Winterfest Brings Joy to Pembroke Campus

Posted on Thursday, February 17th, 2022

Gurdeep Pandher became a Canadian citizen in 2011 and is now one of the Yukon’s best known citizens. Videos of his Bhangra dancing outside of his cabin in the Yukon have become a social media sensation and have given Canadians hope as we approach the two year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America.

Pandher headlined a great line-up of Winterfest activities and presentations during Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus winter carnival recently when he provided an inspirational talk on bringing joy into your life, followed by an up tempo 30 minute Bhangra dance lesson that left students and employees out of breath but filled with happiness.

“We sometimes achieve joy with conditions like wanting to buy a new car. If you set conditions, joy won’t come to you. Joy requires unconditional happiness. You have to re-wire your mind. It is created from inside you. You can learn the skill to be joyful,” Pandher told his audience.

Pandher has become so popular through his speaking engagements, Bhangra dancing has become his primary work. He has danced all across Canada, performing with members of Canada’s military, front line health care workers, school children and politicians.

He was discovered six years ago when a video was posted of him dancing on Canada Day in the Yukon. It quickly went viral on social media and Pandher was flooded with media requests leading to international news coverage. Since then he has regularly posted videos on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, spreading a message of happiness.

It was from his cabin in the Yukon where he joined College students, alumni and employees to share his thoughts on how to live a more fulfilled life by being happy. He stressed that we have to create our own positivity in our day to day lives, despite the challenges that can leave us feeling down.

“Hope is very powerful. When I cling to hope, I find my joy, even when things are not going the way I want,” says Pandher.

Last summer, Pandher began a cross Canada tour intended to bring his “happy dance” to Canadians from coast to coast. He had to cut the trip short because of the pandemic, but hopes to finish it this year. One of the highlights was dancing at Parliament Hill but when it comes to his favourite place to dance, it’s a place few Canadians have ever been to.

Located near Dawson City in the Yukon, Pandher calls Tombstone National Park the most “creative natural beauty,” he has ever seen. “There is a spiritual power in the mountains, like a magnet. Nature is everywhere,” exclaims Pandher.

Joy is what Winterfest is intended to bring to students at the Pembroke Waterfront Campus. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the campus has put together several virtual and outdoor activities this week that are providing students and employees with an opportunity to celebrate winter.

The line-up has included a special virtual Valentine’s Day concert by Canadian Country recording artist and Pembroke Campus alumnus Jason Blaine, free skiing and public skating passes, virtual yoga and online games and a social media contest that encourages students to show what winter activities they enjoy the most. Winterfest continues through Saturday, February 19th.

(Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs)


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