Networks of faith and function: The emergence of Canada’s Ismaili community and early institutionalization

This article examines the settlement of Ismailis in Canada from the early 1970s through the lens of migration history, institutional development, and the evolution of jamatkhanas (“houses of prayer”) as both sacred and civic spaces. It situates this trajectory within the broader transformations of Canadian society, including the liberalization of immigration policy, the adoption of multiculturalism, and the entrenchment of religious freedoms in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Drawing on archival records, community publications, and oral histories, the study traces the community’s shift from improvised worship spaces to purpose-built Ismaili centres, highlighting how these sites function as hubs of identity, education, social cohesion, and pluralistic engagement.