The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Illustration by Karen Klassen—karenklassen.com

ONCE SOMEONE IS YOUR STUDENT, they are always your student.

This was a core belief of Krishan Joshee, a longtime science teacher who is remembered for his social conscience and volunteerism.

“As a teacher you always need to remember that your students are a precious gift given to you by their parents,” says Joshee’s daughter, Reva Joshee, in describing her father’s philosophy as a teacher.

Born in India in 1923, Joshee saw his earliest days shaped by his maternal grandfather, a leader in the Arya Samaj movement in Punjab, which worked primarily for the eradication of caste barriers and for universally accessible education. 

In 1960, Joshee, his wife Karuna and their three children arrived in Spirit River, Alberta, where Joshee took a teaching position and immediately got involved in community leadership. In 1967, the family moved to Edmonton where Joshee taught for the Catholic school board and continued his community involvement through tireless efforts to help create a federal multiculturalism policy. 

“Multiculturalism is an integral part of our province and of our communities,” he wrote in 2007.

“We are fortunate to live in a place with a heritage built by people of many nations and cultural backgrounds. It is our legacy and our strength, and we celebrate it in everything that we do.” 

Joshee was a founding member of many culture-focused organizations, including the Hindu Society of Alberta, the Council of India Societies of Edmonton and the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association. He was the first person of South Asian origin to receive the Order of Canada, was inducted into the City of Edmonton Community Service Hall of Fame and received the Stars of Alberta Award.

Krishan retired from teaching in 1986, but his interest in education continued through his involvement with Edmonton’s Inner City High School, which works through a philosophy of peace to educate young people who live in extreme poverty. 

The role closest to Joshee’s heart was that of founding member of the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace in 1986. Joshee gathered a group of community leaders to commission a memorial bust of Mahatma Gandhi in downtown Edmonton. It was the first such monument to Gandhi anywhere in North America. 

Joshee died in 2014. One of his last wishes was that his family continue to work with the Gandhi Foundation and Inner City High, where his family and friends have since established the Krishan C. Joshee Promise Fund, which helps students achieve their academic goals. 

Got an idea? Unsung Hero is a space dedicated to honouring ATA members past and present who have had notable achievements, either within the ATA or in their private lives. If you know of a member who you feel should be recognized, please contact managing editor Cory Hare at cory.hare@ata.ab.ca.