Two long-time residents with strong community ties and extensive histories of working to make Canton the best it can be were inducted into the Canton Hall of Fame this past March.
Your 2026 inductees are Joan Noricks and Tejkiran “Sunny” Singh. Joan has lived in Canton since 1980 and has volunteered, supported and even founded local organizations and nonprofits for over 45 years. Sunny moved here in 2003 and immediately became involved in bringing all the people of Canton together: fostering unity, diversity and understanding across the community.
Leading up to the induction reception, Sunny was surprised by the honor. He received a phone call about his nomination and thought he was just on the short list, so he considered withdrawing his name because he didn’t want another, more deserving person to miss out. When he learned he was the inductee, it was a surprise. “I was incredulous. It was unbelievable. I could have just jumped,” recalled Sunny,
For Joan, the stand-out moment of the ceremony was seeing the video listing all the organizations she’s been a part of over the last 45 years. Her brothers, who attended the ceremony, were awestruck to witness everything she’s done during her time in Canton.
Joan Noricks: Pillar of the Community
Joan says the move to Canton with her husband, Dennis, was a life-changing decision. The community was growing rapidly at the time, and, like her, many of the residents were new to Canton. “There was a tremendous energy around Canton, with so many opportunities for people who wanted to help out,” she explained. “It was a great opportunity to get involved and make a lasting impact.”
During those first couple of decades, Joan volunteered extensively with Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (P-CCS). She was a School Council Member for 14 years, serving stints as Treasurer and President. That wasn’t her only commitment to P-CCS. She has served on 10 other P-CCS boards, committees and task forces over the years.
Beyond the school system, Joan supported many local organizations and nonprofits, including those that supported our youth, the arts, businesses and education. She raised millions of dollars for these organizations, helped guide many of them, and even founded a few of her own.
One of the organizations Joan founded is the Giving Hope Women’s Giving Circle, which has raised over $200,000 and collected clothing and gift cards for many area charities. Founded in 2006, this group continues to raise funds for many charities and is a strong presence in our community.
Even after 45-plus years of volunteering and leading, she is not slowing down in her commitment to our community. She is currently a Family Learning Institute Elementary Student Reading Tutor, serves as the Senior Representative on Canton’s Leisure Services Advisory Committee and is Treasurer of the Canton Nature Society.
“Keep your heart and eyes open, curious to new ideas and growth—that is what has guided me,” Joan shared. She added this advice for anyone who wants to make a difference locally: “Show up. Show up and show interest.”
Sunny Singh: Community Connector
When Sunny was moving to the area from India, he considered Ann Arbor, Northville, Novi and Canton as possible destinations. He found that not only did Canton provide a good location and value, but it also had a homey feel. He felt he blended in better with the community, which was more diverse.
It wasn’t long before he found himself involved in the community. “I always had a passion to do things and be involved—even as a child—to help people in any way and every way,” he explained. He volunteered at the local Gurdwara in India and continued with the local Gurdwara once he moved to Canton. One day, the priest asked him for some help with the barn. After that, people started asking him to help with other assistance, and the next thing he knew, he was getting involved in all kinds of things.
In 2006, he was asked to help resolve a situation with the schools, which he did by creating understanding between the schools and Sikh religious practices. After that, Sunny became more involved in the community, including joining the Hate Crimes coalition.
In the years that followed, he committed his leadership and involvement to countless initiatives that bring people together. He has been a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and an advisor to Corewell Health and Community Financial Credit Union. He is currently the co-chair of the Canton Coalition for Inclusive Communities and Vice President of the Pheasant View Homeowners’ Association. Sunny also organizes a large volunteer team for Canton’s Liberty Fest and has been a part of the “get to know your neighbor” events at the Canton Public Library.
Sunny continues to work tirelessly to connect the diverse parts of our community, including serving as Canton Township’s main point of contact for facilitation and engagement with Canton’s large Sikh community. Working with other local places of worship, Sunny has helped coordinate interfaith events, including the National Day of Peace and National Night Out. After a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, he helped plan a peace walk here in Canton as a stand against intolerance.
To keep the connectivity of Canton growing, Sunny has this advice: “Keep your doors open to meeting and accepting new people. I see my brother and my sister in everyone, and I encourage people to open their hearts. We are all part of the beautiful world of the creator.”
Canton Has Grown with Each of Them
Both Joan and Sunny have been a part of Canton Township for a long time. They have seen it grow into what it is today and have helped shape it along the way.
“It’s tremendous to see the growth of the community, the trajectory of Canton as it developed into a diverse community,” said Joan. “I’m honored to be celebrating with people representing all different cultures in Canton.”
“There have been a lot of changes. Roads that were just dirt are now paved and so full of traffic. We have grown with a lot of diversity,” said Sunny. “I tell friends in other areas that don’t have the same community feel that Canton does that it really feels like you’re part of something here; it feels like a home.”
We are lucky to have both Joan and Sunny as long-standing members of our community. We salute them both for their well-deserved induction into the Canton Hall of Fame!
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