SPOTLIGHT: JATINDER (JAY) MINHAS

As I met, Mr. Minhas for the first time, I found him at ease and exhibiting an impression of an ever busy entrepreneur. As I walked the talk with this 57 yrs, Virgo Baby Boomer, I found him rummaging with his journey in Canada started thirty four years back, when he married his wife Kulbinder Kaur and did not look back.\n\nLike almost every South Asian,starting with a humble beginning, in 1983, he started on a Farm in Richmond on a meagre wage of $3.65 per hour. During his formative years, Sr. Avtar Singh Nijjar, his friend, helped him to find his passion. Then, in 1984, he started plying Taxi in downtown area and engaged deeply in succession, as he owned a Yellow Cab Service.\n\nIn 1991, he started his present business conglomerate Elegant Development and Holidays Ltd. along with two partners Mr. Surinder Bhatti and Mr. Tesh Chhachhi. It is here he understood the intricacies of this construction business. In 1997 he became the sole owner of this construction and development business in the name and style of Elegant Development Inc. He just moved forward and as of today, he has constructed and sold circa 650 dwellings in Richmond and Burnaby. Some of his prestigious projects are:\n\n• Low Rise Kabana on Royal Oak Burnaby built in 2011 spanning 60 units \n\n• Low Rise Panacasa on Canada Way and Smith Street Burnaby built in 2012 spanning 50 units In hobbies front, he loves travelling, socializing, helping the needy and sports. \n\nHe played athletics and was Kabaddi National Champion.Listening to English, Hindi and Punjabi music is his idea of relaxation. His philanthropic involvement in Canada and back home in India speaks volumes of his giving nature. He has served as President of PICS Surrey for 3 years (2007-2010). Being President, he played a lead role for the construction of PICS Assisted Living.\n\nIn India, he has helped in raising 3 projects namely:\n\n• Eye Hospital in Adampur, where over 6,000 surgeries have been successfully performed\n\n • Sant Baba Bagh Singh University (SBBSU), where he is serving as International Advisor\n\n • Guru Nanak Mission Hospital inMithapur Jalandhar, this hospital has 200 beds, which will be functional by April 2018. For all this, he owes this inspiration to his rev. father, who stated, Garib da mooh, Guru Di Golak (to feed a poor is Guru’s blessings). \n\nHe is actively engaged in sponsoring poets via NA Writers Association of Canada. He is a Charter member of Canadian India foundation. He served as a President of Rotary Club Vancouver Fraserview. On family front, this son of late Lumbardar Sr. Bhagwant Singh Minhas and mother Sardarni Harbhajan Kaur Minhas, is blessed with 2 lovely daughters named Nina and Rimple. Both are actively engaged in looking after the family business on macro and micro level. He is ably supported by his wife Kulbinder. When asked, where he see himself in business in the next 10 years, he opined, “I will continue to take risks. If an entrepreneur is not a risk taker, then he should get the hell out of it.” When I left this cool, calm, composed and collected entrepreneur, I could not help thinking about this great person: Picture abhi baki hai mere dost (i.e. Game is still on and best is yet to come).\n\n Long live this Minhas family……..\n\n \n\n \n