Toronto, Ontario
Distance from Kingston: 263KM (approximately 2.5 hours)
Toronto is the largest of Canada's vibrant urban centres with a population of about 2.8 million people. It is the hub of the nation's commercial, financial, industrial, and cultural life, and is the capital of the Province of Ontario.
Toronto is heralded as one of the most multicultural cities in the world and is ranked as the safest large metropolitan area in North America by Places Rated Almanac. Over 140 languages and dialects are spoken here, and just over 30 per cent of Toronto residents speak a language other than English or French at home. Toronto's unmatched diversity shines through in its countless arts and entertainment opportunities. As the nation's cultural heartland, Toronto hosts international audiences at a wide variety of arts and sporting events in world class facilities. Toronto has North America's third largest public transit system after New York City and Mexico City and has more than 1,600 public parks and 600 km of trails. |
The CN Tower was classified as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers
The Ripley's Aquarium of Canada opened in 2013 The Rogers Centre is the world's first stadium to have a fully retractable roof. A 31 storey building could fit inside it when the roof is closed The City is also home to over 50 major attractions including art museums, heritage sites, cultural centres and zoos. Hundreds of events, festivals, regattas and marathons take place throughout the year The City of Toronto produces more than 30 annual festivals and cultural events including Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Winterlicious and Summerlicious and Doors Open Toronto that celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of Toronto. For more information about Toronto and to learn more about the Muslim community, please click the above links.and watch the videos. |
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Mosque One: Toronto's First Mosque
Historic Location
3047 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario http://www.tessellateinstitute.com/newsite/projects/mosque-one/ Mosque One is the first-ever oral history project of Muslims in Canada. It is a window into Toronto’s first mosque, which was an old shop purchased in 1961, located at 3047 Dundas Street West.
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The Dundas Street Mosque touched the lives of many new Muslim immigrants to Toronto and the Mosque One project hopes to capture the stories of its pioneers and early supporters. Their stories are a powerful corrective to the prevalent image of Muslims as newcomers unable to adjust to the norms and values of Canada.
Mosque One was originally launched in 2009 as a series of short edited video clips, along with photographic, textual, legal, and scholarly documents that relate to the mosque. The Tessellate Institute is presently in development to update the project to make it more relevant and accessible to the public. The following is just one of the many videos on their channel. |
30 MasjidsEvery night during Ramadan, 30 Masjids would visit a different mosque to learn about the different communities in each of the mosques. I have highlighted two mosques of historical significance: Jami Mosque and Islamic Foundation of Toronto.
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Jami Mosque
Jami Mosque
55 Boustead Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M6R 1Y9 http://www.jamimosque.com/ Phone: 416-769-1192 [email protected] The CommunityThe Building
The construction of the building started around 1910 as a place of worship for the predominantly Anglo-Saxon Protestant community of High Park and completion was delayed until 1928 due to the First World War. It was named High Park Presbyterian Church. The Church flourished in the early years. A manse (clergyman’s house) at 78 Boustead Avenue was added later. A couple of other properties on Radford Avenue and Boustead Avenue were owned by the Church and occupied by the staff. The building was surrounded by a beautiful garden looked after by a full time gardener. Pipe organ and grand piano used to accompany the choir. The tower housed a bell which would ring on special occasions. After World War II, the interest in organized religion was on decline and the younger generation was packing up and heading towards the suburban areas. At the same time East European immigrants started moving in to the neighborhood. Different measures were undertaken to offset the dwindling attendance including combined services with other churches facing similar crunch, selling bits and pieces of land and properties (two houses on the west side of the building on Boustead Ave., and one on Radford Ave. were built on the erstwhile garden). Eventually by the end of 1960, the High park Presbyterian Church decided to sell the building and start afresh under the same name in Swansea district on the west side of High Park. The bell, grand piano and the pipe organ were all taken by the Church with them. Eventually, this building was purchased by a group of Muslims in 1969. The Muslim Congregation: The history of Muslims at Jami Mosque located at 56 Boustead Avenue goes back to 1911. At the turn of the century many Muslims from Albania immigrated to Canada. Among those who settled in Toronto was one Mr. Rajjab Assim. With the help of others Muslims, he established the Muslim Society of Toronto in 1911. Until 1968, the Muslims conducted their religious activities either in their homes or rental facilities. The Muslim population in Toronto steadily increased in the 1960's with the opening of immigration from non-European nations. A large number of Muslim students and immigrants started arriving here around that era. In 1963, the first Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) chapter was established on the University of Toronto Campus, as part of the national body known as the Muslim Students Association of the USA & Canada which was established at about the same time at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne, Illinois, USA. Prior to moving at the 56 Boustead Avenue location, Muslims conducted religious activities at a location purchased on Dundas Street West at Keele Street for a number of years. In 1969, the former Presbyterian Church at 56 Boustead Ave. was purchased by the Canadian Muslim Society with more than 50% of the cost on Mortgage. |
Ideological differences among Muslims of diverse cultures, religious thoughts and differences soon gave birth to numerous challenges for leadership, operation and administration of the Mosque. This resulted in the separation of a group of like-minded Muslims, who established a new organization called Islamic Foundation of Toronto and setup a Mosque on Rhodes Avenue in the East End of Toronto which is now located at 431 Nugget Avenue in Scarborough, Ontario.
However, the challenges in the Mosque did not end among the remaining members. The Mosque had a huge mortgage to pay off. People got disillusioned, as they were witnessing continuous verbal and at times physical violence on the Mosque premises. With the decline in attendance, the donation diminished. Donations declined to an almost zero level. Finally, the Mortgagee locked the doors and it was put up for sale. For a while the congregation was without a mosque. People were scrambling to find money to save the Masjid. The MSA and a few individuals (Dr. Ahmad Sakr) appealed to late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who responded with a generous donation to the to MSA Headquarters in Gary, Indiana, USA, with a condition that it must be given to a registered organization. Brothers Sirajuddin Ahmed, National Vice President of the MSA, Abdul Hai Patel, the MSA Canadian Representative, and Ata-ul-Haq Malick, the Coordinator of MSA Montreal chapter, setup a charitable trust called MSA Islamic Services of Canada, so that no one will ever claim ownership and sell it. They repurchased the Mosque under the ownership of the MSA Islamic Services of Canada, and the Mosque was reopened in June 1973. The three trustees to sign the purchase deal were the same three brothers named above. Since then Jami Mosque has been operating under this Trust, which was later renamed the Canadian Islamic Trust Foundation. Later on (1976-1977) the MSA underwent a major re-organization to meet the new needs and challenges of the growing Muslim communities in North America. A new organization, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) was instituted in 1976 which took the MSA and CITF under its banner. Muslims all over the world are required to face towards the Kaa'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia while performing prayers. Since the building was not originally intended for Islamic prayer, carpets were laid down at an angle to conform to these requirements. A niche (Mehrab) was added to make room for the Imam to lead the prayer. The original magnificent architectural features of the building are still intact. A number of renovations over the years brought about new facilities for ablutions, funeral services, and classrooms for weekend schools etc. A great number of mosques in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) originated from the Jami Mosque and it can in essence be called “Ommul-Masajid” (the mother of all the mosques) in the Greater Toronto Area. There are now over 70 permanent mosques and many more temporary musallah’s (prayer areas) in the GTA. From the first day of its opening under the MSA management, the Mosque has remained the focal point for the Muslim & non-Muslim community for Islamic guidance and services. It is not just a Mosque, but also an institution that is part of the proud Canadian and Muslim history. It should be declared a Heritage building. 30 Masjids |
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Islamic Foundation of Toronto
Islamic Foundation of Toronto
441 Nugget Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario M1S 5E1 http://www.islamicfoundation.ca/ Phone: 416-321-0909 [email protected] The CommunityEstablished in 1969, the Islamic Foundation of Toronto (IFT) is one of the oldest Muslim organizations in Canada. It initially began as a 3000 square foot building at Rhodes Avenue which was later transformed into the towering institution that it is today.
It was in 1984 that the 2.3 acres of lands where the Islamic Center currently resides was purchased. This marked the beginning of a new era for IFT. It moved beyond a neighborhood mosque and grew into a multidimensional center that would serve as the hub to unite the residents of the Greater Toronto area. It would come to house an extensive repertoire of religious and educational programs as well as highly needed social services. To nurture the future generations, IFT recognized that adequately preparing children was vital to tackle the challenges that come with living in Canada. It was to this end that an elementary school was initiated, emphasizing excellence in education in an environment that fostered Islamic values. |
Throughout IFT's journey in realizing this dream, it faced multiple obstacles including a court challenge that lasted over five years to simply obtain a building permit. IFT finally completed construction of the Center in 1992 at a total cost of approximately six million dollars. The Center was only possible due to the generosity of the local Muslim community who donated nearly all of the funds for this project. The product of the collective efforts was a majestic three-storied institution built of white stone and accompanied by a 125 foot tall minaret. A copper-clad dome scrapes the skyline, capturing the best in Islamic architecture and symbolizing the Muslim presence in Canada.
With an area of 53,000 square feet, the institution encloses spacious prayer halls for men and women, 12 well-equipped classrooms, a large cafeteria and a kitchen. A gymnasium which doubles as an auditorium provides students and community members an opportunity to unwind as well as to hold special events. A library stocked with both religious texts, research items as well as fiction provide loan services for all patrons. A mortuary is also present to serve the deceased within the community as part of burial services. To ensure accessibility for all visitors, they also have ramps, elevator and designated parking spaces. Nearly 2000 worshipers make up the Friday congregational prayers. The full-time school employs a highly-qualified staff and boasts a burgeoning student population of over 600 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. The evening and weekend Islamic schools count over 400 students as their pupils. The IFT's educational services are further augmented with the implementation of a full-time Hifz (Quran memorization) School along with evening Hifz classes. For adult members, IFT hosts daily programs ranging from Arabic to Fiqh (jurispudence) classes. They also host sports tournaments as well as drop-in sports for both brothers and sisters. 30 MasjidsYou can find 30 Masjids' article on Islamic Foundation here.
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