Brijendra K. Sood

Community Service Award




Brijendra Sood is an 84-year-old certified master magician who plays golf and-at a moments notice; is available to perform at community events. However, his nomination for the Community Service Award is for much more accomplishments than magic.

He is a practicing physician, one held in high regard across the country and his son is the famous character Muslim Archie Bunker in the CBC series Little Mosque on the Prairie. Dr. Sood is also a shining star on the mosaic of Canada.

He was born in Kenya and his was the first Indian family to emigrate from East Africa to Canada in 1964, he settled first in Manitoba moving on to Banff and finally finding a home in Calgary since 1974.

From his time in Banff, the Stoney First Nations Chief named Walking Bufalo admitted Sood into the North American tribe as a blood brother. Sood’s status was elevated to honorary Chief Rainbow in 1967.


The recognition that Sood received from the First Nations was a testament to his dedication to the medical profession as well a unique binding instinct to the communities in which he has worked and lived. Throughout his success ridden life’s work he has worked on almost all continents.

In Alberta he is fondly remembered as the first “Flying Doctor” before Air Ambulance Services started in the province. He flew missions to the Arctic to treat injured and sick technicians there in the early stages of oil drilling in the mid 70s.

A bulk of his medical career has been spent with St. John’s Ambulance Brigade to whom he is still employed but his efforts have been recognized across the country. In 2003 he was awarded the prestigious Order Of Canada medal for his merits and service in the medical profession.

Sood is also a gift to the Indian community in Calgary. When his family settled here there almost no other Indians.
However, with the influx of East African Indians to Canada chased away from Uganda by President Iddi Amin Dada-made famous in Oscar winning movie: The Last King of Scotland-,.


Sood founded the India Canada Society. To date the society represents 40,000 East Indians in Calgary. It also led to the establishment of a Hindu temple in the city which caters for the spiritual needs of 15,000 people.

Because of his experience and willingness to share it, Sood is a regular feature on television talks on health issues relevant to East Indian communities.
He has also promoted multiculturalism in the country with his advice to people from East India to identify themselves first as Canadians; “…share their culture with the mainstream community and keep… religion at home.” These views have made him a target by extremists in that cultural segment of the country.
Dr. Sood is married to Narindar and they have three children.