FAQs

Moving

I am moving. Who do I get in touch with to change my contact information? When moving within Canada, or outside Canada, please inform your Local Spiritual Assembly or Group and advise them of the details of your move. Should you be in an area that does not have a formed Assembly, please forward your information to records@bahai.ca. It is helpful to provide your former address, new address, new phone number (landline and/or mobile), email address (if applicable), Bahá’í ID number and date of birth.

I just moved. How do I connect with the Bahá’í community in my area? Please contact the Records Department at records@bahai.ca so that they can put you in touch with your nearest Local Spiritual Assembly or Group.

Travelling

I am travelling internationally and would like to attend Bahá’í activities. What do I need to do? If you are travelling to any foreign country aside from the U.S., you will need to request international credentials from the Records Department at records@bahai.ca. Please provide the name(s) of the individual(s) that are travelling, their Bahá’í membership number(s), date of departure, date of return, country of travel and current postal address(es). Please allow a minimum of two weeks to process your request.

What do I need to know about travelling to Iran? The National Spiritual Assembly no longer requires the friends to request permission to visit Iran. Those planning to make such a trip are urged to contact the National Assembly for current guidance related to their travel. Please include the names and Bahá’í I.D. numbers of those who will be travelling, along with the approximate dates of your trip. Those considering travel to Iran are advised to give serious consideration to the warning issued by the Canadian Government to all Canadians, and to dual Iranian-Canadian citizens in particular, to avoid all travel to Iran. Please click here for more information.

Pioneering

Who do I contact about pioneering within Canada? “The institutions, in turn, will have to exercise sound judgement to ensure that such friends are strategically placed. Priority should be given to settling short-term and long-term pioneers in those clusters that are the focus of systematic attention . . .” Contact the National Spiritual Assembly at: secretariat@bahai.ca or 905-889-8168 to find out where to direct your offer of service within Canada.

Who do I contact to pioneer internationally or to become an international youth service volunteer? Contact the International Pioneer Department at pioneer@bahai.ca or 905-889-8168.

Contacting friends in the community

I would like to contact an individual Bahá’í, but I don’t have their contact details. How can I get in touch with them? The policy of the National Spiritual Assembly, in conformity with the privacy laws of Canada, prevents us from providing contact information. However, we would be happy to forward your request for contact information on to the individual concerned, if this individual is a member of the Canadian Bahá’í community and we have current contact information.

Marriage

I am getting married, what do I need to do? When you are planning to get married, please contact, as early as possible, the Local Spiritual Assembly in whose jurisdiction the wedding will take place. A Bahá’í wedding cannot take place without the authorization of the Local Assembly. Please contact the Records Department at records@bahai.ca so that they can put you in touch with the Local Spiritual Assembly in whose jurisdiction your wedding will take place.

Pilgrimage

How do I apply for pilgrimage? All pilgrimage requests (for nine-day pilgrimages or three-day visits) are to be made directly to the Bahá’í World Centre. Applications must be made in writing only; telephoned requests cannot be accepted. The Bahá’í Pilgrimage website http://pilgrimage.bahai.org offers information and an online pilgrimage application form.

The Shrine in Montreal

1548 avenue des Pins ouest

(514) 939-2262

Wednesdays: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Bahá’í Holy Days: 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Visit the website at: https://www.bahai.ca/bahai-shrine-in-montreal/ and https://www.bahai.ca/bahai-shrine-in-montreal/visiting/

Creating Bahá’í content

How do I submit items to the Bahá’í Canada website? Send news, photos, insights, reflections, etc. to bahaicanada@bahai.ca. The Bahá’í Canada Committee reviews all news and photos before posting them on the website. If you are submitting a photo or an article about an event, please submit it as early as possible, ideally within two weeks after the event has taken place. Please also send the largest size photo possible and make sure that everyone in the photo is comfortable with it being used for the media purposes of the National Spiritual Assembly, which include but are not limited to Bahá’í Canada. If children or youth under the age of 18 appear in a photo, please obtain both the permission of the child or youth and their parents. Written permission is best, but verbal permission is allowed.

What are the guidelines for writers and musicians who want to publish Bahá’í content? All works by Bahá’ís containing any Bahá’í content, whether in the form of books, commentaries, texts, histories, book reviews, and audio-visual materials, must be submitted to the National Spiritual Assembly for review before publication by Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í publishers or self-publishing. Submissions are to be sent by email to secretariat@bahai.ca. , in as complete and final a form as possible, including illustrations, recordings, liner notes, cover design, etc. Because this time-consuming work is done on a voluntary basis, the review process can take 12 weeks or more, depending on the complexity of the work. The criteria for Bahá’í review – still required, but which the Universal House of Justice calls a “temporary measure” – are dignity, accuracy, and conformity with the Teachings.

Further guidance is available here:

Bahá’í Review – Guidelines for Writers and Musicians

Extracts from the Bahá’í Writings on the Subject of Writers and Writing

Memorandum on Bahá’í Publishing