Zoroastrian community holds family fun day
Anna Sajecki
Feb 8, 2006
It's a housewarming, only without the house.
Members of Mississauga's Zoroastrian community will gather Feb. 12 on a 10-acre parcel of land they have purchased as the future site of their church.
A fun day of ice skating, treasure hunts and hot chocolate is planned as the newly-formed Ontario Zoroastrian Community Foundation (OZCF) celebrates its first Family Fun Day on the plot of land located at Burnhamthorpe Rd. and Ninth Line.
The event is designed to appeal to the younger members of the congregation and help raise money for a community centre and place of worship.
OZCF priest Nozer Kotwal said there are more than 200,000 Zoroastrians worldwide, including 5,000 in the GTA, North America's largest Zoroastrian community.
The foundation, which formed in 2001, counts some 200 Mississauga families among its 600 members. Members gather for celebrations such as Navroz, or New Year's Day, which falls on March 21 according to the Zoroastrian calendar.
"The whole process is to get the younger ones learning and taking on responsibility and authority so that some day they can guide the way," said Hushtasp Bhumgara, a Zoroastrian from Lorne Park.
To date, the congregation has raised over $1.5 million, with more than 80 per cent of that amount coming from church members.
The OZCF also has plans for a seniors' community home, which Kotwal said will be run by foundation members, and a community centre that offers religious classes, community services and immigrant services.
Foundation vice-president Niloufer Bhesania said they need to raise at least $2-$4 million for the project, which could begin to take shape as early as next year.
Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion based on the teachings of a prophet, Zarathustra (Zoroaster in Greek), who converted the empire into believing in one god, Ahura Mazda.