- 1927-00-01 —
The formation of a Bahá'í Youth Group in Montreal, perhaps the first in the Western World. [OBCC78, 85]
- Some of the members were: Mary Maxwell, George Spendlove, Rowland Estall, Emeric Sala, Mary Gillis, (later Rosemary Sala), Teddy Edwards Alizade, Norman McGregor, Judie Russell Blakely, Dorothy and Glen Wade, Edward Dewing, Gerrard Sluter, David Hofman, Rena Gordon and Eddie Elliot.
- The Bahá'í youth group was a social club organized by Ruhiyyih Khanum called the "Fratority Club." By this word, Ruhiyyih Khanum meant to put together the words "fraternity" and "sorority" and had invited to belong to it people, mostly young students at McGill, who would otherwise not have been able to find membership in the exclusive fraternities and sororities around the campus. [Black Roses in Canada's Mosaic:
Four Decades of Black History by Will C. van den Hoonaard and Lynn Echevarria-Howe]
- When advised of the formation of this group Shoghi Effendi replied, in part
...I urge them to study profoundly the revealed utterances of Bahá'u'lláh and the discourses of Àbdu'l-Bahá and not to rely unduly on the representations and interpretation of the Teaching given by the Bahá'í speakers and teachers. [MtC30-31]
- A Bahá'í youth group had been started in California in 1912, but the Montreal group was the first in North America to systematically study the Teachings—an exercise that had a long—lasting influence on the development and growth of the Bahá'í community in Canada and elsewhere. Members of the group would later distinguish themselves as some of the best-known teachers, administrators, pioneers, and writers of the Bahá'í Faith. [BWM46]
- 1929-12-25 —
Willard and Doris McKay , then living in Geneva, NY, arrived in Montreal, the last stop on their first major teaching trip. They had visited Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Boston, Portsmouth, NH before arriving in Montreal by train.
- They were guests of the Maxwells for a week and spoke seven times during their visit.
- During their time there they were dinner guest of Ernest Harrison and his family. Years later Ernest, then separated from his wife, would be a pioneer to Prince Edward Island.
- They met Mary's "Youth Group", the second formed in North America and the first to be dedicated to a deeper understanding of the Writings.
Many were students at McGill where Mary was taking special classes and others were Eddie Elliot, an electrician who had been raised in the Maxwell house (son of the maid), Emeric Sala, Roland Estall, Rosemary Gillis (later Rosemary Sala).
- During their time there they slept in the bed of 'Abdu'l-Bahá that May covered with "the Robe of Bounty". It was a gown that had belonged to the Greatest Holy Leaf and had been given to Lua Getsinger and Lua had given it to May. [FMH97-102]
- 1934-05-00 — Rosemary Gilles (b. 1902 Scotland) enrolled in the Faith in 1929 in Montreal. In 1934 she married Emeric Sala and they pioneered to St Lambert,
They remained there until 1939 when the couple pioneered to Venezuela. [OBCC82] - 1937-12-00 — Because of restrictive travel conditions, Emeric Sala was one of only two pilgrims to visit the Holy Land in 1937. He had unrestricted access to the Guardian for 3 hours for over five evenings.
One night, Shoghi Effendi asked me a question, which I could not answer, nor did I understand its significance at the time. Shoghi Effendi asked me: "Since after the martyrdom of the Báb the authority of the Faith was passed on to Bahá'u'lláh, and after His passing to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, to whom was it transferred after the ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá? I answered, of course, Shoght Effendi. He said no. I then said, the Guardian. He again shook his head. I then ventured the Universal House of Justice. He again said no, and I could see from his expression that he was disappointed with my inability to answer his question. Then he asked, are the friends not reading my letters? The answer he said, is clearly stated in The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh. It is divided into four parts: Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the fourth part is entitled "The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh", which is the answer to his question". [TG72]
Note: In actual fact, the fourth part of The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh is entitled "The Administrative Order" The explanation is in The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, (BPT-Wilmette 1970) page 55-56.
- 1938-05-30 — A visiting Bahá'í, Emeric Sala, gave a talk at "the Phoenix Club".
On that same day Rowland Estall, a Bahá'í pioneer from Vancouver arrived to settle in Winnipeg. He had left a secure job for the prospect of no job during the depression of unequalled magnitude.He quickly secured a position with Great West Life selling group insurance.
Just previous to Estall's arrival, Sylvia King agreed to reside in Winnipeg.
[Bloodworth, Grains of Wheat p12, 15; OBCC81] - 1939-00-00 —
Emeric Sala gave a talk in Regina proclaiming the Faith for the first time in Saskatchewan. Regina is one of five cities he visited on this business trip. [TG104]
- 1939-06-16 — Emeric Sala visited Winnipeg and spoke at a public meeting in the Marlborough Hotel. After that meeting eight attendees determined to form a study group. [Bloodworth, Grains of Wheat p14]
- 1941-01-10 — Emeric Sala spoke at the Marlborough Hotel again. The chair-person of that meeting was Beth Brooks, who became three months later on April 20, 1942, the seventh local believer. Her declaration was just in time to form the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Winnipeg.
[Bloodworth, Grains of Wheat p18]
- 1941-06-28 — First summer School in Canada in Montreal was held in three different homes, the Schopflochers', the Salas' and the Maxwells'. Reports of the number of people attending vary from 17 to 25 to 30. Those attending were from Montreal, St. Lambert, Moncton, Hamilton, Toronto, (among them a new believer named John Robarts), Ottawa Rouyn, and Winnipeg. Three non-Bahá'ís also attended and enrolled shortly thereafter.
The varied program provided daily talks and discussions based on the outline 'Deepening the Spiritual Life'; study of the first part of 'The Promised Day Is Come' (led by Miss Winnifred Harvey); separate talks on 'Bahá'í Administration' (Siegfried Schopflocher, Ragnar Mattson, and Lou Boudler); 'Bahá'í Attitude towards Christianity' (Mrs. Agnes King); and 'Post-War Reconstruction' (John De Mille). Lorol Schopflocher contributed an account of her journeys to Central America and the British West Indies, and Emeric and Rosemary Sala gave us stories of their experiences in Venezuela and Columbia. [OBCC268; BW9:28; TG84; BN No 149 December 1941 p5] - 1943-02-02 — Visiting Bahá'í speaker had to engagement on this day. In the afternoon he spoke to the Inter-Racial Fellowship in the George William Room at the UMCA on the topic of "Races and Equalitiy". In the evening he gave a public lecture in the Marlborough Hotel on the topic "This Earth One Country". [Bloodworth, Grains of Wheat p40]
- 1945-00-00 —
Emeric Sala's book was This Earth One Country was published by Bruce Humphries Publishers in Boston. The first run was 5,000 copies. It was written with David Hofman as the intended reader in mind. [TGpXI,86, BEL7.2336]
- This book is not available for purchase but can be read at Bahaiworks.
- 1945-10-20 —
Emeric and Rosemary Sala of St. Lambert, Quebec departed on a four month tour of Central and South America. They visited 19 republics and Mr Sala gave seventy-nine talks. They visited many pioneers and paid homage at the grave of May Maxwell at Quilmes, about one hour from Buenos Aires. [TG93-101]
- 1946-11-23 —
- 1946-11-25 — A large public meeting was sponsored by the Bahá'í Public Relations Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. It was held in the Concert Hall of the Winnipeg Auditorium and was attend by more than four hundred people. The speakers were Edris Rice-Ray, an American and Emeric Sala, a Canadian. [Bloodworth, Grains of Wheat p18]
- 1948-04-24 —
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Dominion of Canada was established. [BBRSM:186; BW13:856; MBW143; PP397; BW11p20]
- It was attended by 112 Bahá'ís, 19 of them delegates. The country-wide membership was less than 500. [BC Vol 9 No 8 October 1987 p17]
- Those elected were: John Robarts (chair), Emeric Sala (vice), Laura Davis (sec'y), Siegfried Schopflocher (tres), Rowland Estall, Lloyd Gardner, Ross Woodman, Rosemary Sala, and Doris Richardson. [BN No 207 May 1948 105BE p3]
- See BW11:160, 184, Bahá'í Historical Facts for pictures.
- The first National Convention was held in the Maxwell home (in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's home as will be the election of the Universal House of Justice some 15 years hence.) with 13/19 delegates from all the provinces attending. (Six were unable to attend due to a flood.) Those elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly were: Laura Davis, Rowland Estall, Lloyd Gardner, Doris Richardson, John Robarts, Emeric Sala, Rosemary Sala, Siegfried Schopflocher, and Ross Woodman. [TG110, OBCC269-272]
- For a picture of the first Canadian National Spiritual Assembly see OBCC148.
- For Ruhiyyíh Khanum's Message to the first Canadian Convention see BN212 October 1948 pg2-t and Part II of the same address can be found at BN213 Novembe3r 1948 pg10-11.
- 1950-04-29 —
The third National Convention was held in Toronto at 22 College Street with 19 delegates and a total of 125 in attendance. Those elected to the National Assembly were: Rowland Estall, (vice-chair) John Robarts, (chair), Emeric Sala, Ross Woodman; Laura Davis, (secretary), Winnifred Harvey, Freddie Schopflocher, (treasurer) Mae McKenna and Rosemary Sala. [CBN No 13 May 1950 p2-3]
- The budget for the year 107 B. E. was $19,000. [CBN No 14 July 1950 p2]
- All 19 delegates were present. [CBN 13 May 1950 p3]
- 1951-04-27 —
Canada's fourth National Convention was held in the Vancouver Hotel. Those elected were; John Robarts (chair), Rowland Estall (vice-chair) Laura Davis (secretary), Emeric Sala (treasurer) Rosemary Sala, Lloyd Gardner, Mae McKenna, Winnifred Harvey, and Siegfried Schopflocher.
- For a list of delegates (18) see CBN No 18 Mar 1951 p2. For the agenda see CBN No 19 April 1951 p10-11.
- Amelia Collins attended the Convention and gave the Canadian Bahá'í Community a lock of hair of Bahá'u'lláh as a gift from Shoghi Effendi. In addition, she gave a piece of Burmese alabaster from the Tomb of the Báb, These precious relics were placed in the Maxwell home archives in Montreal. [UC31]
- 1953-04-29 —
The sixth National Convention took place in the Unitarian Church of Forest Hill Village and was attended by sixteen delegates as well as over 100 visitors. Elected were: John Robarts, (chairman), Lloyd Gardner, (treasurer), Rowland Estall, (vice chair), Laura Davis, (secretary), Winnifred Harvey, Emeric Sala, Rosemary Sala, Albert Rakovsky and Audrey Westhaeser. [CBN No 41 June, 1953 p2]
- This convention marked the end of the Five Year Plan that had been given to Canada in 1948 upon the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly.
- 1953-12-19 — Rosemary and Emeric Sala resigned from the National Spiritual Assembly and their to go pioneering. The National Spiritual Assembly had to transfer the National Teaching Committee from Montreal to Toronto and make changes to the regional teaching committees in both Ontario and Québec. [CBN No 39 February 1954 p2; CBN No 49 February 1954 p2]
- 1954-04-29 — 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]
- 1954-05-00 —
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.
- 1990-09-05 — The passing of Emeric Sala (Emereich Szalvetz ) (b.12 November, 1906 in Havas Dombrovitza, Hungary (later Romania)). He was buried in Royal Oak Burial Park Cemetery in Victoria, BC. [Find a grave]
He was a founding member of the Montreal Youth Group along with Rowland Estal and George Spendlove, the first organized youth class in the Western Hemisphere. From that youth group came a Hand of the Cause of God, a member of the Universal House of Justice, two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors, three members of National Spiritual Assemblies, and the authors of three Bahá'í books.
He and Siegfried Schopflocher were instrumental in purchasing and developing the first Canadian Bahá'í property at Beaulac, north of Montreal.
In 1940 he and his wife Rosemary pioneered for one year to Venezuela and served as travelling teachers throughout South America.
In 1945 he published This Earth One Country. He wrote about such revolutionary concepts as a "planetary economy", "a supranational community" and a "world plan". [TG86-92]
Both he and Rosemary were elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada when it was formed in 1948.
In 1953 they tried to pioneer to the Comoro Islands but could not get residential status from the French government so they settled in Eshowe Zululand, now South Africa. When the government would not renew their licence to trade they moved to Port Elizabeth.
They returned to Canada briefly in 1963 and pioneered to Guadalajara, Mexico and travelled extensively throughout Central America. Rosemary died at her post in February of 1980.
In 1980 he married his second wife, Donya, and together they travelled through the Americas, China, India and Europe until they both passed. [BW20 p993-995; Bahá'ís of Canada]
His biography and that of his wife Rosemary, Tending the Garden was written by his niece Ilona Sal Weinstein. This publication is also available in the e-book format.
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