ABOUT
THE ASSOCIATION
Read on to learn more about the creation and history of Saskatoon Malayalee Association
SMA'S HISTORY.
Saskatoon Malayalee Association (SMA) is a non-profit organization formed by the Malayalee community in Saskatoon, Canada. The association was established in 2016 to promote and preserve the cultural heritage of Malayalees, who are people hailing from the Indian state of Kerala. Since then, SMA has been actively engaged in organizing various cultural and social events to bring together the Malayalee community living in Saskatoon and the surrounding areas.
The migration of Malayalees to Saskatoon began as early as 1965. Some of the early immigrants, such as Mr. Viswanathan and family, Mr. Jose Jeerakathil and family, and Mrs. Leelamma Thomas, still call Saskatoon their home and continue to be the guiding force of the association. By 1978-79, a few families had started an informal gathering and potluck in their basement, laying the seeds for the gathering. With more and more people coming to study at the University of Saskatchewan, the gathering grew in numbers, and it moved from a basement of a house to meeting rooms at the University of Saskatchewan.
In 1985, these informal events transformed into a big gathering with programs and a potluck in Alberts Hall, Saskatoon, coordinated by Mrs. Annamma Jeerakathil and Mrs. Vijaya Nair. In 2016, this gathering evolved into the Saskatoon Malayalee Association, and the bylaws were passed in the first AGM held on September 24th, 2016, coinciding with SMA's Onam celebration.
