Behind the badge: Chanveer Rai
Under a sky filled with music, colour, and the scent of festival food, Chanveer Rai proudly marches through Surrey’s Vaisakhi Parade in his Guard of Honour ceremonial uniform every year.
The annual celebration of the Sikh faith and harvest season draws more than half a million people to B.C.’s second largest city each spring. For many of the South Asian families lining the streets, who have never seen a correctional officer before, Chanveer’s presence is a first — and a powerful reminder that the public service can look like them, too.
Growing up in Abbotsford, Chanveer, now in his 16th year, has built a career defined by community service, leadership, and quiet strength. After earning a diploma in criminology from the University of the Fraser Valley, he initially envisioned himself in law enforcement. “I was looking at sheriffs, police, maybe customs,” he recalls. “Federal corrections was not even on my radar until a friend encouraged me to apply.”
He joined Correctional Service Canada (CSC) in 2010, starting at Kent Institution. The learning curve was steep, but Chanveer quickly rose through the ranks to his current role as a Correctional Manager at Pacific Institution. Along the way, he has managed complex operations, led crisis response teams, and has managed numerous staff across institutions.
One defining moment came during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Chanveer helped establish a mobile medical unit at Abbotsford Regional Hospital to safely house and monitor inmates during an outbreak. “There was no blueprint,” he says. “We had to build an entire institution from scratch within the community, create new protocols, and ensure everyone’s safety. It was chaotic, but we made it work.”
Amidst a demanding career, Chanveer found his second calling in ceremonial service. His first exposure to the Guard of Honour came in 2011, after attending the funeral of a correctional officer killed in the line of duty in Washington State. “Seeing officers from across North America come together to honour someone who gave their life in service left a lasting impact for me,” he says.
Starting as a ceremonial guard member, he worked his way up to Regional Guard Commander for the Pacific Region in 2023. Today, Chanveer leads an approximately 36-member volunteer team that attends ceremonies, funerals, and parades across British Columbia and beyond.
He’s especially proud of introducing CSC’s participation in Surrey’s Vaisakhi Parade, one of the largest Sikh celebrations outside India. “It’s powerful for kids in the community to see someone who looks like them in uniform,” Chanveer says. “We don’t often get seen in a positive light, so being out there, engaging with families, answering questions helps to change perceptions.”
Chanveer sees the Guard of Honour not as pageantry, but as a symbol of respect and unity. “Working in corrections can be tough,” he says. “The Guard of Honour is one of the most positive parts of what we do. It reminds us why we serve — to bring dignity, compassion, and honour to every part of the job and to show respect to the families whose loved ones chose public service as their career.”
As his three-year term as Regional Guard Commander nears its end, Chanveer’s focus is on mentorship, legacy and succession planning. He spends hours training new members, emphasizing both precision and purpose as well as knowledge transfer to the next cohort.
“I tell them it’s not just about how we march or salute — it’s about what those gestures represent,”he says. “Every time we show up in uniform, we carry the weight of those who came before us.”
Chanveer’s journey embodies the evolving face of Canada’s correctional service — diverse, dedicated, and deeply human. “If even one young person sees me at a parade and thinks, ‘I could do that too,’” he says, “then I’ve done my job.”