The Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat share a longstanding partnership grounded in common values and shared interests, which reflects a commitment to creating a more prosperous, just and inclusive world. Building on this partnership, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan outlined a number of new initiatives — March 25, 2026.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The original page about His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to Canada has been split into two pages. This page now focuses solely on events, announcements, and news from his arrival in Canada on March 25, 2026, until his departure seven days later on March 31, 2026. Pre-arrival details are available on a separate page HERE.

Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANT

Page last updated: March 26, 2026, 14:26 PM EDT. Share this page with your family and friends in Canada and around the world with this short link: https://wp.me/p7IezD-gL0

MARCH 25-31, 2026: ANCHOR LINKS COVERING HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN’S OFFICIAL VISIT TO CANADA

Please visit this page frequently for updates on His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to Eastern Canada from March 25 to 31, 2026. For quick access to our stories on this page, please click the following anchor links:

• March 25, 2026: Photographs of His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Mark Carney by renowned Ottawa photographer, Jean-Marc Carisse
• March 25, 2026: Part 1 — The Ismaili Update, Arrival and Meeting with Prime Minister
• March 25, 2026: His Highness the Aga Khan meets Prime Minister Mark Carney,
• March 25, 2026: His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Mark Carney release a joint statement
• March 25, 2026: His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in Canada
• March 25, 2026 to Current: Didar and mulaqat schedule

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March 25, 2026: Renowned Ottawa photographer, Jean-Marc Carisse, captures beautiful moments of His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Mark at Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Introduced by JEAN-MARC CARISSE

I have many fond memories of His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, having taken hundreds of photos of him during his visit to Canada as the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Ismailis. My memories go back as far as the 1990s. Still, one of the moments that stood out for me was when the Aga Khan, along with other world leaders, watched Justin Trudeau — who later became Canada’s Prime Minister — lay his head on the casket of his father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, at his funeral in Montreal in October 2000.

However, the last series of photos I took of the Aga Khan was on May 16, 2017, when he, along with the then Governor General of Canada, the Right Honourable David Johnston, inaugurated the Global Centre for Pluralism. It was my pleasure to share my report and photos with Barakah’s readers. In my forthcoming book, which highlights my lifetime career as a photographer, I will include some photos of the late Aga Khan, along with those of many other world leaders.

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Of course, I was saddened by the death of the late Aga Khan in February 2025, and I wondered whether I would be able to photograph his eldest son, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, who succeeded him as the 50th Hereditary Imam.

My excitement was overwhelming when I heard about the Aga Khan’s official visit to Canada from March 25, 2026. Being at the Parliament Building to photograph Prince Rahim Aga Khan made me feel privileged, and I want to share this special moment with you all.

I wish to note to readers that I was the only photographer capturing the hallway conversation between His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Carney after they met in the Prime Minister’s office, which was covered by a pool of photographers. Like his predecessor, the new Aga Khan exhibited radiance. I consider this a unique opportunity that came my way.

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March 25, 2026: Part 1 of the special edition of the Ismaili Update

The Ismaili Update, Part 1, celebrates Mawlana Hazar Imam’s arrival in Canada and his meeting with the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada. Please watch the YouTube video and scroll down for Barakah’s dedicated coverage of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visit to Canada.

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March 25, 2026: His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Mark Carney meet in the Nation’s Capital

On Wednesday, March 15, 2026, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V during his first official visit to Canada, from March 25 to 31, 2026.

Prime Minister Carney welcomed His Highness the Aga Khan to Canada and thanked him for his leadership and profound contributions to global development and governance. The leaders recognised the strong ties between Canada and the Imamat — reinforced by the contributions of 120,000 Ismailis in Canada.

Building on this historic relationship, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan released a joint declaration with new partnerships to improve housing affordability in Canada and collaborate on economic development programming internationally.

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First, Prime Minister Carney welcomed a series of investments by the Ismaili Imamat in multi-generational not-for-profit housing projects across Canada to improve the supply of affordable housing. In addition, through Build Canada Homes, the Government of Canada will forge a long-term partnership with the Ismaili Imamat to develop a series of low- and middle-income housing projects.

Second, the leaders announced the creation of an Economic Partnership Platform to improve development financing. FinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund will collaborate to pool public and private capital to identify investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, and agriculture in Africa and Asia — regions crucial to Canada’s growing relationships abroad.

Third, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan tasked officials to identify areas for future collaboration in education and skills development that can harness Canada’s strengths in talent, workforce, and expertise to support partner countries.

The leaders discussed the evolving situation in the Middle East and underscored the need to prevent further regional escalation. His Highness the Aga Khan emphasised the effect that continuing tensions are having on civilians, including Ismailis.

Prime Minister Carney announced the upcoming appointment of a new Representative of Canada to the Ismaili Imamat, the Honourable David Lametti, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, who will further deepen this collaboration.

Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan agreed to remain in contact.

NOTE: Please read the report of the meeting at the source HERE.

External links: Please visit the following websites for coverage of the event on Parliament Hill:

• The Ismaili: Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with Canadian Prime Minister
• Global News: Carney’s leadership ‘needed more than ever,’ Aga Khan says during 1st Canada visit

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The Canadian Prime Minister’s post on X following his meeting with His Highness the Aga Khan

Canada is home to more than 120,000 Ismailis — a community that helps shape our country for the better every day. 
 
I met with His Highness the Aga Khan in Ottawa to talk about how we can work together on our shared priorities here in Canada and around the world. pic.twitter.com/8ggrjn5bu9

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) March 26, 2026

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CPAC YouTube video of the Prime Minister and the Aga Khan meeting

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March 25, 2026: Joint declaration released by Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan

1. The Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney welcomed this first official visit of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V to Canada, from March 25 to 31, 2026.
    
2. The Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat share a longstanding partnership grounded in common values and shared interests, which reflects a commitment to creating a more prosperous, just and inclusive world. Building on this partnership, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan today outlined a number of new initiatives.
    
3. The Prime Minister welcomed a series of investments by the Ismaili Imamat in multi-generational not-for-profit housing projects across Canada designed to address the affordable housing crisis. Through Build Canada Homes, the Government of Canada will work on a long-term partnership with the Ismaili Imamat, to be established through a Memorandum of Understanding. By creating a pipeline of projects, the partnership will facilitate more affordable homes being built, for low-and moderate-income households across Canada.
    
4. The international work of the Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat shares a commitment to inclusive economic development, including in enhancing the competitiveness, productivity and resilience of emerging and developing economies.  Working together, there is an opportunity to align international development efforts with private investment in ways that benefit country partners while advancing our common interests. To deepen this joint commitment, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan today announced the creation of an Economic Partnership Platform that will advance joint initiatives. This will include formalizing the partnership between FinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to align efforts in fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia Pacific regions across infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, and financial institutions.
    
5. The partnership between the Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat involves working together in Canada and around the world, across a wide variety of common priorities. An important element of this partnership is a shared dedication to building prosperity, pluralism and capacity in geographies of mutual interest.  In this spirit, Canada and the Aga Khan Development Network are working together on joint development programming in Syria, to address immediate recovery needs and to promote longer-term sustainable development. This also involves partnerships in Africa and Asia, including the establishment of strategic partnerships in support of economic opportunity, health, and education, involving where appropriate other like-minded countries in new practical coalitions to achieve stronger results.
    
6. The Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat have a shared interest in building the workforce of the future, in better connecting Canadian innovation with the world, and in advancing energy initiatives in emerging and developing economies. In this spirit, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan tasked the Canada-Ismaili Imamat Joint Steering Committee to identify areas for future collaboration related to:
   • Education, language and skills development that will serve to strengthen the economies of our partner countries, while aligning with our respective priorities;
   • Connecting Canadian innovations and technology advancements in areas such as agriculture, climate action, health, and education to generate pathways and opportunities for scaling Canadian technologies in new global markets; and,
   • Joint work on energy initiatives in developing regions, such as exploring support for peace and energy-security in the African Great Lakes region through the Regional Economic Integration Framework, including the Ruzizi III Hydropower Project, the first regional public-private partnership hydropower project in which the Industrial Promotion Services of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development is one of the principal sponsors.
      
7. Finally, the Prime Minister and His Highness the Aga Khan welcomed the naming of the Honourable David Lametti, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York as the new Representative of Canada to the Ismaili Imamat. Ambassador Lametti will advance collaboration at a strategic level and involve the entirety of the Government of Canada.
    
8. The Canada-Ismaili Imamat Joint Steering Committee, created under the 2014 Protocol of Understanding between the Government of Canada and the Ismaili Imamat on the Creation of a Strategic Partnership, will oversee the implementation of mutually determined deliverables and report progress annually.

NOTE: Please read the joint declaration at the source HERE.

Joint Declaration post on X

Building on this historic relationship, Prime Minister Carney and His Highness the Aga Khan welcomed new partnerships to improve housing affordability and to collaborate on economic development programming internationally.

Read their joint statement: https://t.co/DsHoFDLC82

— Prime Minister of Canada (@CanadianPM) March 26, 2026

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External links: Please visit the following websites for coverage of the event on Parliament Hill:

• The Ismaili: Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with Canadian Prime Minister
• Global News: Carney’s leadership ‘needed more than ever,’ Aga Khan says during 1st Canada visit

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March 25, 2026: His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in Canada

Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, arrived in Ottawa on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to commence his official visit to Canada at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney. The visit underscores the strong bond between the Ismaili Imamat, the community, and Canada. The visit will continue until March 31, 2026, marking a significant milestone for the 120,000 Ismailis in Canada, who will experience their first-ever Didar with their 50th Imam.

He was greeted at the Ottawa Airport by Sébastien Carrière, Chief of Protocol of Canada; the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages. Among others to welcome him were leaders of the Canadian Ismaili community, including Dr. Mahmoud Eboo, Representative of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat to Canada; Ameerally Kassim-Lakha, President of the Ismaili Council for Canada; and a delegation of Jamati leaders as well as the Honourable Farah Mohamed, Senator of Canada and Taleeb Noormohamed, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.

External media: Please visit the following websites for coverage of His Highness the Aga Khan’s arrival in Ottawa:

• The Ismaili: Mawlana Hazar Imam arrives in Ottawa

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March 25, 2026, to Current: Dates and venues of Didar and mulaqat with Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan

Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visit to Eastern Canada will take place from March 25 to 31 for the Ontario, Quebec, and Maritimes regions. The following schedule has been adapted from the IICanada newsletter. It confirms the dates, venues and timings for the Eastern Canada Didars, Youth Mulaqats, and Inter-Faith Gathering noting that the Ottawa and Kingston Jamats will participate in Didars with the Jamat of Quebec and the Maritimes. This section was updated on March 25, 2026.   

Quebec and Maritimes, Ottawa and Kingston

THURSDAY, MARCH 26 

Youth Mulaqat  

For the Jamats of: Montreal Headquarters, Brossard, Laval, Sherbrooke, Ottawa Headquarters, Granby, Halifax, Kingston, Quebec City, St John’s, and Fredericton 

Venue: Facility in Chateauguay 

Doors Open: 12:00 p.m. 

For more information, Youth Mulaqat Quebec & Maritimes – Key Information page

FRIDAY, MARCH 27 

Didar

For the Jamats of: Montreal Headquarters, Laval, Sherbrooke, Halifax, St John’s, and Fredericton 

Venue: Facility in Chateauguay 

Doors Open: 1:00 p.m. 

For more information, click Didar Quebec & Maritimes – Key Information page. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 28 

Didar  

For the Jamats of: Ottawa Headquarters, Brossard, Granby, Kingston, and Quebec City  

Venue: Facility in Chateauguay 

Doors Open: 6:00 a.m. 

For more information, click Didar Quebec & Maritimes – Key Information page. 

Ontario

SUNDAY, MARCH 29 

Youth Mulaqat  

For the Jamats of: Toronto Headquarters, East York, Scarborough, Willowdale, Don Mills, Etobicoke, Downtown Toronto, Guelph, Niagara Falls, Peterborough, Belleville, and Sudbury 

Designated Check-In Venue: East York Jamatkhana 

Doors Open: 7:00 a.m. 

For more information, refer to the Youth Mulaqat Ontario – Key Information page

Inter-Faith Gathering  

For all of Eastern Canada – Ontario, Quebec & Maritimes 

Venue: Automotive Building, Exhibition Place  

Doors Open: 2:00 p.m. 

Please Arrive By: 3:15 p.m

Doors Close: 4:00 p.m

For more information, refer to the  Inter-Faith Gathering – Key Information page

MONDAY, MARCH 30 

Didar  

For the Jamats of: Kitchener Headquarters, Unionville, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Meadowvale, Oshawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Halton, Hamilton, Guelph, London, Barrie, Niagara Falls, Brantford, Windsor, Peterborough, Belleville, and Sudbury 

Venue: Enercare Centre Toronto   

Doors Open: 12:30 p.m. 

For more information, click Didar Ontario – Key Information page. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 31 

Youth Mulaqat  

For the Jamats of: Kitchener Headquarters, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Unionville, Meadowvale, Oshawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Halton, Hamilton, London, Barrie, Windsor, and Brantford  

Designated Check-In Venue: East York Jamatkhana   

Doors Open: 6:00 a.m. 

For more information, refer to the Youth Mulaqat Ontario – Key Information page

Didar  

For the Jamats of: Toronto Headquarters, East York, Scarborough, Willowdale, Don Mills, Etobicoke, and Downtown Toronto 

Venue: Enercare Centre Toronto   

Doors Open: 11:00 a.m. 

For more information, click Didar Ontario – Key Information page.

NOTE: Barakah recommends visiting the IICanada newsletter page for the most up-to-date information about the dates and venues of Didar and Mulaqat. Also click IICanada Home Page for all the pages related to the visit.

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Date posted: February 19, 2026.
Last updated: March 26, 2026.

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Please click SUBSCRIBE and enter your email address to receive update notifications from Barakah. Before you leave, remember that Barakah’s editor, Malik, is here to assist you. If you have any questions or feedback, please scroll down to leave a comment or send an email to mmerchant@barakah.com. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the diverse and extensive content on Barakah’s Home Page or Table of Contents, with over 350 pieces dedicated to Mawlana Hazar Imam, members of his family and the Ismaili Imamat. And don’t forget to visit our sister websites, Simerg and Simergphotos. You can stay updated by following Malik on @Facebook, @X, @LinkedIn and @Instagram and by subscribing to Barakah.