A breakthrough in workplace inclusion is being marked in British Columbia after years of advocacy led by the World Sikh Organization of Canada and the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union to remove barriers affecting Sikh workers in the marine sector.

The groups say the efforts have led to significant firsts at BC Ferries, including the hiring of Karambir Singh as the organisation’s first Sikh marine engineer with a full beard, and Gurpreet Singh Bajwa as its first turbaned Sikh deck officer and captain.

The development follows nearly four years of advocacy challenging clean-shaven requirements tied to self-contained breathing apparatus policies, which critics argued disproportionately excluded Sikh workers who maintain unshorn hair as part of their faith.

The unions said those requirements created a “no shave, no shift” environment that effectively barred qualified candidates, raising concerns under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the British Columbia Human Rights Code, both of which require accommodation short of undue hardship.