‘Kind and gentle soul’ killed in Charlie Lake remembered by family for ‘smile and joy’

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — The cousin of an international student who was killed in Charlie Lake has called him a “kind and gentle soul.” 

Gurkirat Singh Manocha, an international student, died after an “altercation” in Charlie Lake on March 13th which is being treated as a homicide. 

A GoFundMe page to pay off his student loan was launched by Manocha’s cousin, Jasmeet Kaur – who did not want to use her surname – and as of March 27th, the page has raised $13,969. 

Manocha was born on September 7th, 2000 in Ujjain, a city in central India, before moving to Canada to study business management at Northern Lights College in Fort St. John in December 2024. 

Kaur told Energeticcity.ca that Manocha’s weakness is that he could never say no. 

She explained: “If you need him or if you need any help, he would be there for you and one of his friends even said that Gurkirat is like ‘my mom.’”

As the youngest son in the family, Kaur said: “He earned a lot of love and he would just spread joy everywhere.” 

Before coming to Canada to study, Kaur said Manocha worked at a cake shop and also helped his father with his business. 

Manocha’s “ultimate goal” of coming to Canada was to create a life for himself and his parents, Kaur said.  

“He [wanted] to bring them here one day and show them what he had built for himself,” she said.

Kaur said Manocha was planning to bring his parents to Canada for his graduation, especially his mom, as he was very close to her. 

She said: “The last conversation we had, he was thinking of calling his parents for his convocation because he was going to complete his studies in December 2026 and May or June 2027 would have been his convocation.” 

Manocha was an active member of the local gurdwara, which is a place of worship for the Sikh community. 

She said: “He enjoyed music a lot, whether it was a religious form of music or cultural music, he would enjoy that and he also liked to drive.” 

Manocha is survived by his parents and his elder brother, Kaur said 

When asked how his family will remember him, Kaur said: “He was the youngest. The family’s always gonna remember him with his smile and the joy he would spread and [he has left a] void that cannot be filled.” 

Manocha’s last rites will be performed in India. 

To donate to Manocha’s GoFundMe page, click here. 

Anyone with information about the “altercation” or who may have dashcam footage is asked to contact the Fort St. John RCMP at 250-787-8140.