Amarjeet Sohi
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Amarjeet Sohi (born March 8, 1964) is a Canadian politician serving as the 36th and current
mayor of Edmonton This is a list of mayors of Edmonton, a city in Alberta, Canada. Edmonton was incorporated as a town on January 9, 1892, with Matthew McCauley acclaimed as its first mayor during the town's first election, held February 10, 1892. On October ...
since October 26, 2021. Sohi previously sat as a Liberal member of Parliament (MP) and served in the federal Cabinet from 2015 to 2018 as the minister of infrastructure and communities, and from 2018 to 2019 as the minister of natural resources. Sohi was born in India and immigrated to Canada in 1981, initially working as a
taxi driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in a morally decaying New York City following the Vietnam War, it stars Robert De Niro as veteran Marine and ...
in Edmonton. He returned to India in 1988, where he was detained and accused of
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
. While in prison, he was subject to harsh treatment and
solitary confinement Solitary confinement (also shortened to solitary) is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single Prison cell, cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to ...
. After spending 21 months in prison, Sohi was released due to a lack of evidence. Returning to Edmonton, he worked as a
bus driver A bus driver, bus operator, or bus captain is a person who drives buses for a living. Description Bus drivers must have a special license above and beyond a regular driver's licence. Bus drivers typically drive their vehicles between bus st ...
before entering politics. Sohi was elected to the Edmonton City Council in the 2007 municipal election representing Ward 12, gaining his seat after finishing 4th place in the previous election. Following the 2015 federal election, he represented Edmonton Mill Woods in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
until his defeat in the 2019 election. During that time, he served as minister of natural resources from 2018 to 2019 and minister of infrastructure and communities from 2015 to 2018. After his federal defeat, Sohi announced his candidacy for mayor of Edmonton in the 2021 Edmonton municipal election. He was elected as Edmonton's 36th mayor on October 18, 2021, becoming the first visible minority to serve as mayor.
Jyoti Gondek Prabhjote Kaur "Jyoti" Gondek (; born 1969) is a Canadian politician serving as the 37th and current mayor of Calgary since October 25, 2021. Early life and education Born in London, England, Gondek is the daughter of Indian Punjabi Sikh ...
was elected mayor of
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
on the same day, with both Sohi and Gondek jointly sharing status as Canada's first Punjabi mayors of major cities. In 2025, he announced a return to federal politics, saying that he would run as the Liberal candidate in Edmonton Southeast. He was defeated by Conservative candidate Jagsharan Singh Mahal.


Early life and personal background

Sohi was born in 1964 in the farming community of Banbhaura, Sangrur district in the
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n state of
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
, to a
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
family. Sponsored by an elder brother, he emigrated to Edmonton in 1981. Initially speaking almost no English, Sohi took ESL classes and enrolled at Bonnie Doon Composite High School in Edmonton. While working as a taxi driver in Edmonton, he joined a local
Punjabi language Punjabi, sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world, with approximately 150 million native sp ...
literary society and became an actor and playwright in a Punjabi theatre group. Sohi married his wife Sarbjeet in 1993. Together they have one daughter, Seerat, a freelance basketball columnist.


Detention in India


Background

By the early 1980s, the Khalistan movement, led by Sikhs demanding a homeland for themselves within India, had become very active, attracting support from many of the Indian Sikh diaspora in Canada. The movement soon developed into the Punjab insurgency, which polarised the Sikh community in Canada between Khalistani separatists and those supporting continued union with India. The agitation of the Sikhs in general further increased following the Indian Army's 1984 assault on the Harmandar Sahib complex and Akaal Takht, and the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards later that year. This was followed by the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985, which was linked to Canadian Khalistani militants. While Sohi and his family opposed the human rights abuses committed by the Indian government, they rejected
religious fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguis ...
. Describing himself as a "
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
individual", Sohi did not wear a
turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...
and grow his hair. The theatre group Sohi was involved in also opposed both fundamentalism and the repressive actions of the Indian government.


Arrest and detention

In April 1988, Sohi returned to India to study with Punjabi playwright and reformer Gursharan Singh and to visit family in Punjab. He soon joined an activist group advocating land reform in
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
, one of India's poorest states. That November, Sohi went to a village in Bihar to organize a local protest, but was arrested on November 15, the night before when police raided the village. Sohi believed he was arrested due to his Sikh and Canadian background, which was linked with terrorism. Immediately after his arrest, Sohi was taken to a local police station, where he was interrogated and tortured for the next week with repeated beatings, sleep deprivation and threats against his family. When he told his story to a district magistrate who had arrived to question him, she believed him and stopped the interrogations, permitting him to present his case in court though he was denied legal counsel. As Sohi had kept his Indian citizenship, he was denied access to Canadian diplomatic officers and held under India's
Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
(TADA). An anti-terrorism law passed as a result of the Punjab insurgency, it allowed suspects to be detained for up to two years without being charged. State authorities falsely accused Sohi of being a trained Khalistan fundamentalist who had arrived in Bihar to train
Naxalite Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight ...
insurgents, claiming that his arrest established the presence of an international terrorist network and that he had been arrested in possession of a gun and ammunition supplied by Pakistan; the state director general of police issued a statement to ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' to that effect. After his court appearance, Sohi was transferred to Gaya Central Prison in the city of Gaya, where he was kept in solitary confinement for the next 18 months. He was placed in a cell with a small window and no bed, and slept on a single blanket on the floor. "The food was horrible. A couple of chapatis in the morning. Some lentil stew in the evening with a couple of rotis. No vegetables or any meat." After four months, his father and brother were allowed to visit. Sohi managed to maintain his reason by making friends with the prison guards, and got a message out to the local newspapers through one of them, announcing he was going on a
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
for better food and library privileges. After a week on strike, Sohi's family were permitted to send him money, which he used to buy food from outside the prison. He was also allowed to use the prison library, which he credited for " eeping himalive" in prison.


Canadian response and release

Indian and Canadian journalists and activists, including members of
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
, soon picked up Sohi's story. Through Progressive Conservative MP and
human rights defender A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing campai ...
David Kilgour David William Kilgour (February 18, 1941 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian human rights activist, author, lawyer, and politician. He also served as a senior fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights. Kilgour earned a degree in ...
, Sohi's brother and sister-in-law pressured the Canadian government to exercise influence. The Canadian External Affairs ministry responded by stating they could not assist Sohi as he was only a
landed immigrant The permanent resident card () also known colloquially as the PR card or the Maple Leaf card, is an identification document and a travel document that shows that a person has permanent residency in Canada. It is one of the methods by which Can ...
in Canada and thus regarded by Indian authorities as an Indian national. Following an investigation, the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS, ; , ''SCRS'') is a Intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service and security agency of the Government of Canada, federal government of Canada. It is responsible for gathering, processing, a ...
informed the Indian government that Sohi posed no threat. Sohi believed that the
Bihar Police The Bihar Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Bihar, India, with its headquarters in Patna. As per official figures, Bihar Police has a sanctioned strength of 2,29,000 personnel, and as of 2024, it employs 1,10,000 personnel. ...
wanted to save themselves embarrassment, and thus persisted in claiming Sohi to be a terrorist, charging him with links to Pakistani terrorists, Naxalite insurgents, and the
Tamil Tigers The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; , ; also known as the Tamil Tigers) was a Tamil militant organization, that was based in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eela ...
. Finally, the 1990 legislative elections in Bihar brought a change of government, and a new state prosecutor reviewed Sohi's case, ordering it to be dismissed as there was "a lack of evidence against Mr. Sohi and also his prosecution is against hepublic policy of the state." After 21 months in prison, 18 of them in solitary, Sohi was released to his parents' home in Punjab on July 9, 1990. After thanking those in Bihar who had helped him, Sohi returned to Edmonton.


Return to Edmonton and entry into municipal politics

After returning to Edmonton, Sohi returned to being a taxi driver, before moving on to become a bus driver for the
Edmonton Transit Service The Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) (previously known as Edmonton Transit System) is the public transit service owned and operated by the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It operates Edmonton's bus and Edmonton LRT, light rail systems. In , t ...
. He became a spokesperson for the Local 569 of the
Amalgamated Transit Union The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) is a labor organization in the United States and Canada that represents employees in the public transit industry. Established in 1892 as the Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees of America, the u ...
; in 2000 he advocated for drivers of disability buses to receive fair benefits. Sohi also became active in politics, campaigning for the
NDP NDP may stand for: Computing * Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol * Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP * Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language Government * National Dev ...
and for then Liberal MP David Kilgour. In Amarjeet Sohi's first municipal campaign in the 2004 Edmonton municipal election, he finished fourth behind incumbents Dave Thiele and Terry Cavanagh, along with Chinwe Okelu. Sohi's second campaign in the
2007 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2007. * Electoral calendar 2007 * Elections in 2007 * 2007 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 52nd National Conference of the African National Congress * 2007 Algerian legislative elect ...
was successful, winning a Council seat in Ward 6. On the City Council, Sohi has served as a member of the Edmonton Police Commission, as vice president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, and as Council sponsor for Safedmonton, a citywide committee working on community solutions for crime prevention. Sohi carried this work forward as advisor to the REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities. Sohi also held the council portfolio for
Multiculturalism Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''Pluralism (political theory), ethnic'' or cultura ...
, and has championed the Racism Free Edmonton initiative. He has sponsored or co-sponsored council initiatives on Seniors and on Poverty Elimination, and co-launched an initiative to end
gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification, culture may have a role to play, being lower in egalitarianism societies and higher, sexist ...
. After completing two terms as a councillor, it was widely acknowledged that Sohi was contemplating a mayoral run in the 2013 municipal election. He ultimately announced that he would not enter the race and would instead seek re-election for his Ward 12 seat.


Awards

Sohi received several community awards during time on city council. In 2014, he received the John Humphrey Centre's Randy Palivoda Public Service Award. The following year, he received the Interfaith Advocate Award from the Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action for his work in promoting
interfaith dialogue Interfaith dialogue, also known as interreligious dialogue, refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religion, religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spirituality, spiritual or humanism, hum ...
. Sohi was also awarded the Man of Honour, Exemplary Leadership Award from the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation in recognition of his work to end gender discrimination and violence and the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers Recognizing Immigrant Success in Edmonton (RISE) Lifetime Achievement award in 2015.


Federal politics

In January 2015, Sohi was approached by the federal
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
to run as a Member of Parliament in the newly created riding of Edmonton Mill Woods. He felt the need to bring up his imprisonment before it could be used against him politically, and thus contacted the
Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunn ...
reporter Paula Simons, who agreed to help report the story. He was acclaimed as a candidate the next month, and officially launched his campaign in June 2015 at a large rally with Liberal leader
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...
in Mill Woods. Sohi's campaign emphasized the importance of federal leadership to address big-city and infrastructure challenges. Sohi was also sharply critical of the Harper government's approach to citizenship, multiculturalism, and immigration policy. The nomination contest in Edmonton Mill Woods was the subject of a minor controversy prior to Sohi's acclamation. Varinder Bhullar was disqualified following alleged violations of Liberal Party membership rules. Bhullar claimed the party disqualified him after he refused to step aside in favor of Sohi, the party's preferred candidate. On October 19, 2015, after a longer than average 78-day federal election campaign, Sohi was declared elected as MP for Edmonton Mill Woods. Per the initial count, Sohi received 41.2% of the popular vote and won by a margin of 79 votes.
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
candidate
Tim Uppal Tim Singh Uppal (born November 14, 1974) is a Canadians, Canadian politician, banker, and radio host who is the member for Edmonton Gateway in the Parliament of Canada. He served as the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Member of Parli ...
successfully argued for a judicial recount of the results. The recount was held on October 29 and increased Sohi's margin of victory to 92 votes. After being elected as MP, Sohi was criticized for accepting a severance package from the City of Edmonton. He defended the move, saying that he did not determine the amount, which was based on his years of service with Edmonton City Council.


Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Sohi took on the Infrastructure and Communities portfolio in
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...
's first
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
on November 4, 2015.


Minister of Natural Resources

Sohi took over the Natural Resources profile from
Jim Carr James Gordon Carr (October 11, 1951 – December 12, 2022) was a Canadian politician, cabinet minister, journalist, and professional oboist. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal Party, he served as the Member of Parliament (Canada) ...
on July 18, 2018. In the 2019 election, Sohi was defeated by
Tim Uppal Tim Singh Uppal (born November 14, 1974) is a Canadians, Canadian politician, banker, and radio host who is the member for Edmonton Gateway in the Parliament of Canada. He served as the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative Member of Parli ...
.


Mayor of Edmonton

In May 2021, Sohi announced his candidacy for mayor of Edmonton in the 2021 Edmonton municipal election. Sohi was elected as Edmonton's 36th mayor on October 18, 2021, becoming the first visible minority to serve as mayor.


Defamation case

In October 2024, it was announced that Sohi was suing three Alberta residents—Varinder Bhullar, Bob Rai, and Abdusselam Huzeyfe Bezirgan—for defamation, accusing them of spreading false claims about his involvement in corruption. Bezirgan, posing as a journalist, launched a video series in 2024 alleging that Sohi unlawfully used his political influence to benefit a relative in a Regina infrastructure project, with Rai as his source. Bhullar is accused of sharing these videos and adding his own false statements. Sohi claims these accusations led to threats, vandalism, and attacks on his home. He is seeking $750,000 in damages, with any awarded funds going to support efforts against disinformation and to empower underrepresented communities. The defendants deny collaboration and have been given 20 days to file their defence.


Electoral record


References


External links


Library of Parliament profileMP profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sohi, Amarjeet 1964 births Living people 21st-century mayors of places in Alberta Canadian people of Punjabi descent Canadian Sikhs Indian emigrants to Canada Liberal Party of Canada MPs Mayors of Edmonton Members of the 29th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada People from Sangrur district Bus drivers Canadian taxi drivers People imprisoned on terrorism charges Prisoners and detainees of India Trade unionists from Alberta Canadian critics of religions Canadian multiculturalism activists Punjabi-language writers Amateur theatre 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada