Jatinder volunteered for a variety of roles in the UK including as a Scout Leader, as a media adviser to a charity helping street kids in Kenya, and as board member to the Independent Monitoring Board, or public oversight committee, for London's Pentonville Prison.

Here in Canada he helped found Positive Voices, a non-partisan, community advocacy group campaigning for progressive change in West Vancouver.

Its mission is: "to inspire, inform and engage fellow citizens in support of progressive initiatives that address the environment, economic, and social challenges facing West Vancouver".

Community

How do we win support for policies addressing our critical challenges?

By accentuating the positive, and focussing on solutions.

Positive Voices was featured in the local paper, the North Shore News.

Jatinder is pictured alongside co-directors: Dana Mulhern and John Millar.

Positive Voices has grown quickly and attracted a wide variety of moderate and progressive supporters in West Vancouver and beyond.

But our work has ruffled a few feathers.

In an unprecedented move the new mayor and council rejected Jatinder's reappointment to the Library Board, as reported by Kirk LaPointe in New Shore News.

While the mayor denied (in his comments to the paper) it had anything to do with politics, he told the Library Board that some councillors didn't like what Jatinder had written.

It's on the record, here.

Jatinder was a member of the WVML Library Board from 2020-22, and was chair of the Engagement Committee when he left.

He currently sits on West Vancouver Council’s Community Engagement Committee; the Board of Directors for Enhance West Van (which supports West Vancouver Community Centre); and West Vancouver DPAC's Executive, as Traffic & Safety representative.

He also volunteers leading hikes with North Shore Hikers.

Jatinder is the Event Director of Ambleside parkrun, a free, weekly community fitness event - 5k walk or run - which started in July 2022.

Joining 43 other weekly parkruns events in Canada, and 2200 around the world, West Vancouver's event starts and finishes next to the iconic Ferry Building.

Inclusivity is key - it's free, for everyone, forever - and anyone from the age of 4 can participate.

Click here to register.

All parkrun events are run by volunteers.

Jatinder was the India Pavilion organiser at West Van's Bridge Festival in 2022.