Ottawa, Canada, 18 November 2008 – His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) arrives in Ottawa today at the start of an 8-day visit to Canada on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee. The Aga Khan, who is in Canada as a guest of the Government, is commemorating his fifty years of leadership as Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. He will be met by The Honourable John Baird, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities on behalf of the Government of Canada.
During the visit, His Highness will be officially welcomed by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada and will meet with senior government officials to discuss areas of active collaboration between Canada and the AKDN.
The Aga Khan will travel to Toronto, where he will meet with The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario. He will also preside over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between McMaster University and the Aga Khan University (AKU), which has campuses and programmes in eight countries in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
During his stay in Calgary, the Aga Khan will meet with The Honourable Norman L. Kwong, Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta; Dr. Indira Samarasekera, the President of the University of Alberta, and Dr. Carl Amrhein, Provost and Vice President.
In Vancouver, the Aga Khan will meet with the Mayor of the City of Burnaby, His Worship Derek Corrigan, as well as The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia.
The Aga Khan will meet and address gatherings of the Ismaili community in each city.
His Highness is scheduled to return to Ottawa for the official inauguration of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building on Sussex Drive in Ottawa, on December 6, 2008. The Delegation will serve a representational role for the activities of the Imamat including the AKDN, and will mark a new phase in the Imamat’s partnership with Canada.
http://www.akdn.org/press_release.asp?ID=692
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2008/18/c9817.html
http://www.la-croix.com/afp.static/pages/081118201436.orsqi0az.htm
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=921983
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