City honours doctor’s Order of Canada appointment and contributions to Brampton

From his work as a surgeon and philanthropist to founding a Hindu temple, the City of Brampton is recognizing the contributions of Order of Canada appointee Dr. Budhendranauth Doobay.

A retired Hamilton surgeon and a McMaster University professor emeritus, Doobay was one of more than 80 Canadians appointed to the Order of Canada last month, including pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne and Cree actress and advocate Tina Keeper.

The Order recognizes people from all walks of life who have made significant and sustained contributions to the country, and members of Brampton City Council honoured Doobay work as an “esteemed heart surgeon, leader, visionary, mentor, teacher and philanthropist” at a reception on Tuesday.

“A retired surgeon, religious leader and mentor, Budhendranauth Doobay is a pillar of the Indo-Canadian community,” his Order of Canada induction reads. “Founder of the Vishnu Mandir temple and the Gandhi Memorial Peace Garden, he shares the tenets of Hinduism with different communities in Canada by advocating unity in diversity.”

Doobay has held events in Brampton to raise funds for the Doobay Medical Centre in Guyana, which provides free care including dialysis  to patients. He is also the founder of the Vishnu Mandir temple in Richmond Hill.

“Congratulations to Dr. Doobay for his dedication and monumental achievements and we thank him for his generous contributions to Brampton,” the city said in a post on social media.