Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith in Canada

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Date 1956, ascending — sort newest first

date event tags firsts
1956 (In the year) Arthur Bonshaw Irwin (born 6 June 1915 – died 1994) and Lily-Ann Irwin of Calgary, Alberta were the first to take the Bahá'í teachings to the Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve).
    Note: Canadian Bahá'í News August 1961 p10 reported that this took place in 1960.
  • "Arthur Irwin became a Bahá'í in 1947 and was a very active Bahá'í teacher to the native peoples of Canada, Alaska, and the Caribbean. He and his wife, Lily Ann, established the first Native Indian Friendship Centre in Calgary, Alberta… He was honoured by the Blackfoot, Peigan, Blood, and Morely tribes in Alberta for his honesty and integrity. A geologist with a doctorate in the field, Irwin worked on Indian reserves in Canada ensuring that fair market value was paid for leases on natural resources (Bahá'í World. 1994. "Arthur Bonshaw Irwin." Bahá'í World. 1994. Volume XXIII)."
    		•  Arthur Irwin; Lily Ann Irwin; Native Friendship Centre; Teaching, Native; Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve), AB the first Native Indian Friendship Centre
    1956 (In the year) Incorporation papers have been granted to the Assembly in Scarborough, Ontario. [CBN No 78 July 1956 p4] Local Spiritual Assembly, incorporation; Scarborough, ON
    1956 Jan The National Teaching Committee launched a teaching campaign directed at the Ukrainian population. For several months they have had weekly advertisement published in a widely read Ukrainian newspaper. The purpose was to introduce the reader to the Faith and ask them to write for more information. They received some 300 inquiries from across Canada, the US and even Central America. The plan was ready to go to the second step, to introduce the contacts to the local community, [CBN No 60 Jan 1956 p2] Ukrainian teaching
    1956 Jan The National Spiritual Assembly published the policy on membership in Freemasonry.

  • From the American Bahá'î News, September; 1955: "A recent issue of the British Bahá'í Journal contained the text of two cables from the Guardian concerning membership of Bahá'îs in Freemasonry:
      'Disapprove membership (in) Freemasonry' (November 11, 1954);
      'Any Bahá'î determined retain membership (in) Freemasonry loses voting rights' (December 22, 1954) .
    • The National Spiritual Assembly inquired of the Guardian whether this directive applied to the United States. In a letter written on behalf of the Guardian, dated July 9, 1955, this question was answered:
        'The directive regarding membership. in Freemasonry should be 'carried out by your Assembly in all areas under your Assembly's jurisdiction.'The Guardian's directive about Freemasonry is an application of the general principle he laid down some years ago to the effect that Bahá'îs are not to affiliate with organizations, any of whose purposes and methods contradict fundamental principles of the Bahá'í teachings. This directive closes our ranks for the forth-coming new period of public responsibility when enemies of the Cause will do their best to find ways to discredit our principles of complete neutrality with respect to various social organizations in East and West."

      The Canadian National Spiritual Assembly regards the Guardian's directives as general policy with equal application to Canada. [CBN No 72 Jan 1956p3-4]

    		•  Freemasonry
    1956 7 Jan A full report on progress on incorporations and Hazira and Temple Grounds was sent the Guardian at his request. [CBN No74 Mar 1956 p2] Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee; Toronto, ON
    1956 7 Jan The National Spiritual Assembly made arrangements for the erection of a memorial stone on the grave of Marion Jack. [CBN N74 Mar 1956 p2] Marion Jack; In Memoriam; Toronto, ON
    1956 Feb The Canadian Bahá'í News reported that the Local Spiritual Assembly of Winnipeg had been incorporated and that they had approved the incorporation of the Spiritual Assembly of Vernon. [CBN No 73 February, 1956 p2] iiiii Local Spiritual Assembly, incorporation; Winnipeg, MB; Vernon, BC
    1956 (In the year_ With the growing number of Bahá'ís in the Yukon they were able to send their first delegates to the National Convention. Three of the six delegates elected at the first Yukon Bahá'í Convention were Native: Annie Drugan (later Auston), Shirley Lindstrom and Liz Jackson. [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 p98] Yukon, Canada
    1956 25 Feb Because of the cost of adapting the Mount Pleasant property for Hazira use, the replacement of this property by the premises of the Free Magyar Reformed Church on Huron Street was authorized provided satisfactory financial arrangements can be made. The Temple Grounds Committee reported that no action could yet be taken on their option to purchase land in the Toronto area. Hazira and Temple Grounds Committee; Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Toronto, ON
    1956 Mar The course "The Covenant and the Institutions" was conducted in BC in March, 1956 and subsequently in every other province.
  • The National Spiritual Assembly, in a directive published in Canadian Bahá'í News in June of 1957 said, "concerning the minimum teachings that should be covered before a new member is accepted into the Faith" should include a knowledge of Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Tablet of the Branch, The Book of the Covenant and the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. Specifically, Tablet of the Branch BWFp204, Kitab-i-Ahd, BWFp207 and pages 134-135 of Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh They also urged the study of Covenant and the Administration [CBN No 89 June, 1957 p1].
    • 1956 Mar The course "The Covenant and the Individual, was conducted in British Columbia and consequently was given in every province in Canada. The National Spiritual Assembly requested that the Local Assemblies and Regional Teaching Committees to make certain that prospective believers were familiar with the essential contents of the following books: Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablet of the Branch, Book of the Covenant (Kitab-i-A!hd) and the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. [CBN No89 June 1957 p1] Covenant; Deepening
    1956 18 Apr After three years of attempts by the National Assembly Mary Zabolotny was able to secure employment on the privately-owned Island of Anticosti and settle there to become a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. She was only able to stay for several months before she was forced to leave. [CBN No 76 May, 1956 p7]
  • Considering that this proved a difficult goal to fill the Guardian allowed the National Spiritual Assembly to choose an alternate goal-the Gulf Islands. [KoB10], 274; MC2p56]
    		• - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Mary Zabolotny McCulloch; Anticosti Island, QC
  • Twenty-two local Spiritual assemblies were formed in Canada. [CBN No 76 May 1956 p6]
    		•  Statistics; Local Spiritual Assembly, formation
    1956 Ridván The formation of the first local spiritual assembly in St James, Manitoba. [CBN No 76 May 1956 p6] Local Spiritual Assembly, formation; St. James, MB
    1956 27 - 29 Apr The 9th National Convention was held in the King Edward Hotel and was attended by over 100 delegates and friends. Those elected were: Audrey Westheuser, (sec'y) Peggy Ross, (treasurer) Winnifred Harvey, Lloyd Gardner, (chair) Don MacLaren, Angus Cowan, Rowland Estall, Allan Raynor, (vice) and Hart Bowsfield.
  • It was announced that Canada's National Endowment had been secured, a beautiful piece of property on the Niagara River in the shadow of Queenston Heights. It had been donated by one of the friends.
  • The Public Congress was held in the Royal Ontario Museum Theatre on the evening of Saturday the 28th of April. Over 300 attended. [CBN No 77 June 1956 p2]
  • It was learned that Canada's National Endowment had been secured, a beautiful piece of property on the Niagara River in the shadow of Queenston Heights, which had been donated by one of the friends. [CBN No 77 June 1956 p2]
    		•  National Convention; NSA; Audrey Westheuser; Peggy Ross; Winnifred Harvey; Lloyd Gardner; Don MacLaren; Angus Cowan; Rowland Estall; Allan Raynor; Hart Bowsfield; National Spiritual Assembly, election of; National Endowment; Toronto, ON
    1956 10 May The property at 274 Huron Street was acquired for a Haziratu'l-Quds at a cost of $48,000. When this goal was given to Canada in 1953 the Guardian contributed £2,000 towards this undertaking and donations were made by the National Spiritual Assemblies of the British Isles and of Germany. Further donation came from Canadian believers and from the estate of Hand of the Cause Fred Schopflocher. [CBN No 77 June, 1956 p4-5; CBN No 78 July, 1956 p1]
  • See [MtC198-199] for a photo.
    		•  Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Toronto, ON
    1956 16 Jun A group of friends from the Montreal area gathered at the grave the beloved Hand of the Cause of God Sutherland Maxwell. The purpose of the gathering was to fulfill the instructions of the Guardian to deposit, under the headstone, a piece of plaster from the walls of the prison at Mah-Ku where the Báb had been incarcerated in 1847. The box containing the plaster was placed in a special excavation in the foundation stone under the headstone and attar of roses, sent by the Guardian for the purpose, was poured over the alabaster box which was then permanently sealed with tile and cement in the foundation stone.
          This was followed by a brief statement on the life of Mr Maxwell and his historic services to the Faith as recalled in the Guardian's cable at the time of his passing. The Guardian had pointed out that another piece of plaster from the same source had been placed under the first golden tile of the dome of the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. The superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb had been designed by Sutherland Maxwell. [CBN No 80 September, 1956 p2]
          To pay further tribute Mr Maxwell's contribution as the architect of the Arcade and the Superstructure built over the Sepulchre built by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Guardian named one of the eight doors Báb-i-Maxwell. [CBN No 82 November, 1956 p3]    		 In Memoriam; Sutherland Maxwell; Montreal, QC
    1956 (Summer) David Bowie became a Bahá'í and was soon followed by his wife Carol who was later elected to the National Spiritual Assembly and was appointed to the Auxiliary Board in 1975. [UC61-62] David Bowie; Carol Bowie; Auxiliary board members and assistants; Niagara Falls, ON
    1956 21 - 28 Jul The Laurentian Bahá'í School was held in two sessions, July 21-28 and July 28-August 5. The theme for the sessions was "The Development of The Individual". The teachers for the first session were Mrs. Audrey Westheuser, Dr. Genevieve Coy, Mr. Allan Raynor and from July 28 - August 5, Miss Winnifred Harvey, Mrs. Ruth Moffett and Mr. Mehdi Firoozi. [CBN No74 Mar 1956 p4; CBN No 78 Jul 1956 p4] Summer schools; Beaulac, QC
    1956 21 - 28 Jul The Laurentian Summer School was held in two sessions, 21-28 July and 28 July to the 5th of August. The presenters were: Dr Genevieve Coy spoke on "The Reality of Man", Mehdi Firoozi told stories on the Dawnbreakers and the Hands of the Cause, Ruth Moffet gave her course on the "Spiritual Crusade" and Winnifred Harvey took the theme "Tools of Living", Audrey Westheuser gave a course on Faith in Action and Allan Raynor on "Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant and our Relationship to It". [CBN No 81 October 1956 p2] Summer schools; Genevieve Coy; Mehdi Firoozi; Ruth Moffett; Winnifred Harvey; Audrey Westheuser; Allan Raynor
    1956 Aug The Ontario Summer School was held during the long holiday weekends. The first two were held in Dundas and the last two in Forest. sessions. At Forest on Labour Day weekend Nancy Campbell spoke on "Meditation and the Law of Love" and Charles Grindley on "The Science of Teaching". [CBN No 81 October 1956 p2] Summer schools; Nancy Campbell; Charles Grindley; Dundas, ON; Forest, ON
    1956 The Bahá'í Faith was put on the curriculum in a course on comparative Religions at McMaster University. [UC61] McMaster University, Ontario; Hamilton, ON
    1956 09 The National Spiritual Assembly published the policy for the performing of a Bahá'í marriage by a local spiritual assembly. [CBN No 80 September 1956 p4] Marriage
    1956 2 - 8 Sep The Western Canada Bahá'î Summer Conference was held at the School of Fine Arts in Banff. The course material dealt with Bahá'í Administration, The Covenant, and Living the Bahá'í Life. CBN No 78 July 1956 p4]
  • Presenters were: Katherine Moscrop and Ted Anderson spoke on the Covenant and Bahá'í Administration. Joyce Noble and W R Maclean spoke on "Deepening the Spiritual Life". Katherine Hamilton and Joyce Noble gave a wonderful description of their pilgrimage to Haifa. [CBN No 81 October 1956 p5]
    		•  Summer schools; Katherine Moscrop; Ted Anderson; Joyce Noble; W R Maclean; Katherine Hamilton; Banff, AB
    1956 30 Sep The dedication of the new Haziratu'l-Quds of the Bahá'ís of Canada at 274 Huron Street in Toronto. ABM Roland Estall read an address on behalf of Hand of the Cause Horace Holley who was unable to attend due to weather conditions. [CBN No 82 November, 1956 p1-4]

    The purchase was made possible because of the generosity of the Canadian believers as well as an "exceedingly generous bequest made to the Canadian Bahá'í Community, on his death, by Fred Schopflocher". [CBNNo 77 June 1956 p4]

  • The Haziratu'lQuds was to serve as the administrative headquarters of the National Spiritual Assembly, its secretariat, for Assembly meetings, the preservation of its records, for public meetings , a Bahá'í library, an Archives, for committee meetings and Bahá'í Conferences. Its influence would enhance the prestige and consolidate the authority of the National Assembly in the Bahá'í community, confer dignity and prestige upon the Faith in the eyes of the public and be the seat of one of the electoral bodies that would elect the Universal House of Justice. [CBN No 82 November, 1956 p 3]
    		• Haziratul-Quds (Bahá'í centres); Toronto, ON
    1956 Dec The passing of Leslie Silversides. Leslie became a Bahá'í in 1945 and while visiting Emeric and Rosemary Sala became aware of the necessity and urgency of making contact with the Native People. When a new school opened on a Reserve in the fall of 1947 he re-assumed his career as a teacher. Mabel and Leslie Silversides, were the first non-Aboriginal Bahá'ís in Canada to move to a reserve. When a memorial service was held for him on December 16th some 50 or 60 Native people from the Reserve where he had been teaching attended, some walking as far as 10-12 miles. Another service was held on December 17th in Regina, his former community. After his passing his wife Mabel resumed teaching. She passed away in 1992. Both were buried in the Wolseley Cemetery. [Encylopedia of Saskatchewan; CBN No86 March, 1957 p4]
  • Note mention made of Carlye Reserve Meadow Lake in CBN No 92 September 1957 pg 2. Could this have been where the Silversides lived and taught school?
  • Find a grave.
  • Mention made of "Gordon Silversides" of Meadow Lake in CBN No 92 September 1957 pg 2.
    		•  Leslie Silversides; In Memoriam; Mabel Silversides; Native Teaching; Wolseley, SK the first non-Aboriginal Bahá'ís in Canada to move to a reserve

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