Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at (AMJ) Canada is getting ready to bring their annual Jalsa Salana convention back to Bradford for 2024, and with it are expecting big crowds.
According to a report from Nick Warman, manager of recreation and client services, AMJ Canada is planning to host as many as 25,000 people over three days for the convention at their property on Line 11 on the weekend of July 5-7, 2024.
To allow the event to take place next year, council’s committee of the whole recommended endorsing the event and the necessary bylaw exemptions, during the council meeting Tuesday night.
Mayor James Leduc pledged his full support for the event, and said he is looking forward to the direct and indirect financial benefit to the town.
“I have been witness to the planning. I’ve actually had the pleasure of seeing the convention over in London, England and I’ve seen it in Mississauga, and it’s well organized and well run. ... I know that in the end it will be a successful event. It always is,” he said.
Ward 7 Coun. Peter Dykie echoed the mayor’s comments in praising AMJ’s planning and organizing.
“I had the opportunity to go when it was held in Bradford and I must say it was very well organized. I was really impressed with how they planned it, and this is an example, they started early to get it ready for next year,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu said he has been lucky enough to attend most of the Jalsa Salana events in the last 13 years, but the event in London really stood out for both him and the mayor, who were impressed with how well the site was returned to its former condition after the event.
“I must say, both of us were impressed. ... If we weren’t there for the event, when we drove by the spot we would have never thought that something happened here,” he said.
Sandhu also expressed an interest in seeing the spending numbers from 2022, but those figures were not available during the meeting.
Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik asked staff for clarification about concerns over land use for the agricultural property, and Alan Wiebe, manager of community planning, explained staff were just trying to understand the intended use for the property outside of the convention.
Ward 6 Coun. Nickolas Harper credited AMJ for their planning and for adding a loop around the convention area to better connect the parking areas with the roadways, but still had concerns with traffic issues.
“I’d like to have a stipulation put in that they hire police for traffic control and not just rely on their AMJ traffic team. I respect that you put a loop in, you put in extra thought to it, but I’m telling you at 18,000 people that want to come and go, it’s better to have that safe than sorry,” he said.
While none of the relevant departments or agencies have submitted objections so far, South Simcoe Police Service Staff Sgt. Dave Phillips also expressed concerns over traffic with attendance expected to increase from 4,000 people to a potential 25,000 people staggered over multiple days.
“I suspect this event will translate into four times the vehicle volume which will certainly make it busier for our traffic direction officers. Nonetheless AMJ are good about applying for paid duties and will hire as many officers as required. The events are well run. We have no urgent concerns,” he says in the report.
Farhan Khokhar vice-president of AMJ Canada, and Mian Rizwan, chief executive of Jalsa Salana annual convention, addressed some of council's concerns.
Khokhar thanked council for their kind words before speaking about the financial benefits, which he estimated to be in excess of $150,000 in 2022 despite the event being smaller due to pandemic restrictions.
“Now, we’re looking at a much bigger scale, and our commitment to the council is, whereever possible, we will be supporting the larger and smaller retailers in the city of Bradford. Services, equipment and material which is available locally, will be purchased locally,” he said.
In terms of police services, Khokhar said AMJ is “fully committed” to increasing resources “to adequately provide for any eventuality needed.”
The group was expected to make a presentation to council detailing the plans for the event as well as providing a brief history of the group and the convention; however, council was satisfied with the group's responses and council voted unanimously to support the event.
The annual conference has its origins in 1891 in Qadian, India, and AMJ Canada has been holding their convention for last 45 years as way to promote peace, brotherhood and national and international unity.
The convention was last held in Bradford in 2022 and attracted a host of faith leaders such as Imam Azhar Haneef, missionary-in-charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, and politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who spoke about the importance of combating racism, Islamophobia and other forms of intolerance.
“An attack on a Muslim Canadian is an attack on all Canadians. Intolerance and hatred undermine everything we have built in this country and mostly everything we continue to build, so we have to continually step up and do more as a country,” Trudeau said at the time.
For 2023, the event was held at the International Centre in Mississauga.
The convention is a private event, with attendance limited to registered guests.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Canada is a non-profit charity organization and the Canadian branch of The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at, an international Islamic group, founded in 1889, which claims to be active in more than 200 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions.
The group rejects terrorism in any form and more than a century ago declared that an aggressive jihad by the sword has no place in Islam.
Additionally, the group endorses a separation of mosque and state.
For the 2024 event, the town has requested AMJ Canada provide the following:
- Noise control exemption application;
- Copy of letter of notification to abutting property owners for information purposes;
- Full site plan including washrooms, parking, accessible parking, dimensions, placement of vendor’s structures, fire access and routes
- Traffic management/contingency plan;
- Emergency safety plan including first aid stations, security details and event notification sent to EMS, fire, and police paid duty details;
- Event notification sent to Simcoe Muskoka District Health and associated permits for food distribution/consumption;
- Copy of liability insurance indemnifying the Town in the amount of $5,000,000 for the event and associated activities with the event including any associated activities
- Compliance with the Ontario Fire Code and Building Code in relation to the dining tents, cooking areas and stage and other requirements
Attached to the report were planning documents from AMJ Canada including:
- Special event application to Community Services Department from AMJ
- Jalsa Salana/Annual Convention Outline
- Setup and Windup Plan – includes site plan
- Tent Occupant Loads
- Safety Plan
- Traffic Plan
- Emergency Evacuation Plan
- Completed Noise Exemption Application from AMJ
Recommendations from committee of the whole are considered for approval at the next regular council meeting.
With files from BradfordToday staff
