The recent Canadian federal election brought an unusual outcome. The surname Gill has become the most common name in the new House of Commons. Previously, only one MP with the name Gill served in the House. But now, the number has jumped to seven. Interestingly, six of the new Gills are Indo-Canadians from Punjab. All of them represent the opposition Conservative Party.

Marilene Gill Retains Her Seat

Marilene Gill, a veteran MP from the Bloc Quebecois, kept her seat in the Quebec riding of Cote-Nord – Kawawachikamach – Nitassinan. As a Francophone from Quebec, she now shares the Commons with six others who share her surname.

Indo-Canadian Gills Make Their Mark

Among the newcomers, Amarjeet Gill made headlines. He defeated Cabinet Minister Kamal Khera of the ruling Liberal Party, delivering a significant blow. Next, Parm Gill, who earlier served in Ontario’s provincial cabinet, won from Milton East – Halton Hills South, though by a narrow margin.

Harb Gill Makes History

Harb Gill, a retired police officer, caused a major upset in Windsor West. He unseated Brian Masse, a New Democratic Party MP who had held the seat for 23 years. The local Windsor Star wrote, “In what many might see as a shocking upset, Conservative Harb Gill has ousted 23-year NDP incumbent Brian Masse in Windsor West, flipping the riding blue for the first time in its nearly six-decade history.”

Youngest Gill Joins From British Columbia

Meanwhile, Sukhman Gill, a 25-year-old businessman, won from Abbotsford – South Langley. Born on his family’s blueberry farm, he now becomes one of the youngest members in Parliament.

Alberta Elects Two Gills

In Alberta, voters elected two more Gills.

Dalwinder Gill, a real estate professional, defeated sitting Liberal MP George Chahal in Calgary McKnight.
Amanpreet Gill, who earlier headed the Dashmesh Culture Centre, won from Calgary Skyview.

Some Gills Missed the Cut

The Gill count could have been even higher. However, Harjit Singh Gill, another Conservative candidate, lost to Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal in Surrey–Newton. Also, Amy Gill, an accountant running as a Liberal, came close but lost to Don Davies of the NDP in Vancouver Kingsway by just over 300 votes.

Why So Many Gills?

Maninder Singh Gill, Managing Director of Radio India in Surrey, explained the phenomenon. “It’s a common name in Canada, and they (the candidates) had a good name in the community and were approached by the party,” he said.

He pointed out that many Indo-Canadians in Canada come from 52 villages near Moga, Ludhiana, and Faridkot in Punjab. He also added that the Gill presence in politics is not new. “Lachhman Singh Gill was briefly Chief Minister of Punjab between 1967 and 1968,” he noted.