Immigrants from India were usually young men who left behind their wives and children to earn money. To reach Canada, they had to travel by train from their home villages to the larger coastal cities of India. From there, they often travelled by boat to Hong Kong where they worked as policemen and watchmen while waiting to save enough money for passage to Canada. After arriving in Vancouver, most found jobs. These strong, young men demonstrated their worth in salmon canneries, lumberyards and on farms. Factory-owners and employers convinced the first arrivals to call on others from Hong Kong. B.C. was soon home to a large force of Sikh workers.

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