from the Khalsa Diwan Society, and established their own gurdwara society called Akali Singh. The Akali Singh Society opened in 1952. By the late 1950s there were plans to establish Punjabi language students for Canadian-born children and to collect funds for a new community centre. In 1963 the society began planning for a new gurdwara and community centre. The society decided to build a new gurdwara in 1969. The society purchased of city land in 1968. Construction was completed in the first week of April 1970 for a price of $6,060. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was moved from the 2nd Avenue gurdwara to the Ross Street gurdwara on Vasakhi Day 1970. The initial plans asked for a library and community centre, but these aspects were eliminated from the plans. Construction happened from winter 1969, to April 1970. The celebration for Guru Nanak's 500th birthday was held prior to the grand opening in 1970. The building is intended to look like a lotus rising from water. To get inspiration for the style, the architect, Arthur Erickson, traveled to Agra and Amritsar. In 1979 the annual income of the KDS was $300,000. That year the leadership of the gurdwara changed. Previously the KDS was controlled by Marxist Sikhs who did not practice Sikhism. The membership had been around 5,000 prior to 1979, as there was a $12 membership fee. Membership increased after the elimination of the fee. According to Kamala Elizabeth Nayar, in 1984 the pro-Khalistan organization World Sikh Organization (WSO) began controlling the gurdwara. According to Hugh Johnston, Vancouver Sikhs stated that the political bloc that took charge of the KDS Gurdwara network by 1979 consisted of about 10-15 families. Vancouver Gurdwara The original Vancouver gurdwara had a homeless shelter and a langar or kitchen. It served as a social centre for the community. Khalsa Diwan Road As part of an initiative by Vancouver City Council to commemorate prominent members of the community, Ross Street was alternatively named Khalsa Diwan Road in 2018. Additional street signs marking it as Khalsa Diwan Road were added at from the Gurdwara at SW Marine Drive to 57th Avenue in 2019. Branches In the 1960s, the main gurdwara was in Vancouver and the branch gurdwaras were in New Westminster, Abbotsford, Victoria, and Port Alberni. By 1973, the cities with KDS temples were Abbotsford, Mesachie Lake, New Westminster, Paldi, Port Alberni, and Vancouver. However the New