`Abdu'l-Bahá left Malden for Boston. He left Boston by train for Montreal, arriving at midnight. [239D:132; AB132; BW8:637]
• He stayed in Montreal for ten days, living for four nights at the Maxwell residence. [239D:132]
• See also `Abdu'l-Bahá in Canada.

Bahai.ca: Bahá'í Shrine in Montréal

'Abdu'l-Bahá left Malden for Boston. He left Boston at 9AM by train for Montreal, arriving at midnight and was met by Sutherland Maxwell. He took only two of His attendants with Him, Mírzá Ahmad Sohrab and Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání, HIs chronicler. [239D:132; AB132; BW8:637; MD230-231]
• In spite of the lateness of the hour a group of friends and a newspaper publisher, Mr John Lewis of the Montreal Daily Star were waiting to see the Master at the Maxwell home. The following the headline read, “APOSTLE OF PEACE HERE, PREDICTS AN APPALLING WAR IN THE OLD WORLD”. That newspaper and The Gazette provided extensive coverage of the visit. It is noteworthy that the newspaper coverage in the Montreal papers were noticeably free of journalistic quirks and extravagances. [AB256-257; MD226-227; Remembering 'Abdu'l-Baha's Call for Unity, a Century after World War I from Bahá'í World News Service 2018-11-26]
• He stayed in Montreal for ten days, living for four nights at the Maxwell residence. [239D:132]
• See also the film `Abdu'l-Bahá in Canada by Fred Rohani.

His first act in the morning was to heal the sick child of a neighbouring family, the Birks. The nine year old had been an invalid all her life. Caressingly He laid His hands on her head and shoulders and then told the family that she must go out every day, in the middle of the day, on the ground, and that in time she would be entirely healed. Nine months later, she was perfectly healthy and strong. On leaving their home He went directly to their store and bought a number of watches and rings which He used as gifts on the rest of His trip. [ABC53; MD227-230]
• In the morning the pastor of the Unitarian Church came with several others to visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The Master discussed the elimination of religious superstitions and prejudices which are contrary to science and commons sense and which are obstacles to the attainment of the foundation of truth of the divine religions. [MD227]
• He granted an interview with a newspaper reporter. His questions were about His life and the history of the cause. [MD228]
• In the afternoon, at the invitation of Mr. Maxwell, 'Abdu'l-Bahá went for a ride in the carriage. His comment, when He saw the college buildings was:
  "As only material education is imparted and only natural philosophy is taught, these universities do not produce highly talented scholars. When both the natural and divine philosophies are expounded, they will bring forth outstanding souls and evince great advancement. The reason for the success of the Greek schools was that they combined both natural and diving philosophies". [MD228]
• They visited the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame. He gazed at the vast cathedral, its ornamentation and numerous statues and spoke of its grandeur and embellishments. Standing in an open sped at the entrance, He said:
  "Behold what eleven disciples of Christ have accomplished, how they sacrificed themselves! I exhort you to walk in their footsteps. When a person is detached, he is capable of revolutionizing the whole world. The disciples of Christ met together in consultation on top of a mountain. They pledged themselves to undergo all manner of hardships, to accept every affliction as a bounty and to consider all difficulties easy to overcome. 'He who is tied to a family, let him arrange to leave it; he who is not should remain single. He should forgo his comfort and his life'. Consulting thus, they descended from the mountain and each on went a different way and never returned. It is for this reason that they were able to leave behind such achievements. After Christ, the disciples truly forgot themselves, and not merely in word." [MD228-229]
  • Note that He had used this same example years earlier when He wrote His Will and Testament. He used that same example of sacrifice.
• In the evening there was a well-attended meeting at 'Abdu'l-Bahá's residence and following the talk many requested private interviews. Among those was the president of the socialist organization who invited the Master to speak to his group. [MD230]
• Among those who came was the Reverend F.J. Griffin, the minister of the Church of the Messiah, Unitarian, who was to introduce Him to his congregation on the following morning. 'Abdu'l-Bahá presented him with an armful of American Beauty roses. [ABC57]
• The list of those attending this first reception included: Martha McBean, a cousin of Sutherland Maxwell, someone who shared with him the distinction of being one of the two first declared believers of Canadian birth, Mrs V S Pomeroy with her daughters, Mary and Elise and Elizabeth Cowles, Miss Anne Savage (librarian), Mrs George S Thompson, Percy Woodcock, Prof Armstrong (McGill University), Dr Carmichael, Dr Johnson, Mr Wright, Mr John Lewis (editor of the Montreal Daily Star) and Mr Archie Eddington and his wife. [Excerpts from the account of Amine De Mille from ABC55-57]
• Attending as well were the two children of the Maxwell household Mary Maxwell and Eddie Elliot, the mother of a servant. He would later become a member of the Montreal Local Assembly and was the only member of his race to become a Bahá'í in Montreal in his lifetime. [Excerpts from the account of Amine De Mille from ABC55-57]

Following her attendance at the Intercontinental Conference in Wilmette Ruhiyyih Khanum met with Bahá'í friends in her former home. She discussed the donation of the Maxwell House to the National Spiritual Assembly as a shrine and suggested how it might be suitably used.
• The following day friends gathered in Mount Royal Cemetery for a commemorative service for her father, Sutherland Maxwell. Rose petals from the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh were scattered on the grave. [CBN Vol 13 No 3 July 2000 p5]
• She was accompanied by Hand of the Cause and member of the International Council Amelia Collins. [CBN No 41 June 1953 p3; CBN No 45 October, 1953 p3]

Judgement was rendered by the Honourable Associate Chief Justice W. B. Scott of the Superior Court in Montreal in favour of the National Spiritual Assembly against the City of Montreal. This achievement was the result of an action commenced on the 5th of October, 1955, to require the City of Montreal to recognize the Bahá'í Faith as an independent religious body and grant exemption to it from Municipal Taxes for the Bahá'í Shrine as a place primarily devoted to religious worship, and eligible for tax exemption under the city's own chart and by-laws.
• The National Spiritual Assembly received a refund of taxes paid since the acquisition of the property. [CBN No 99 April, 1958 p2-3]