Rahim Aga Khan Announces Housing and Development Partnerships During Ottawa Visit

Rahim Aga Khan, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Nizari Ismaili Muslims, arrived in Ottawa for a seven-day official visit, during which he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Parliament Hill.

The two sides issued a Joint Declaration outlining cooperation in housing and international development. Prime Minister Carney described the meeting as a "historic day," noting the longstanding relationship between Canada and the Ismaili Imamat spanning more than five decades. He praised Canada's Ismaili community, estimated at over 120,000 people, for its cultural and economic contributions.

Under the agreement, Canada and the Ismaili Imamat will collaborate on housing affordability through multi-generational, not-for-profit projects across the country via the Build Canada Homes initiative, targeting low- and middle-income communities.

The leaders also announced an Economic Partnership Platform to strengthen development financing. FinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development will partner to mobilize public and private capital for investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, and agriculture in Africa and Asia.

"The values and principles that are so inherently Canadian, we share," Aga Khan said. "Today will set the stage for more work together to make the world a better place."

Prime Minister Carney announced the appointment of David Lametti, Canada's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as the country's official representative to the Ismaili Imamat.

Aga Khan was welcomed upon arrival by senior officials, including Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, along with parliamentary representatives and Ismaili community leaders. The visit includes the groundbreaking of a new Jamatkhana in the Greater Montreal area and the inauguration of a multigenerational housing project in Toronto.