Bahá’í Community of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Bahá'ís of Ottawa come from a variety of backgrounds, brought together by a common belief in the oneness of humanity and the unity of religion. We work alongside others to become a force of positive change by applying insights from the Bahá'í teachings to bring about a more just, peaceful and unified community.

	In addition to personal prayer and meditation, Bahá'í communities hold regular devotional gatherings for collective worship. These gatherings unite people in prayer and awaken their spiritual susceptibilities. more... Bahá'í children’s classes are offered to all children between 6 and 10 years old for their spiritual education and moral development. The aim of these classes is to inspire in each child a love for our diverse human family and to cultivate a praiseworthy character. They are guided by the Bahá'í belief that children are noble beings with great potential to develop into upright and active participants in their community. more... Study circles bring groups of people together to deepen their understanding of the Bahá'í teachings through systematic study. This involves structured group discussion of passages from the Bahá'í writings that encourage reflection on one’s moral purpose and capacities for service. more... Junior youth – or those between 11 and 14 years – are at a crucial stage in their lives when they are defining their identity and values. Junior youth groups offered by the Bahá'í community address the needs of these young people by helping them to develop a strong moral identity and to empower them to contribute to the well-being of their communities. more... The Bahá'í Faith from A to Z: 26 selected tenets, core beliefs and quotes from the Bahá'í Faith. Read Now! January 7, 2026 MUSIC JAM DEVOTIONAL TAKES FLIGHT! by Nathalie Thirlwall Although sounds are but vibrations in the air which affect the ear's auditory nerve, and these vibrations are but chance phenomena carried along through the air, even so, see how they move the heart. A wondrous melody is wings for the spirit, and maketh the soul to tremble for joy. - 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá "Music is the ladder to the soul" as the Baha'i teachings inform us. Music has the ability to "lift us up onto the realm on high." The Ottawa Baha'i community has numerous musical escapades that bring joy to the heart. One recent occasion was the music jam devotional held on November 23 initiated by Sylvie Nantais and Natalie Venus. This took place at Sylvie Nantais' home. Musicians contributed their talents and their instruments, and there were some vocals as well. Those who were not musicians, but who wished to join in, were given percussion instruments as a means of adding their rhythms and enjoyment. In all, about a dozen people participated in this joyful event. Introduced with a Bahá'í sacred writing chanted to Indigenous drumming, the first musical piece began with one person leading and all instruments joining in. It was a magical piece with unusual and melodic synergy. We were all delighted. The second piece was somewhat chaotic, however. We realized that it worked best when one person started a melody and all others listened and joined in, musicians and non-musicians alike! more... November 20, 2025 The Fourth Annual Ottawa Environment Fair 2025 Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements. — Bahá’u’lláh Hosted by the Ottawa Environment Forum (formerly the Ottawa Cluster Environment Group, the Fourth Annual Ottawa Environment Fair occurred on the cool, crisp day of October 25, 2025 at the Ottawa Bahá'í Centre at 211 MacArthur Avenue. While overall attendance was modest this year at around 50 people, meaningful conversations were abundant and rich with opportunities to share common spiritual values in the context of an effective approach to addressing the overarching challenge to humanity manifested in the climate crisis. more... Bookstore, Library and Info-Centre hours: Monday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Tuesday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Wednesday: Closed Thursday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Friday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Sunday: Closed (Note: closed on Bahá'í Holy Days and civic holidays)