The deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history appears to be fading from the collective memories of this nation, according to a poll from Angus Reid Institute.
One in ten Canadians polled reported having little or no knowledge of the June 23, 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, from Toronto to London.
And three in five young people, under age 35, say they have never heard of the bombing.
Unsurprisingly, in B.C., “where the conspiracy to commit the bombings was hatched, and Ontario, where many of the victims lived, awareness is higher, but fewer than one in six in each province say they know a lot about the attack,” the poll noted.
Across Canada, only 11 per cent of people “know a lot” about the bombing; that rate is 16 per cent in B.C.
The flight was downed by a bomb, believed by authorities to be set off by individuals linked to Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh militant organization in favour of an independent Khalistan. The plane crashed off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board, including 268 Canadians.
Among those who are most aware, more than two in five say that Canada has not done enough to memorialize the victims.
There is a memorial for the bombing in Vancouver, at Stanley Park.
Because the bombing’s alleged conspirators were from B.C., the incident took prominence in the province, which also has a large Sikh population.
Ripudaman Singh Malik, of Vancouver, and Ajaib Singh Bagri, of Kamloops, were charged in connection with the bombing as well as with a bombing at Tokyo’s Narita Airport that killed two baggage handlers.
After more than a year at trial in a secure Vancouver courtroom, they were acquitted. The hearings garnered international media coverage.
Only bomb maker Inderjit Singh Reyat served prison time — first for making the bombs and then for perjury at the trial of two other men. He had been a co-accused with the pair but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in exchange for his testimony.
It remains unknown who delivered the two bags, each travelling in a different direction and checked in at Vancouver International Airport.
More can be read about the incident and the 2022 murder of Malik here.
Editor's note: This story corrected information regarding Babbar Khalsa.
