Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith in Canada

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Date 1954-0, descending — sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1954 17 Sep - 6 Nov Rex King from Tucson, Arizona arrived in the Yukon and stayed until the 6th of November. He also made two brief visits in April and May of 1955. He made the first Bahá'í radio broadcasts in the Yukon. [CBN No 117 October 1957 p1] Pioneering, Yukon; Rex King; Radio; Yukon, Canada first radio broadcast in the Yukon
1954 12 Sep Seventy Bahá'ís and their friends attended a picnic at Kappus Farm, near Newfan, N.Y. The day gave an opportunity to renew friendship "across the border". Mr Allan Reed, chairman of the U.S. National Bahá'í Press Service, spoke on "Proclaiming the Faith", with the use of Audio-Visual Aids. Mr A Tichenor, secretary of the U.S. National Audio-Visual Aids Committee, discussed the effective use of special days for attracting attention to the Faith. [CBN No57 Oct 1957 p2] International picnic; Newfane, NY
1954 11 Sep A detailed report on the findings of the Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee was sent to the Guardian with a request for further guidance on purchase of a site. [CBN No58 Nov 1954 p3] Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee; Toronto, ON
1954 Sep The annual publication of the list of National Committees and their mandates was published in the September edition of the Canadian Bahá'í News [CBN No 54 Sep 1954 p7-8] National Committees
1954 29 Aug - 5 Sep A summer school was held at the Banff School of Fine Arts attracting 41 adults and 12 children. Speakers were Florence Mayberry, who spoke on "Spiritual Dynamics", Ron Nablo, Rex King, (who had just recently pioneered to Anchorage. [CBN No 58 November, 1954 p4] Summer schools; Florence Mayberry; Ron Nablo; Rex King; Banff, AB
1954 18 Aug - 6 Oct Marjorie Wheeler of Chicago arrived in the Yukon but found it necessary to leave on the 6th of October because of her mother's ill health. [CBN No 117 October 1957 p1] Pioneering, Yukon; Marjorie Wheeler; Yukon, Canada
1954 31 Jul - 7 Aug The Ontario Summer Conference was held at Geneva Park in Lake Couchiching. Mr Curtis Kelsey lead a discussion on "The World Order Unfolds", Glen Eyford of Winnipeg gave a course on consultation called "The Living Framework" and Harriet Kelsey spoke on "Essential Principles of the Faith. Mr and Mrs Kelsey commemorated the 27th anniversary of their marriage. [CBN No 51 Apr 1954 p4; CBN No 53 Jun 1954 p2; CBN No 56 Sep 1954 p5] Ontario Summer Conference; Lake Couchiching, ON
1954 24 Jul At the meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly some proposed Temple sites were viewed but no final decision reached. The Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee was commended on its work. [CBN No 56 Sep 1954 p2] Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee; Toronto, ON
1954 14 Jul The first Bahá'í wedding in Charlottetown took place on July 14, when Muriel Sheppard and Elwood McLeod were united in marriage by Rowland Estall. They spent a nine-day honeymoon on the Magdalen Islands, where they were able to make some friends and visit Mrs. Kay Zinky, the pioneer there. [CBN No56 Sep 1954 p5] Marriage; Muriel Sheppard; Elwood McLeod; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island first Baha'i wedding in Charlottetown
1954 Jun In June of 1954 it was announced in the American Bahá'í News that the following had been appointed to the Auxiliary Board in North America: Gayle Woolson, Margery McCormick, Katherine McLaughlin, Florence Mayberry, Sarah Pereira, and Rowland Estall by the three Hands of the Cause in North America, Corrine True, Horace Holley and Paul Haney.
  • To make it possible for the Auxiliary Boards to fulfill their mission, the Guardian transmitted an initial contribution of five thousand pounds to be equally divided among the five continents, and appealed to both individuals and National Assemblies to augment these funds. [BN No 28 June 1954 p6]
  • In Africa there were eight new Auxiliary Board Members and among them were Elsie Austin, 'Alí Nakhjavání, John Robarts, William Sears, and 'Azíz Yazdi. [UC49]
    		• Auxiliary board members and assistants; Gayle Woolson; Margery McCormick; Katherine McLaughlin; Florence Mayberry; Sarah Pereira; Rowland Estall; Elsie Austin; `Alí Nakhjavání; John Robarts; William Sears; Aziz Yazdi
    1954 Jun Ted and Joanie Anderson wrote the Guardian and asked him who they should teach. They received this reply:
      The Guardian...urges you to concentrate on the native populations it is for that reason that we have opened new countries to the Faith. After all, Europeans, Americans, etc., can become Bahá'ís in their homeland. We have entered new fields all over the world to bring the light of divine guidance to the native population, who have thus far been deprived of the spiritual teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. May you be confirmed with this teaching effort among the natives. The great foal would be an assembly in Whitehorse, made up of native Bahá's or at least the majority natives..
    [Native Conversion, Native Identity: An Oral History of the Bahá'í Faith among First Nations People in the Southern Central Yukon Territory, Canada by Carolyn Patterson Sawin p91-92]

    It was through the participation of the Bahá'í in the Yukon Indian Advancement Association that many of the early Native people became Bahá'ís. [ibid p92]

    		 Ted Anderson; Joan Anderson; Teaching, Native; Whitehorse, YT
    1954 May The National Archives Committee made an appeal to all assemblies and individuals to keep and record all information relative to the early history of the Cause in their area and to forward copies to the National Archives. They repeated their appeal for the friends to send Tablets that had been received from the Master. [CBN No 52 May 1954 p4] Archives
    1954 May - Jun Rosemary and Emeric Sala departed for their pioneer post in Africa via Cardiff, Wales, Oxford England, and Esslingen, Germany. In Europe they boarded the Kenya Castle and made a stop in Cairo before arriving in Mombassa and taking the train to Nairobi and back. They obtained visas for entry in South Africa in Mozambique, traveled to Durban by bus and then took a bus for the 90 some miles to their destination in Eshowe. [TG122-126]
  • See Rosemary's letter CBN No59 Dec 1954 p1.
    		•  Pioneering; Rosemary Sala; Emeric Sala; St. Lambert, QC
    1954 30 Apr - 2 May The. seventh Canadian Bahá'í National Convention was held at Victoria Hall, Westmount, Montreal. followed by a Teaching Conference held Sunday, May 2nd in the Assembly Hall of the YMCA across the street. The following were elected to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly: Lloyd Gardner (chair), Allan Raynor, (vice), Audrey Westheuser (sec'y), Peggy Ross, (treasurer), Rolland Estall, Angus Cowan, Winnifred Harvey, Donald MacLaren, Albert Rakovsky. [CBN No 53 June 1954 p3; CBN No 54 July 1954 p1]
  • On Saturday afternoon, May 1st, the delegates and friends gathered at Victoria Hall in Westmount for a brief commemoration and prayers. [CBN No 63 April 1955, Insert p4]
  • A memorial service for Marion Jack, the beloved Canadian pioneer to Sofia, Bulgaria, was held. Miss Jack was born in St. John, N .B. As an artist, as well as a believer, she was invited to Haifa to paint many of the scenes there. She was in Bulgaria during the war and suffered greatly. Because of this, the Guardian invited her to leave and return to Haifa. She decided, however, to remain, even though the difficulties were great, and stayed at her post until her passing March 27, 1954. She is interred in the British Cemetery in Sofia. [CBN No54 Jul 1954 p1]
  • Polly Pollexfen, Ethel Martens and Hart Bowsfield were injured in a motor vehicle accident while travelling from Winnipeg to the National Convention in Montreal. It was a serious accident and recovery was slow. [CBN No57 Oct 1957 p2]
    		•  National Convention; NSA; Lloyd Gardner; Allan Raynor; Audrey Westheuser; Peggy Ross; Rolland Estall; Angus Cowan; Winnifred Harvey; Donald MacLaren; Albert Rakovsky; National Spiritual Assembly, election of; Westmount, QC
    1954 Apr They were unable to obtain visas for the Comoro Islands and so Rosemary and Emeric Sala set their new pioneering destination to Basutoland (Lesotho).[CBN No53 Jun 1954 p2] Pioneer; Rosemary Sala; Emeric Sala; Basutoland
    1954 Ridván Twenty-six local Spiritual assemblies were formed in Canada. [CBN No 76 May 1956 p6] Statistics; Local Spiritual Assembly, formation
    1954 21 Apr Bruce Matthew came to Canada in 1951 from Scotland via Hertfordshire and moved to Toronto in 1953 where he encountered the Faith after responding to a newspaper in The Toronto Star. The advertisement was for a talk by Laura Davis at a public meeting at the Bahá'í Centre. Willing to go "anywhere" he was asked to move to Goose Bay, NL and arrived on the 21st of April, 1954, the deadline established by Shoghi Effendi for being named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Shoghi Effendi. Bruce has an interesting story of his miraculous healing just prior to his boarding the plane for Goose Bay. [KoB270-271]
  • During the time he spent there, from April 1954 to January 1956, Bruce worked at the hospital and later as a court reporter for the United States Air Force until his job was phased out.
  • In consultation with the Goals Committee, Bruce pioneered to Charlottetown, PE, then St. John's, NL, and Windsor, ON. The Goals Committee then suggested that Bruce go to Moncton, NB, and he finally settled in the community of Alliston, ON, north of Toronto. [CBN Vol4 Issue 2 Jun 1991 p11; KoB271; BW13p453]
    		•  Bruce Matthews; Knight of Bahá'u'lláh; Goose Bay, NL; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; St. Johns, NL; Windsor, ON; Moncton, NB
    1954 10 Apr The National Spiritual Assembly made a careful study of the Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee and new directives to the committee were formulated. [kCBN No 53 Jun 1954 p3] Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee; Toronto, ON
    1954 6 Apr Shoghi Effendi called upon the Hands of the Cause to appoint, during Ridván 1954, five auxiliary boards to act as their adjuncts or deputies to work with the national spiritual assemblies to execute the projected national plans. [MBW44, BW13p335; CBN No 53 June, 1954 p6; MBW58-60] Auxiliary board members and assistants; Haifa, Israel
    1954 Apr Howard Gilliland, an Air Force captain, arrived in Labrador and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. Because of housing difficulties his family was not able to join him. He left in February of 1955. [BW13:453; KoB269] Howard Gilliland; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Labrador, NL
    25 or 27 Mar The passing of Marion Jack (General Jack) at her pioneer post in Sofia, Bulgaria at the age of 87. She was born in Saint John, NB on December 1, 1866. [BWNS385, Never be Afraid to Dare p. 227; BW12p674-677]
  • She first learned of the Faith from Mason Remey while she was in Paris during her student days.
  • Marion Jack was one of the first to respond to the call of the Divine Plan performing pioneer service in Alaska and teaching in Toronto, Montreal and may other places. She also spent a good deal of time at Green Acre.
  • In 1930 or 1931 she returned to Haifa where she had been in 1908 and following the visit went to Sofia. During the early years there she attended the German summer school and made teaching trips to Vienna and Budapest.
  • She remained at her post until her passing encountering untold hardship due to poor health, the lack of money, the privations of the war and the subsequent communist rule.
  • See the Guardian's tribute dated the 29th of March. [CBN No52 May 1954 p1]
  • She was buried in the British Cemetery in Sofia. [CBN No 54 July 1954 p1]
  • A tribute to her was published as an insert to CBN No 63 April 1963.
  • See CBN October 1979 for tributes as well as a photo of her gravesite.
  • For her biography see Never Be Afraid to Dare by Jan Teofil Jasion published by George Ronald, 2001.
  • See also Marion Jack: Immortal Heroine by Jan Jasion.
  • See Bahá'í Chronicles.
    		•  Marion Jack; General Jack; In Memoriam; Jan Teofil Jasion; Sofia, Bulgaria
    1954 Mar - Apr Albert Rakovsky, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly 1953-1956 was the first Bahá'í to visit Anticosti Island. [MtB192-193] Albert Rakovsky; Anticosti Island, QC the first Bahá’í to visit Anticosti Island
    1954 14 Feb The National Spiritual Assembly gave the Manitoba Regional Teaching Committee to prepare translations of approved literature into Ukrainian. [CBN No 50 Mar 1954 p2]
  • "The Guardian was greatly encouraged to learn of the steps being taken by you for the translation of literature into Ukrainian and into Polish. He feels that this is a very important step, and one which will produce outstanding results for the Faith". [CBN No 51 Apr 1954 p1]
    		•  Translation; Ukrainian; Polish language; Winnipeg, MB
    1954 6 Feb A detailed report on Hazira and Temple properties was presented at the National Spiritual Assembly meeting. A letter from the Guardian requesting purchase by the end of March if possible was discussed. On February 13, three properties were visited and further discussion took place. Suggestions for the Hazira building were examined. It was arranged to send the Guardian immediately a detailed report on progress to date with information on properties believed suitable and on tentative Hazira plans. The Hazira and Temple Committee were asked to prepare additional information on the proposed building and on properties available. [CBN No 50 Mar 1954 p3] Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Toronto, ON
    1954 (Early in the year) A by-election was held to replace National Spiritual Assembly members John Robarts, Rosemary Sala and Emeric Sala who had planned on leaving Canada for the Comoro Islands. The new members selected were: Angus Cowan, Peggy Ross and Alan Raynor. Rowland Estall was elected a chairman of the Assembly and Winnifred Harvey was elected to serve as vice-chair. [CBN No 50 March 1954 p2] National Spiritual Assembly, election of; Angus Cowan; Peggy Ross; Alan Raynor; Rowland Estall; Winnifred Harvey; National Spiritual Assembly, By-election; Toronto, ON
    1954 (Early in the year) Florence Mayberry made a tour of Eastern Canada with stops in Bellville, Kingston, Montreal, St Lambert, Westmount, Quebec City, Charlottetown, Ingersoll, Hamilton, and Peterborough. [CBN No 51 April, 1954 p5] Florence Mayberry; Travel Teaching; Belleville, ON; Kingston, ON; Montreal, QC; St. Lambert, QC; Westmount, QC; Québec City, QC; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Ingersoll, ON; Hamilton, ON; Peterborough, ON
    1954 14 Jan Miss Lilian Wyss, a former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, arrived in Samoa and became an adopted Canadian pioneer. She hoped to obtain employment so that she could remain and hold the goal when Emmanuel Rock's contract expires next January. [CBN No 49 February 1954 p2]
  • Emmanuel Rock and Lilian Wyss have organized the Bahá'í Group of Apia, are making regular contributions, are helping with Samoan translations and have been able to do a good deal of teaching. They may well establish the first local assembly of the region. [CBN No51 Apr 1954 p6]
    		•  Samoa; Lilian Wyss; Pioneer; Apia, Samoa
    1954 14 Jan Miss Greta Jankko sailed from Vancouver on the S.S.Oronsay - destination the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. [CBN No49 February 1954 p2]
  • Greta Jankko arrived March 5th after visiting friends in San Francisco, Samoa and Papeete. She reported a warm hospitality from the friends wherever she went. [CBN No51 Apr 1954 p4]
  • Greta Jankko reportedly left the island for Finland. [CBN No61 Feb 1955 p2]
    		•  Pioneer; Greta Jankko; Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
    1954 Jan It was announced that Angus Cowan had been chosen in a by-election to replace John Robarts on the National Spiritual Assembly. [CBN No 49 January 1954 p3] Angus Cowan; John Robarts; National Spiritual Assembly, By-election; National Spiritual Assembly, election of; Toronto, ON
    1954 Jan John and Audrey Robarts with their two younger children, Patrick and Tina, left Toronto for their pioneer post in Mafeking (later Mafikeng), Bechuanaland (later Botswana and formerly Bophuthatswana). Older children Aldham and Gerald pioneered to Nigeria and a homefront post respectively. [LOF485-6]
  • Upon departure, as they passed through Montreal, Rosemary Sala presented 13-year-old Tina with a large box containing 21 individually wrapped presents to be opened, one per day, on their 21-day sea voyage. [TG121]
  • Later the same year he was appointed to the newly established Auxiliary Board by Hand of the Cause of God Músá Banání. They returned to Canada some 13 years later. [LOF486, 491]
    		•  - Hands of the Cause; John Robarts; Audrey Robarts; Patrick Robarts; Tina Robarts; Gerald Robarts; Auxiliary board members and assistants; Canada; Botswana; Nigeria; - Africa
    1954 Jan The Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee called for suggestions and preliminary designs for the Canadian Haziratu1-Quds to be built on the site for the Mother Temple of Canada. [CBN No 48 January 1954 p4] Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Toronto, ON
    1954 (In the year) The passing of Christine Monroe at the age of 94. She was the first Bahá'í in West Vancouver. [CBN No 80 September 1956 p2] Christine Monroe; West Vancouver, BC first Bahá'í in West Vancouver
    1954 (In the year) The passing of Mrs Christine Monroe, the first Bahá'í in West Vancouver. She passed away at the age of 94. [CBN No 80 September, 1956 p2] Christine Monroe; In Memoriam; West Vancouver, BC first Bahá'í in West Vancouver

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