Career
Born in India, Brar moved to Canada for his studies at the University of Manitoba where he received a Master"s degree in Public Administration. In 1994 he moved to Surrey. Foreign over a decade, Brar worked in both the public and non-profit sectors, helping professionals develop their careers, and working with employers to develop strategies meant for recruiting a highly skilled as well as multicultural workforce.
As the former executive director of the Surrey Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS), he helped trained new entrepreneurs in developing and launching successful small business ventures.
In early 2012 Brar participated in the Raise the Rates Modern Language Association Welfare Challenge by living on $610 for one month, the standard wage given to welfare recipients in British Columbia at the time. Brar lived in a small room in Vancouver"s notorious Downtown Eastside for part of the month-long challenge.
He lost 26 pounds during the event and reported feeling constantly hungry and his mind "fuzzy" due to a lack of adequate nutrition and sleep. He kept a blog of his experiences and the media exposure surrounding the event significantly raised public awareness of welfare rates in British Columbia
In August 2012, Brar was criticized by British Columbia"s Liberal Party for praising Cuba"s health and education system on a Punjabi radio station after a holiday in the communist country.
He was defeated in the 2013 provincial election by British Columbia Liberal candidate Peter Fassbender.
