[Photograph of Dr. Gulzar Cheema delivering a speech at the foundation laying ceremony for Riverside Crematorium]

Photograph of Dr. Gulzar Cheema delivering a speech at the Riverside Funeral Home & Crematorium Foundation laying ceremony in Delta, British Columbia (B.C.), organised by the Five Rivers Community Services Society.

Dr. Gulzar Singh Cheema is a family physician in Surrey, British Columbia, and a former member of the Legislative Assembly in Manitoba, 1988-1993. Cheema immigrated to Canada in December, 1979, and was the first Indian-born Canadian doctor to be elected to a legislative assembly in Canada in 1988. Cheema was elected in B.C. in May 2001 to represent the riding of Surrey-Panorama Ridge. On June 05, 2001 Cheema was appointed as a member of the Executive Council for the Government of B.C. as Minister of State for Mental Health. On January 26, 2004, he was appointed as a member of the Executive Council for the Government of B.C. as Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services. He also served as a critic for health. He received his Bachelor of Medicine and surgery from India's Punjab University, interned at the University of Newfoundland and was a resident at Saskatoon's University Hospital. In 1992 he was awarded the Canada 125 Medal for community service. In 2014, Cheema was recognized by the Doctors of British Columbia Medical Association, for an Individual Award of Excellence in Health Promotion for his outstanding and continuing work educating the Indo-Canadian population about disease prevention and promotion.

The Riverside Funeral Home & Crematorium is operated by the Five Rivers Community Services Society. The Five Rivers Community Services Society (FRCSS) is a non-profit organization based in Delta, British Columbia, dedicated to providing affordable and dignified funeral services to the community. Established in 2002, the Riverside Funeral Home & Crematorium is a facility designed to cater to the social and multicultural needs of the region.