Nearly 1,000 Zarthushtis gathered in Oakville, Ontario, for a historic milestone in the life of the Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation: the opening ceremony of the new OZCF Atashkadeh.

The day marked not only a defining moment for OZCF, but also a landmark occasion for Zoroastrians across North America. The Atashkadeh stands on OZCF’s 10-acre property at 1187 Burnhamthorpe Road East in Oakville, a site envisioned as a sacred and cultural home for future generations. The OZCF brochure describes the Atashkadeh as a place where people may worship, gather, visit, learn, and where children can deepen their knowledge of Zoroastrian heritage and faith.

The opening ceremony began with prayers and the lighting of the fire in the Atashkadeh, performed by 28 Mobeds from Ontario and across North America. Their presence, prayers, and blessings gave the occasion its spiritual foundation and reflected the deep religious commitment that has guided the project from the beginning.

Welcoming the gathering, Rumi Jassawala, newly elected President of the Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation, spoke of the long journey that brought the community to this day. He described the ceremony as the culmination of more than 24 years of effort, shaped by volunteer service, strong governance, donor support, and the dedication of countless community members.

Jassawala thanked the priests, community leaders, donors, volunteers, families, and all those who had contributed to making the Atashkadeh a reality. He offered special appreciation to Phil Sidhwa, Chair of the Place of Worship Advisory Committee, and Neville Patrawala, past president of OZCF, for their leadership and service.

Speaking on behalf of the Place of Worship Advisory Committee, Phil Sidhwa reflected on the 13-year journey of planning, approvals, studies, fundraising, and construction that led to the opening. He noted that the Atashkadeh is not simply a building, but a sacred home where future generations of Zoroastrians in Canada, North America, and around the world will continue to uphold Zarathushtra’s timeless message of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

Sidhwa thanked the many volunteers who had worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to the event, including those helping with flowers, chalk, divas, plates, napkins, flooring, tents, tables, chairs, parking, tours, and countless other visible and invisible tasks. He also recognized the role of Kermin, Gool, Rumi, and Neville in helping guide the event preparations.

The day was a powerful reminder that community institutions are built not only through major gifts and public milestones, but also through years of steady, humble service. From the priests who pray for the well-being of the community, to those who supported IT, fundraising, logistics, mowing the lawn, arranging parking, placing flowers, preparing chalk, and welcoming guests, every seen and unseen pair of hands helped make the day possible.

OZCF also recognized the generosity of major donor families, including Behram and Rena Baxter and family, the Madon Family and the Austin family, along with many others whose contributions helped bring the project to completion. Sidhwa also thanked Marzi Byramji, Chair of Fundraising, for his long-standing role in supporting the campaign.

The OZCF Atashkadeh vision has been many years in the making. According to the Foundation’s brochure, the vision is to build a North American consecrated Atashkadeh with the eventual enthroning of a consecrated Atash-e-Adaran fire. The brochure explains that Atashkadeh is the Persian term for a place of worship that enthrones the holy fire, known in India as an Agiary.

The first phase includes a consecrated Atashkadeh housing an Atash Dadgah fire, with Yasnagah and Bareshnum facilities to support higher liturgical ceremonies and the ordination of priests. A later phase envisions the enthronement of the consecrated Atash-e-Adaran fire and the appointment of a full-time Mobed to care for it.

Sidhwa noted that following the Muktad, consecration ceremonies are expected to begin and conclude on September 5, after which the community will be able to perform higher liturgical ceremonies at the Atashkadeh.

The ceremony also included greetings from public officials. The Honorable Michael Parsa, Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and Member of Provincial Parliament for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, spoke warmly of Zoroastrianism as one of the world’s oldest faith traditions. He praised its enduring values of truth, compassion, integrity, and kindness, and connected them to the example of Cyrus the Great and the legacy of religious freedom and human dignity.

Following the ceremony, Parsa also shared his congratulations on social media, congratulating the Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation on “the grand opening of the new Atashkadeh, their new temple of worship in the city of Oakville,” and thanking Phil Sidhwa and OZCF for inviting him to celebrate the occasion.

Representing the Town of Oakville, Councillor and Acting Mayor Tom Adams offered congratulations on behalf of the town and council. He described the opening as more than the completion of a building, calling it the realization of a vision built through years of dedication, generosity, and faith. He welcomed the nearly 1,000 attendees to Oakville and praised the Zoroastrian community’s volunteerism, professionalism, entrepreneurship, commitment to family, education, and service.

On behalf of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, FEZANA President Ervad Kayomarz Y. Sidhwa congratulated OZCF and the wider Ontario Zoroastrian community. He noted that the occasion was not only Ontario’s day, but a historic day for Zoroastrians across the continent. He described the Atashkadeh as a place where children will learn who they are, elders will find comfort, and future generations will gather for prayers, weddings, navjotes, and community life.

The ceremony concluded with logistical announcements from Shanaya Patel, who thanked the gathering for their patience and support despite the rainy weather, and invited attendees to enjoy lunch and tours of the Atashkadeh.

The Atashkadeh is also part of a broader long-term vision for the OZCF property. The Foundation’s brochure notes that OZCF was founded in 2002 with a mission to preserve Zoroastrian culture and heritage and promote awareness of the ancient Zoroastrian religion within and beyond the community. It also notes that the Greater Toronto Area is home to the largest Zoroastrian community in North America, with approximately 5,000 Zoroastrians living within a 60 km radius.

The brochure further describes future aspirations for the site, including a seniors’ retirement complex, enlarged banquet hall and cultural centre, Zoroastrian library, museum and education centre, commercial and office space, recreation facilities, green space, and renewable energy.

For the community gathered in Oakville, however, the meaning of the day was immediate and deeply felt. It was a day of prayer, gratitude, remembrance, and celebration. It honored those who established OZCF, the Boards of Directors who guided it, the donors whose generosity sustained it, the Mobeds who blessed it, and the volunteers whose labor carried it forward.

The opening of the OZCF Atashkadeh is a historic milestone for Zoroastrians across North America. It stands as a sacred home for worship, learning, continuity, and community life. In the words of the OZCF brochure, it is intended to be “a celebrated and treasured focal point” to enhance religious traditions and preserve Zoroastrian heritage for generations to come.

Zarthushtis from across North America and around the world are warmly invited to visit the Atashkadeh in Oakville, Ontario, and witness this new chapter in the life of the Zoroastrian community.

Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation
1187 Burnhamthorpe Road East
Oakville, Ontario
Website: www.ozcf.com