Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith in Canada

Chronology home Canada 1860s 1870s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s
1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 		 

Date 1970, descending — sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1970 Dec One of the goals of the Canadian Bahá'í Community was to prepare its "daughter" community, Iceland, to achieve National Assembly status by Ridván 1972 with incorporation by 1973. To facilitate these goals the National Spiritual Assembly assigned Douglas and Elizabeth Martin to the project with Elizabeth as the principal executive. The opening phase of proclamation was launched at a Victory Conference which resulted in the enrollment of thirty people in January, 1971 thus doubling the numbers in Iceland.
  • In addition six Icelandic believers, three of them youth, were invited to attend the Canadian National Convention in Halifax at Ridván. They were: Gudmundur Bardarson, Anna Maggy Palsdottir, Baldur B. Bragason, Margret Bardardottir, Svana Einarsdottir, and Janina Njalsdottir. [BN485 6 August, 1971 pg 6]
  • The Icelandic community organized a team to undertake a summer teaching project in the Faroes Islands in cooperation with the UK Bahá'ís. [BW15335-336]
  • Three additional local assemblies were formed in Iceland in August 1971 and they were in Keflavik, Hafnarfjordur and Kopavogur. [HNWE26]
    		•  - Conferences; Victory Conference; Elizabeth Martin; Douglas Martin; Gudmundur Bardarson; Anna Maggy Palsdottir; Baldur B. Bragason; Margret Bardardottir; Svana Einarsdottir; Janina Njalsdottir; Reykjavik, Iceland
    1970 19 Oct Mr. Olinga departed Whitehorse for Alaska. [CBN244Nov1970p2] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Whitehorse, YT
    1970 18 Oct Mr. Olingo gave an address at the Whitehorse Flats Indian Village and another in the Elk's Hall in the evening. [CBN244Nov1970p2] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Whitehorse Flats Indian Village, YT
    1970 17 Oct The Hand of the Cause of God was greeted at the Whitehorse airport by 60 Bahá'ís. Later that evening there was a meeting in the Masonic Hall. [CBN244Nov1970p2] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Whitehorse, YT
    1970 Oct Mr. Olinga visited the Gleichen Reserve and attended a meeting in a private home. - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Gleichen Reserve, AB
    1970 Oct Mr. Olinga visited the Blood Reserve near Cardston, AB. Six persons declared their Faith from the Reserve alone. [CBN244Nov1970p2] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Blood Reserve, AB
    1970 11 Oct Mr. Olinga attended the Alberta Regional Convention at Red Deer. He spoke of the essential spiritual nature of the Native people and how they will become strong teachers if visited on the reserves regularly to increase their knowledge of the Faith. [CBN244Nov1970p1-2] Hands of the Cause, Activities; Enoch Olinga; Conventions, District; Red Deer, AB
    1970 9-10 Oct Mr. Olinga was warmly received by about 200 people, mostly drawn from surrounding Reserves, in Fort Qu'Appelle. The next day he took part in a Feast for the Dead then the passing of the pipe and was presented with a beaded necklace by Dorothy Francis. [CBN244Nov1970p1] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Fort Qu'Appelle, SK
    1970 Oct After a stopover in Toronto Mr. Olinga visited the community of St. James-Assiniboia. [CBN244Nov1970p1] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Toronto, ON; St. James-Assiniboia, MB
    1970 (Early Oct) Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga arrived in Halifax. The next day he gave an address at the Cherry Brook High School. [CBN244Nov1970p1] - Hands of the Cause; Enoch Olinga; Halifax, NS
    1970 26 Sept The passing of Florence Evaline (Lorol) Schopflocher (b.1886 in Montreal. QC) in the Green Acre area. She was buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Eliot, Maine [Find a grave]
  • Wife of Hand of the Cause of God Siegfried Schopflocher. For his "In Memoriam" see BW7p664.
  • She circled the globe nine times on travel teaching tours and visited some 86 countries, many of them multiple times. She travelled to Iran twice visiting parts not previously visited by Western Bahá'ís.
  • She visited the Guardian 11 times.
  • She had several audiences with King Feisal in Iraq and discussed the question of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdád with him.
  • Favourite themes for her public talks were the World Order letters of Shoghi Effendi and the emancipation and education of women.
  • A radiant star went from the West to the East. [BW15p488-489]
  • See Bahá'í Chronicles.
    		•  Lorol Schopflocher; Siegfried Schopflocher; Births and deaths; In Memoriam; House of Bahá'u'lláh (Baghdad); Montreal, QC; Eliot, ME
    1970 30 Apr - 3 May The National Convention was held in Glendon College at York University in Toronto. Those elected to the National Spiritual Assembly were: Glen Eyford, Rowland Estall, Don Glen, Tom Anaquod, Michael Rochester, Husayn Banani, Angus Cowan, Douglas Martin, and Ed Muttart. [UC175] National Convention; National Spiritual Assembly, election of; Glen Eyford; Rowland Estall; Don Glen; Tom Anaquod; Michael Rochester; Husayn Banani; Angus Cowan; Douglas Martin; Ed Muttart; Toronto, ON
    1970 Ridván The formation of the first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Hull. In announcing the formation, Mr M. E. Muttart, General Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly stated:
      "We feel that it is of particular interest because the majority of the members are French speaking. Following 'Abdu'l-Bahá's exhortation to teach the French-speaking people of Canada our great hope has been to arrive at a more equitable representation from the two main language groups of this country."
  • The members were: Marjorie Merrick, Paul Hanbury, Winnifred Harvey, Lucille Leboeuf, Daniel Caillaud, Danielle Coinon, Paule Médori, Michel Larin and Janet Braithwaite. [CBN Issue 242? July 1970 p 9; [from an email 4 November 2022 from National Archivist Ailsa Hedly Leftwich]
    		•  Local Spiritual Assembly, formation; Marjorie Merrick; Paul Hanbury; Winnifred Harvey; Lucille Leboeuf; Daniel Caillaud; Danielle Coinon; Paule Medori; Michel Larin; Janet Braithwaite; Outaouais Cluster; Hull, QC first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Hull
    1970 1 Apr The Local Spiritual Assembly of Nepean Township achieved incorporation status. Members of the Assembly were: Lily Ann Irwin, Danielle Vafai, Wayne Irwin, Elizabeth Kerr-Wilson, James Atack, Johnny Jolly, Arthur Irwin, John Kerr-Wilson, and Monir Vafai. [CBN Dec 1970 p2] Local Spiritual Assembly, incorporation; Lily Ann Irwin; Danielle Vafai; Wayne Irwin; Elizabeth Kerr-Wilson; James Atack; Johnny Jolly; Arthur Irwin; John Kerr-Wilson; Monir Vafai; Nepean, ON
    1970 12 Jan An animated presentation entitled "The Community of Baha'u'llah" made its initial presentation at the Art Centre in Ottawa. They had just come from their trial run in St. Lambert, Quebec and had a plan to visit Oshawa, Hamilton, Guelph, North Bay, Fort William (Thunder Bay), Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Kelowna, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria before doing their final presentation in Toronto just before the National Convention.
  • The hosts for the presentation were: Al Houdek, Gerry Bourassa; Leslie Houdek, Sandra Kostaschuk, Garry Berteig; Larry Brown, and Valerie Berteig with Dick Stanton as the Tour Manager.
  • Travelling exhibit was intended as a vehicle to introduce the Message of Baha'u'llah. They utilized film, sound and slides, as well as traditional art forms. The plan was to have the local communities integrate interested person into the community after the team had made the initial contact. The eight member team made the three month trip in two vehicles, an Econoline van and a station wagon. [CBN No 236 January-February 1970 BE 126 p1]
  • The tour continued into the Maritimes for several more months with some changes in the team to include Gale Bundy, Fred Ward, and Bob Kingdon. The tour ended at Rochdale College in Toronto. [email exchange with Garry Berteig 4 January 2020] iiiii
    		• Proclamation; The Community of Bahá'u'lláh; Al Houdek; Gerry Bourrassa; Leslie Houdek; Sandra Kostaschuk; Gary Berteig; Garry Brown; Valerie Berteig; Dick Stanton; Fred Ward; Gale Bundy; Bob Kingdon; St. Lambert, QC; Ottawa, ON; Oshawa, ON; Hamilton, ON; Guelph, ON; North Bay, ON; Fort William, ON; Thunder Bay, ON; Winnipeg, MB; Brandon, MB; Regina, SK; Saskatoon, SK; Edmonton, AB; Lethbridge, AB; Kelowna, BC; Vancouver, BC; Nanaimo, BC; Victoria, BC; Toronto, ON
    1972 Jan Jalál was founded by three members of the Mozart Group, Larry Brown, Rodney Konopaki, and Garry Brown, and then joined by keyboardist Jack Lenz in July of the same year. After having toured across Canada for nine months and the group eventually settled in Toronto. [Facebook posting THE SPARK: 1967 - 1973 9 FEBRUARY 2020] Jalal (musical group); Mozart Group; Larry Brown; Rodney Konopaki; Garry Brown; Jack Lenz; Saskatoon, SK; Toronto, ON
    1970's? Bijan Asdaghi was one of the first Persian Baha'is to immigrate to Canada prior to the Iranian revolution. [Edmonton Bahá'í History] Bijan Asdaghi; Immigration, Iranian

    Try also a shorter date like 197

    try also the main Chronology — 1970 or 197

    Home Site Map Links Tags Chronology About Contact RSS