Though its people be firmly entrenched in their religious sectarianism and strongly attached to their religious doctrines and traditions, yet who can doubt that with courage and persistence, kindliness and wisdom, the all-conquering words of Bahá’u’lláh can fail to break down all these barriers of prejudice and religious exclusiveness and conquer this longstanding stronghold of sectarian belief! Surely the efficacy of the universal Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh as applied to the cherished and time-honoured religious traditions of the East, has been sufficiently demonstrated to justify at present our confident hopes for the future and speedy re-awakening of that land. May the small company of the steadfast followers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Canada be filled with the outpourings of the Divine Grace that are being showered so mightily in these days upon the friends of God the world over, and may they arise with undiminished fervour to carry out to their fullest measure the last wishes and instructions of our departed Master for that great and flourishing Dominion! With all good wishes, Your brother and co-worker, SHOGHI. Haifa, Palestine. January 2, 1923. THE BIRTH OF THE INDEPENDENT CANADIAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY AND THE FIVE YEAR PLAN. 1948–53 THE BIRTH OF THE INDEPENDENT CANADIAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY AND THE FIVE YEAR PLAN. 1948–53 Letter of April 14, 1948 April 14, 1948. ELECTION OF FIRST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF FIVE YEAR PLAN To the First Canadian National Convention.