Mawlana Hazar Imam made this gift to Alberta to commemorate Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, saying in a written statement: “It is appropriate that we are creating together a Mughal-style garden, which echoes the great contributions that Muslims have made to world heritage. The Mughals built the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s tomb and the gardens around them, so the university’s embrace of this project is an inherently pluralistic act. The creation of this garden therefore both deepens an existing partnership and illustrates the pluralistic nature of this country.”
Over the years, the Imam has initiated several projects in the country, following the Ismaili Centre, Burnaby, in Vancouver, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat building and Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, and the Ismaili Centre, Aga Khan Museum and Aga Khan Park in Toronto. These projects are a tribute to his commitment to the country and its values.
The Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, is the most recent of these projects and also commemorates the longstanding relationship between Mawlana Hazar Imam and Alberta starting with the first Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Aga Khan University and the University of Alberta in 2006, and the cooperation agreement with the Government of Alberta signed in 2009.
President Firoz Rasul of the Aga Khan University announced the news of the gift on April 7, 2017, on the occasion of the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Alberta.
On behalf of the province, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley expressed her “deep gratitude for this generous gift,” observing: “Our diversity makes us strong. This garden will serve as a living reminder of the diverse heritage of our open and welcoming province, which is a big part of what makes Alberta such a great place to live.”
President David Turpin of the University of Alberta said: “The Aga Khan Garden will be a place to connect with nature, a place of inspiration and a place where cultural understanding will grow. We are honoured and grateful that the Aga Khan, a champion of openness and understanding between cultures, selected the University of Alberta for this wonderful gift.”
In his presentation, landscape architect Thomas Woltz shared the direction that he had received from Mawlana Hazar Imam to study other Islamic gardens while developing a design that would also incorporate the plants and topography of northern Alberta. He then took the guests on his one-year journey around the world to complete his research, emphasizing that the garden is “about culture, openness and bridging together.”
The presentation of this $25 million dollar project concluded with the launch of the Aga Khan Garden video, an emotional, serene and beautiful ending to a historic occasion.
Source: This article was originally published on Ismaili Canada Magazine - Summer 2017 edition.
