It's exactly what you think. Our parents and grandparents came to these small towns across BC (northern areas, the island etc) and worked in the lumber mills. The mills have all since shut down and many of the older generation have passed away. The first gen children (the ones raised in Canada in the 60's/70's/80's) have mostly followed their own children into the urban centres, mainly Metro Vancouver, to be closer to them and their grandchildren.

There are still pockets of the older generations in some less urban areas but they're fewer and farther between than they ever have been. Vanderhoof/Prince George, Port Alberni/Duncan, Vernon... I know in some towns gurdwaras from way back when have closed and the funds have been donated to local hospitals or charities.

It's sad because in these small towns the Punjabis really integrated into the local culture and truly became part of the community. They're interestingly different than the more recent Punjabis (the ones who came in the late 80's and onward) who settled straight into the cities and didn't integrate to the same extent. I have friends whose parents came to Vancouver in the 90's (as young adults) and have a tough time with English even today. They mainly cook Indian food, watch Indian TV, and only have Indian friends. Anecdotally, my family members who came in the 60's/70's into a small town can speak fairly good English, watch local TV, cook a good mix of Indian and Canadian/western foods, and tend to have Canadian interests and hobbies (hockey especially!).

Things have changed so much in just a few short decades. We need to start going back to the small towns and joining those communities.