Building and Opening
The building was initiated by the Aga Khan IV, the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims in the presence of Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, on June 6, 2005. It was designed by the internationally celebrated Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, together with the Canadian firm Moriyama & Teshima.
The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat was formally opened by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Saturday, December 6, 2008 during an official visit of the Aga Khan to Ottawa. In addition to the Prime Minister, the opening was also attended by several federal ministers including Transport Minister John Baird, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and Minister of State for Status of Women Helena Guergis. Also in attendance were former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, writer John Ralston Saul, David Mulroney, chief of the PCO Afghan task force, his CIDA counterpart Stephen Wallace, former deputy minister of foreign affairs Peter Harder, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin, former ambassador to Washington Derek Burney, former Liberal foreign minister Bill Graham, former ambassador to the UN Allan Rock, Herb Gray, the longest serving MP in Canadian history and various ambassadors of other countries to Canada.
The $54-million building is the first in the world to represent Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims. Based in Europe, he heads the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world. The building houses 60 employees of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a non-profit development agency and the Global Centre for Pluralism, an education and research centre.
Demands to see the building are so great the agency provides public tours twice a week. Some 30,000 people have walked through. Since 2009, the building has hosted about 100 events, such as lectures and workshops.
The building includes a library and offices, as well as a residence and office for the Aga Khan’s use during visits.
Read more about this topic: Delegation Of The Ismaili Imamat
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