- 1956-00-00 —
Arthur Bonshaw Irwin (born 6 June 1915 – died 1994) and Lily-Ann Irwin of Calgary, Alberta were the first to take the Bahá'í teachings to the Piikani First Nation (Peigan Reserve).
- Note: Canadian Bahá'í News August 1961 p10 reported that this took place in 1960.
- "Arthur Irwin became a Bahá'í in 1947 and was a very active Bahá'í teacher to the native peoples of Canada, Alaska, and the Caribbean. He and his wife, Lily Ann, established the first Native Indian Friendship Centre in Calgary, Alberta… He was honoured by the Blackfoot, Peigan, Blood, and Morely tribes in Alberta for his honesty and integrity. A geologist with a doctorate in the field, Irwin worked on Indian reserves in Canada ensuring that fair market value was paid for leases on natural resources (Bahá'í World. 1994. "Arthur Bonshaw Irwin." Bahá'í World. 1994. Volume XXIII)."
- 1957-05-00 —
About twenty-five different itineraries
were arranged for Canadian
Bahá'í teachers who served on the
Intra-Regional circuits and, in addition,
teaching programmes were arranged
and organized for several visiting
teachers from outside the Dominion,
including Mr. Alan Pringle
from Honduras and Mrs. Meherangiz
Munsiff of the United States.
Our
Canadian teachers included the
following: Mrs. Laura Davis, Mr.
Albert Rakovsky, Mr. Hartwell Bowsfield,
Mr. Rowland Estall, Mr; Alan
Raynor, Mre. Peggy Ross, Mrs. Lily
Ann Irwin, Mrs. Katherine Moscrop,
Mr. Fred Graham, Miss Nancy Campbell,
Miss Amy Putnam and Miss
Winnifred Harvey. [CBN No88 May 1957 p1]
- Seven weekend
seminars conducted by Allan
Raynor on "The Covenant and
the Individual" were organized
throughout Canada for the deepening,
strengthening and confirming of
believers and close contacts.
The course "The Covenant and the Institutions" was first conducted first in BC in March, 1956 and subsequently in every other province. Bahá'ís and prospective believers were encouraged to become with the Will and Testement of 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Tablet of the Branch (BWFp207), The Book of the Covenant and the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah. Participants were also encouraged to study the Covenant and the Administration". (Note: the name of the course was reported as both "The Covenant and
the Individual" and "The Covenant and the Institutions".).
[CBN No88 May 1957 p2; CBN No 89 June 1957 p1]
- 1961-05-00 —
Ron Parsons became a Bahá'í some time before July in 1961. [CBN No 138 July 1961 p3]
- At the time he was a United Church minister in Strathmore, AB. He had first heard of the Faith while serving in Red Lake, ON in 1960. A parishioner had directed him to speak with Carol and David Bowie while he was doing visitation in Ear Falls where the Bowie family lived. Following his visit the Bowies sent him a copy of Christ and Bahá'u'lláh and on the next visit he left with the Kitáb-i-Íqán and subsequently was loaned The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. Shortly after was transferred to Claresholm, AB and David put him in touch with Arthur and Lily-Ann Irwin who nurtured him into full acceptance of, and membership in, the Faith. [CBN No 127 August 1960 p4] [from and email correspondence with David Bowie 4 January 2020] iiiii
- 1970-04-01 — The Local Spiritual Assembly of Nepean Township achieved incorporation status. Members of the Assembly were: Lily Ann Irwin, Danielle Vafai, Wayne Irwin, Elizabeth Kerr-Wilson, James Atack, Johnny Jolly, Arthur Irwin, John Kerr-Wilson, and Monir Vafai. [CBN Dec 1970 p2]
- 2020-12-22 —
The passing of William (Billie) Ekomiak (b. 23 December 1943 in Cape Jones, QC (now Pointe Louis-XIV)), in Messines, Québec from complications of COVID-19. He was buried in the Cimetière St. Raphael in Messines, QC. [Obituary]
- His mother, Lucie Menarik Ekomiak, passed away while he was a small child and he was adopted by Aunt Martha and Uncle Thomas Ekoomiak.
- He was educated at St. Phillip's Anglican school in Fort George (Chisasibi), located further south on James Bay.
- Billie was one of the first two Inuit in the world to become a Bahá'í. He first heard about the Faith in the home of Arthur and Lilianne Irwin in Ottawa and enrolled as a follower of Bahá'u'llláh at a Naw-Rúz party in 1965 in Beau Lac along with his cousin, Johnny Weetaltuk.
- He trained as an electrician in Winnipeg and assisted in the building of the Bahá'í Houses in both Baker Lake and in Iqaluit.
- For a history of the Ekomiak (or Ekoomiak) family see Speechless by Maureen Flynn-Burhoe.
- Billie felt his life's mission was to share the news of Bahá'u'lláh with Indigenous Peoples and he crisscrossed Canada and the United States offering firesides that wove together the teachings of the Faith with First Nations' prophecies and spiritual insights. His most memorable presentation was at the International Teaching Conference in Anchorage in 1976. [from the announcement of his passing by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of La Pêche]
- In the early 1970's the CBC contracted musicians to produce 45-RPM discs for its Northern Service. Billy was one of the 75 musicians recorded. [Encyclopedia of Native American Music of North America p248]
- An example of Billy's fiddle playing can be viewed on YouTube. It was recorded at an event in Wakefield.
- A talk has been recorded and presented on YouTube.iiiii
- See Report/Memoirs of Bill Ekomiak.
- His sister, Sarah Ekoomiak passed away on th 26th of February, 2026 just a few weeks shy of 93 years. She was born in James Bay, Nunavit and her family moved to Chesasibi, QC, a Cree town, to be closer to schools. She and her siblings were placed in residential schools. She spoke Inuktitut, Cree and English and spent many years with eh Department of Indian Affairs as a translator. She and her husband Paul Hamelin lived in the Wakefield, QC / La Pêche, QC area in their latter years. [Speechless; NCPR]
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