—Judging from its online presence, the Sikh temple that purportedly sits on the edge of this Niagara-region border town is a lovely spot. “They serve food all time with good flavoured chutney and the taste is superb,” says an August 2019 review on the Fort Erie Khalsa Darbar’s Facebook page. Try refreshing your browser, or 'Shocking': How phoney Sikh temples are taking advantage of religious immigrants Back to videoThe social media page and the temple’s website reinforce the pleasant image with photos of devotees and succulent-looking food. What actually exists at its address in Fort Erie is something else: A long-abandoned motel surrounded by scrub land overgrown with weeds, and fronted by a no-trespassing sign. Yet Fort Erie Khalsa Darbar, incorporated as a federal non-profit in April, 2019, and granted religious charity status this February, has sponsored at least three priests to come here from India on special visas issued by Ottawa.

Source: National Post September 25, 2020 14:20 UTC