Bahá’í Temple
of Canada
to be built in Markham, Ontario
A national Bahá’í House of Worship for Canada
All Bahá’í Temples are designed to have nine sides and be surrounded by pathways leading to gardens and natural areas. Within, visitors find a serene environment for prayer and reflection. At appointed times, devotional programs feature uplifting passages from the Bahá’í writings and the sacred scriptures of other faiths, read or sung.
In the Bahá’í teachings, worship and service to others are inseparable. Prayer frees the heart from material attachments and awakens a desire to serve humanity. The sacred words that inspire the heart in a House of Worship are meant to flow outward into actions that uplift society.
Learn more about the Bahá’í House of Worship as a place for prayer and service ›
The Bahá’í community of Canada
The Bahá’ís of this country reflect the diversity of Canada itself, including Indigenous peoples, first-generation immigrants, and multi-generational Canadians of English, French, and other national backgrounds.
The National House of Worship for Canada will give visible form to a union of worship and service—an enduring place of prayer, reflection and fellowship, and a source of inspiration for service to society.
The Temple land and environment
In 1968, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada acquired land in Markham, Ontario, for the purpose of building a Bahá’í National Centre administration centre and Temple. The land on which the Temple is proposed to be built was formerly agricultural land, and adjacent to the German Mills Creek and natural areas. Under the care of the Bahá’í community, the natural areas of the property have been maintained through stewardship of the land as a guiding principle.