For more than two decades, Dr. Sultan Baloo was a familiar face in Carman’s business and community life, serving as the community’s optometrist and an active volunteer.
“I made Carman my home from August 1975 to August 1996,” said Baloo, who was born and raised in Uganda, East Africa.
Before his move to Manitoba, Baloo developed a strong love for both sports and learning. “I participated in sports—particularly tennis, badminton and table tennis,” he said. “I developed a love for photography at a very young age as well as a passion for reading.”
As a student, he worked several part-time jobs. “I was a mail sorter during the Christmas rush, worked for a university professor on a science project and gathered traffic statistics for the Motor Vehicle Branch,” he recalled.
Baloo chose optometry as his profession. He left Uganda for the U.K. at the age of 16, completed his O- and A-levels and graduated in 1963. “Yes, I moved to Carman for my career,” he said, “but first I worked in the U.K. for a year, then returned to Uganda and opened my own practice. Political upheaval forced me to leave in 1972 with my family to Canada. I spent two years at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, which was a requirement to practise in Canada, before graduating.”
During a visit to Winnipeg to see his sister, Baloo heard of a retirement opening in Carman. “In August of 1975, I purchased Dr. Reid Cochran’s business,” he said.
Once settled, Baloo quickly immersed himself in the community. “Soon we joined the Kinsmen, the Masons, the Chamber of Commerce and the Young Citizens Group (average age 70!),” he laughed. “I was also a Boyne Lodge board member for a year. I continued with my education courses to keep up with the ever-changing profession.”
After more than two decades serving Carman, Baloo decided it was time for a change. “After 21 years practising in Canada and 10 in Uganda, it was time to semi-retire,” he said. “My business was taken over by Dr. Doug Holroyd in August 1996, and we moved to Vancouver.”
Baloo met his wife, Roshi, in Uganda, and the couple married in 1966. Together they raised two children. “Our son Moezin attended K-12 and graduated from the Collegiate in 1987. After studying chiropractic in Minnesota, he is now in a group practice in Vancouver. Our daughter Shaliza graduated from Shaftesbury High School in Winnipeg in 1985 and she too works in Vancouver,” he said proudly.
Even after moving west, Baloo stayed active in his profession. “I joined a group practice and worked part-time until I fully retired in 2013,” he said.
These days, photography and video editing keep him busy. “I play table tennis with a group of seniors and walk regularly,” he said. “Lots of travel, too—all over the Eastern African countries, South Africa, India, the Middle East, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Cuba, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, Alaska and on Caribbean cruises.”
Now 88 years old, Baloo says his plans are simple. “It’s time to spend quiet time at home with family and friends, make short holiday trips within Canada and catch up on reading.”
He and Roshi made an emotional and nostalgic return to Carman in 2019. “The friendly nature of the townspeople was amazing,” he said. “From day one we were accepted in the community. The eye care that I provided—not just to the people of Carman, but all the surrounding towns and villages—was appreciated.”
“Fifty-three years ago, my wife, children and I left all our possessions behind in Uganda and made our way to Canada. Destiny was on our side. We settled down in the best country in the world—and to top it all off, the most welcoming and friendly town on the Prairies… Carman, Man.! Dare I say, the forced migration was a blessing in disguise.”
— Dr. Sultan Baloo
