A Diverse and Growing Community

“The future of Canada, whether from a material or a spiritual standpoint, is very great. Day by day civilization and freedom shall increase.”

— ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The Bahá’ís of Canada are part of a worldwide community that is striving to advance the spiritual, social, and material conditions of humanity.

The Bahá’ís of Canada are part of a worldwide community that is striving to advance the spiritual, social, and material conditions of humanity.

The Bahá’ís of this country reflect the rich diversity of Canada itself, including Indigenous peoples, first-generation immigrants, and multi-generational Canadians of English, French, and other national backgrounds. We are working alongside friends and neighbours to realize Bahá’u’lláh’s vision for society, where the dignity and nobility of the individual is upheld, cultural diversity is valued and celebrated, and unity and fellowship among all its members is consciously fostered.

Bahá’u’lláh describes humanity as undergoing a transition to an age of collective maturity when a long-awaited age of peace and prosperity is within reach. He calls on us to break free of those limitations that set people against each other, and to see each other as one human family, sharing a common homeland. “The earth,” He says, “is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

Bahá’u’lláh calls on humanity to recognize “that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth,” and that the Creator has sent Messengers to us throughout human history to contribute to the spiritual and cultural evolution of humanity. Indeed, Bahá’ís understand divine revelation to be the driving force animating progressive developments in human civilization. As Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”

The Bahá’í community grows organically through the spreading influence of a pattern of individual and collective life that embraces people from every race, class, and religion. Tens of thousands of people, in neigbourhoods and villages across the country, participate with their friends and neighbours – whether or not they formally associate themselves with the Bahá’í Faith.

The Bahá’í Faith began in 1844, and it has been present in Canada since 1898. Bahá’ís can be found in every region of the country, working in diverse social and cultural contexts to apply the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh to the needs of society. Today there are deeply rooted communities in all corners of the country: British Columbia, Alberta, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic, and Northern Canada.

From Sea to Sea

Read about the ways in which Canadians in every region have responded to the call of Bahá’u’lláh for more than a century.