partap Grewal – Curzon 1963″

Thanks and kind regards,

Jasraj Singh

Ibbetson 2009

Canada OCs get-together 2017

13 OC’s along with their spouses and guests met at Bombay Palace Brampton Ontario. The food was sumptuous, the energy exhilarating, the atmosphere kinetic as every one was eager to catch up and rekindle old relationships.

The local channel blessed the event by showing Tamasha, starring Ranbir Kapoor the same day which shows BCS for more than 20 minutes.

John McLaughlin drove more than 6 hrs to share his stories and reminisce about his time and exploits at BCS. Jal Boga, healthy and hearty full decked in OC regalia talked about his time at school.

In the 17 years that I have been organizing our events, it is interesting to see boys just graduating from university and now becoming movers and shakers in the corporate world, getting married and becoming parents.

After dinner, the young at heart, headed to clubs to dance, some headed home. As usual Gurpreet invited us to a classic Punjabi chai and Provender, Gurpreet’s dad who was born in Simla, shared some amazing stories.

Two female guests remarked to me that how come all the guys are so cheerful. I told them it is the water we drink, the common ethos we live by of overcome evil with good.

Jerry

OC Dinner [ONTARIO] Saturday 8th April ’17

All OC’s and their significant other are invited for dinner at

Bombay Palace
200 Advance Blvd
Brampton Ontario 
L6T 4V4
8th April 2017 at 6:30 PM
Buffett Dinner   $21.99 plus tax and tips
Cash bar
Dress code  blazer and OC tie
I look forward to seeing you there.
Jerry Godinho
1-437-996-7268 whatsapp
————-

SPOTLIGHT: Inder Singh Dhillon

Today is a proud day for our community as Inder Singh’s name is plastered on every newspaper in Canada. Inder graduated from BCS, then went to Windsor and graduated with an MBA from York (Schulich). He was the president of his class. He got a job at E&Y and is now being posted to Dubai. Schulich has his picture and achievements in every newspaper in Canada. I saw his picture in the paper this morning on the train and called him to congratulate him. Inder I am going to miss your friendship and the time you were here and our tea chats. Sorry I missed your wedding but all the best.

Anyway see you guys on April 25th for cocktail and drinks. Take care

Jerry
[Gerald Godinho]

QUOTED from  http://media.schulich.yorku.ca/alumni/schulich-graduate-named-poster-boy-for-professional-and-academic-successes-by-indian-newspaper/  :

The son of a farmer, Inder Dhillon (MBA ’13) was raised in a remote village in India. Today, the recent Schulich MBA graduate is being called a “poster boy” for his professional and academic successes by India’s third largest newspaper, the Hindustan Times.

“It’s a privilege to be recognized in the local communities back in India,” said Inder in an email about being featured in the Times. “I hope the article touches many youngsters that are aspiring to study/work abroad, and hope they take something positive out of my experience.”

“Always a sharp student”, Inder first travelled to Canada to complete a degree in professional studies and business administration at the University of Windsor in 2006.

Upon graduation, he was “recruited by Wells Fargo Bank, amongst top 3 Banks in the US, and got promoted as the youngest Senior Credit Manager.”
[…READ MORE HERE]

OC [Canada] Dinner 4th October 2014 / Bombay Palace Brampton

On July 19, 2014, Malcolm Niblett (C45), John Mclaughlin (I47), Deepinder Bains (C70), Gerald Godinho (L83), Tanvir and Sameer Sodhi (L04,06) set out for Boldt Castle on Heart Island in the United States.

John drove for 8 hrs to get to Whitby, and insisting on driving another 3 hrs the next day to Ganonoque where we took the boat. My wife is always blown away by an 82 year old, a 47 year old and two guys in their 20’s talking about our times at school. Malcolm joined us in Kingston. I asked him which house did he graduate from. His answer was ‘was there another house other than Curzon?’

The Thousand Islands is just beautiful and we were all impressed with all the homes and boats and crossing the international line on the lake. We all had a great time and people already started asking when is the next big trip. Please see the OCA Canada facebook page for pics.

Next year in July we will be going to Stratford for the festival and theatre.

http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/OnStage/plays.aspx?id=63&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_swo_search_&utm_content=ad5

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday October 4th at 6.30pm at Bombay Palace Brampton.

Jerry