My profile of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to Canada 100 years ago, and the "rich harvests" that have been reaped from it.

1. 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ
IN CANADA
August 30 -
September 9,
1912

2. Who was He?
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the son of
Bahá’u’lláh—the Prophet-Founder
of the Bahá’í Faith—and His
successor as head of the Faith from
1892 to 1921.
Known to Bahá’ís as the “Centre of
the Covenant”, the “Mystery of
God,” and “the Master,” he
referred to Himself only as ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, the “servant of God”.
After a life of imprisonment, exile,
and great suffering in the service of
His father and the fledgling Bahá’í
Faith, He was freed in 1908 and
immediately initiated plans to visit
the West.

3. Images: Mount Carmel in 1894 (top) and today, taken from the same
vantage point. The shrines and gardens of the Bahá’í World Centre,
started by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, are now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A Prisoner
‘Abdu’l-Bahá resided in northern Palestine, in
and around Akka, the notorious prison city of
the Ottoman empire.
As Head of the Bahá’í Faith, He was the focal
point of all activities for the Bahá’í community,
then mainly restricted to Persia and parts of the
Middle East.
Although unschooled, He wrote extensively to
the Bahá’ís, explaining the true nature of
Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings.
He gradually established Bahá’í institutions
throughout the world, and laid the groundwork
for the what was to become the Bahá’í world’s
sacred and administrative centre on Mount
Carmel in Haifa.

4. The True Example of a Baha’i
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was also the exemplar of the Bahá’í principles. He lived
a saintly life of selfless service, showering everyone He encountered
with love. Despite His heavy workload, He managed to spend many
hours every day caring personally for the poor, the sick and
oppressed.
He was actively engaged in
social-economic
development activities and
was bestowed a
knighthood by the British
for growing food for the
people of Palestine during
the First World War.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá receiving his
knighthood in 1920.

5. In the late 19th Century, the first glimmerings of the new faith reached the West
and the first groups of pilgrims began to arrive in Haifa and Akka.
‘Abdu-l-Bahá became enamoured of these Western Baha’is and carefully
nurtured their faith.
Among these pilgrims was a young woman, May Maxwell, who was to become
the first Bahá’í in Canada and start the first Bahá’í group here, in Montreal.

6. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
travels to the West
Freed by the Young Turks, ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá began his historic travels to
Egypt, Europe and the United States
in 1910. He was 68 years old, weak and
in poor health.
In Paris (above) and addressing a large gathering in a
church in the United States (below).
He visited Montreal for 11 days, from
August 30 – September 9, 2012.
“The time of sojourn was limited to a

7. The First Canadian Bahá’ís
The Bahá'í Faith in Canada dates to the early
years of the 20th century, but there were
still only a tiny handful of Baha’is in Canada
when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in 1912.
Probably the first Canadian to become a
Bahá'í was Honoré Jaxon—a Saskatchewan
farmer who was once secretary to
renowned Métis leader Louis Riel—but
Jaxon joined the faith in 1897 after moving
to the United States.
Jaxon met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Chicago and is
said to have arranged for his famous talk to
500 socialists and workers in Montreal on
Labour Day, September 3, 1912.

8. The Fledgling Bahá’í Faith in Canada
It was May Maxwell, an American who had
moved to Montreal in 1902, who is credited with
starting the first Bahá'í group in Canada.
The fledgling Canadian Bahá'í community of the
early 20th century was populated by a handful
free thinking social activists, suffragettes, and
what might today be termed “new agers.”

9. The Maxwells
May Maxwell married William Sutherland
Maxwell, the architect of Saskatchewan’s
Legislative building in Regina.
One of Canada’s outstanding Bahá’í
architects, he went on to design the iconic
Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, now a UN World
Heritage Site.

10. “Eastern Sage” - “Seer” - “Pacificateaur Persan”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to Montreal received full media coverage. More than
2500 people met or heard Him speak, while another 440,000 readers heard
of Him through 34 articles in 10 daily papers. Of His entire journey to North
America, no other city had accorded Him a more extensive reception.
• Relationship to believers, direct impact on believers
• Example of spiritual leadership (humility)

11. Response to His Visit
The Montreal newspapers were noticeably free
of journalistic extravagances, providing such
headlines as: ‘Persian Teacher to Preach Peace’;
‘Racialism Wrong, Says Eastern Sage, Strife, War
Caused by Religious and National Prejudices’.
One newspaper described 'Abdu'l-Bahá in these
words: “a serene majestic figure, calm,
commanding, austere and wise.”
'Abdu'l-Bahá gave seven well-attended public
talks. Four of these were in the Maxwell home—
now the only Bahá’í Shrine outside of the Holy
Land—where he spoke on ‘Material and Divine
Philosophy’, ‘Immortality’, ‘Man and Nature’, and
‘A World-Wide Spiritual Brotherhood’.
During this visit, he
crisscrossed the city on foot,
by streetcar, and taxi, visiting
cathedrals and churches, the
East End of the city, Mount
Royal, and the downtown
The Maxwell house in 1912, including ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s room.
area….

12. “A Commanding Presence”
In 1912, the aged `Abdu’l-Bahá was a
"commanding presence.” Time and
again, people coming into his
presence for the first time described
feelings of awe at the meeting. But at
the same time he seemed "intensely
approachable."
He had, after all, approved an
advertisement in The Montreal Star
which gave the Maxwell’s telephone
number (Uptown 3015) and urged
"any Montrealers who want to make
an appointment with him" to do so.

13. With Leaders of Thought
The Archbishop of Montréal paid a visit to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as did the
president of McGill University. Throughout his visit to America, he met with
leaders of thought and made a lasting impression on many of them.
During his time in North America, he met with such figures as Canadian
inventor Alexander Graham Bell and former President Theodore Roosevelt ,
who
“pronounced himself as wonderfully impressed with
the teachings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Persian teacher of a
universal religion, just liberated from prison and
expected in this country in May. He declared that
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s teachings would lift Mohametanism up
spiritually into line with Christianity and would make
for world peace.”.
Alexander Graham Bell, whose inventions include the
telephone, had hosted a gathering that
included ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the evening of 24 April 1912.

14. Combining Spiritual and Material Civilization
Frequent themes of His Montreal talks were the need to combine
spiritual and material civilization and to establish the unity of
humankind. At the Unitarian Church of the Messiah, He said:
“God, the Almighty, has created all mankind
from the dust of earth. He has fashioned them
all from the same elements; they are
descended from the same race and live upon
the same globe. He has created them to dwell
beneath the one heaven. As members of the
human family and His children He has
endowed them with equal susceptibilities. He
maintains, protects and is kind to all. He has
made no distinction in mercies and graces
among His children. With impartial love and
wisdom He has sent forth His Prophets and
divine teachings. His teachings are the means
of establishing union and fellowship among
mankind and awakening love and kindness in
human hearts. He proclaims the oneness of
the kingdom of humanity. He rebukes those
things which create differences and destroy
harmony; He commends and praises every
means that will conduce to the solidarity of
the human race.”

15. Unity and Peace
One of the aims of His visit was to avert the
war brewing in Europe by promoting the
idea of the oneness of humanity. When
‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at "the largest
Methodist church in the world, St. James,” a
crowd of 1200 people heard Him speak on
the "Bahá’í Principles for the Happiness of
the Human Race.” He said:
“I find these two great American nations highly capable and advanced in all that
appertains to progress and civilization…. Therefore, it is my hope that these revered
nations may become prominent factors in the establishment of international peace and
the oneness of the world of humanity; that they may lay the foundations of equality
and spiritual brotherhood among mankind; that they may manifest the highest virtues
of the human world, revere the divine lights of the Prophets of God and establish the
reality of unity so necessary today in the affairs of nations.”
Indeed, many of his thoughts on peace were echoed in President Woodrow Wilson’s 14
Points and in the formation of the League of Nations following World War I.

16. The Bahá’í Principles
Other principles emphasized by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His talks included the
• Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
• Elimination of racial prejudice
• Equality of men and women
• Independent investigation of the truth
• The fundamental unity of religion and the prophets
‘Abdu’l-Bahá loved the poor and the oppressed and both spoke out for
them and personally assisted them. At Coronation Hall in Montreal, for
example, he addressed 500 workers and socialists on the topic of "The
Economic Happiness of the Human Race.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s innovative, genial
presentation, and the noble sentiments it evoked, struck a strongly
responsive chord in this largely working-class audience. Both the talk and
the question period were punctuated with spontaneous and enthusiastic
applause, “so intense that the walls of the building seemed to vibrate to
the foundation.”

17. True Spiritual Leadership
One of the most striking characteristics of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is that He
treated everyone equally, whether a leading religious, intellectual or
political figure or the house maid, an impoverished worker, or a
young child. This was a powerful example of true spiritual leadership.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
frequently met with
the children and
youth.
At a time when
discrimination was
rife, He insisted
people of all races be
included in His
meetings.

18. Many rich harvests
On September 9th, 'Abdu'l-Bahá left Montreal by train to continue
His long journey to the Pacific coast. While His sojourn in Canada
lasted only eleven days, as He Himself said, “Undoubtedly those
seeds will grow, become green and verdant, and many rich harvests
will be gathered.” These harvest continue to this day.
Some of the early Canadian and American Baha’is.

19. Rich harvests: The House of Worship in Chicago
‘Abdu’l-Bahá lays the cornerstone of the Chicago temple.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá inspired the
building of the first Bahá’í
House of Worship in the West,
in Chicago. Organizing to build
the temple was critical to the
formation of North America’s
Bahá’í communities. The
temple is now a National
Historic Site.
The House of
Worship
today.
Jean-Baptiste Louis Bourgeois was a
Canadian architect from Quebec who is
best known as the designer of the
innovative structure.

20. A rich harvest: Canada’s Bahá’í Architects
Building on the heritage of Sutherland Maxwell and Louis Bourgeios, Canadian Baha’is
have distinguished themselves as award-winning architects of Bahá’í temples and holy
places, including the Lotus Temple in India, among the most visited places on earth.
Lotus Temple
in New Delhi. The terraces of the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel.
The administrative centre of the Bahá’í World Faith, Haifa.
The House of
Worship in Santiago,
Chile.

21. Rich harvests:
Establishing the Canadian Bahá’í Community
The visit of ‘Abdu'l-Bahá to Montreal in 1912 galvanized the few early Baha’is into a
community with a distinct identity. 'Abdu'l-Bahá inspired people across racial, ethnic and
religious boundaries.
A series of letters he wrote, called the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which urged the few
Canadian Baha’is to travel throughout the country to establish the faith in every corner, can
be seen as the major factor in the formation of Canada’s Bahá’í community.
Revealed on April 5, 1916, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of
Bahá’u’lláh, and addressed to the Bahá’ís of Canada:
“…in the provinces of Canada, such as Newfoundland, Prince Edward
Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Ungava, Keewatin,
Mackenzie, Yukon, and the Franklin Islands in the Arctic Circle—the
believers of God must become self-sacrificing and like unto the candles
of guidance become ignited in the provinces of Canada. Should they
show forth such a magnanimity, it is assured that they will obtain
universal divine confirmations, the heavenly cohorts will reinforce them
uninterruptedly, and a most great victory will be obtained.”

22. Rich harvests: Growing the Canadian Bahá’í
Community
In the early period, the Bahá’í community in Canada was a magnet for suffragists and women
social reformers who campaigned tirelessly for the advancement of women, the eradication
of poverty and the elimination of prejudice.
Yet the numbers of Bahá’ís remained very small. By 1944, there were only 90 Bahá’ís in the
whole country. Soon, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s emphasis on “pioneering”, or moving to new areas to
establish Bahá'í communities, would contributed to the the exponential growth of Bahá'í
membership.
The 17th Annual Convention of the Baha’is of Canada and
the United States, 1925.

23. Rich Harvests: Growth and Expansion
In 1948, when an Act of Canada’s first National Spiritual Assembly, 1948.
Parliament incorporated
the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha’is of
Canada, there were 263
Bahá’ís living in 41
localities.
Five years later there were
554 Bahá’ís in 102 localities,
and the community was
now sending pioneers to
other countries.
By 1963, 2,500 Bahá’ís
could be found in 290
locales, with 68 Spiritual
Assemblies spread across
Canada.

24. Rich harvests:
Inspiring individuals to action
May and Mary Maxwell are examples of
two prominent Canadian Bahá’ís inspired by
‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
May Maxwell travelled throughout Canada
establishing Bahá’í centres, and later
travelled the world. She died teaching the
Faith in Argentina in 1940.
While staying at the Maxwell house in 1912,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá blessed May Maxwell’s infant
daughter Mary. She went on to become the
most prominent Bahá’í in the world
following the passing of her husband,
Shoghi Effendi, the Head of the Bahá’í Faith
after the death of his grandfather, ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá. She took the Bahá’í message to 185
countries before her death in 2000.
Inspired by their example, Canadian Baha’is,
including hundreds from Saskatoon, can be
found serving throughout the world.

25. A typical Bahá’í gathering today.
A diverse community focused on building spiritual values in
Rich harvests:
every neighbourhood and town across Canada.
Unity in Diversity
A major shift in composition came
with efforts to interest Aboriginal
Canadians in the Bahá'í teachings.
In 1960, a Bahá'í couple in Calgary
formed a social club for Aboriginal
and non-Aboriginal peoples. By
1961, the club had become the
foundation of what later became
known as the Native Friendship
Centre. Soon, the Baha’i message
was beings shared with thousands
of First Nations people.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, youth
enrolments in the Faith also
became significant, and the
community remains relatively
youthful to this day.
Today, there are more some 30,000 Baha’is In the last decades the community
has increasingly included people of
throughout Canada, all spiritual descendants of diverse backgrounds, a truer
the early Bahá’í pioneers inspired by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. reflection of the Canadian mosaic.

26. The Saskatchewan Connection
Bahá’ís first moved to Saskatoon in the 1940s and the first local
assembly was elected in 1953. Today there are about 250 members,
but hundreds more have moved throughout the world, another “rich
harvest” from the tireless efforts of the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
A gathering of Saskatchewan Bahá’í, July 2012.

27. The 100th Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to Canada