- 1941-06-28 — First summer School in Canada in Montreal was held in three different homes, the Schopflochers', the Salas' and the Maxwells'. Reports of the number of people attending vary from 17 to 25 to 30. Those attending were from Montreal, St. Lambert, Moncton, Hamilton, Toronto, (among them a new believer named John Robarts), Ottawa Rouyn, and Winnipeg. Three non-Bahá'ís also attended and enrolled shortly thereafter.
The varied program provided daily talks and discussions based on the outline 'Deepening the Spiritual Life'; study of the first part of 'The Promised Day Is Come' (led by Miss Winnifred Harvey); separate talks on 'Bahá'í Administration' (Siegfried Schopflocher, Ragnar Mattson, and Lou Boudler); 'Bahá'í Attitude towards Christianity' (Mrs. Agnes King); and 'Post-War Reconstruction' (John De Mille). Lorol Schopflocher contributed an account of her journeys to Central America and the British West Indies, and Emeric and Rosemary Sala gave us stories of their experiences in Venezuela and Columbia. [OBCC268; BW9:28; TG84; BN No 149 December 1941 p5] - 1941-06-30 — The war years brought an unexpected development in the Bahá'í community in Canada. Government restrictions on foreign currency exchange reduced the attendance by Canadian Bahá'ís at the Green Acre and Geyserville summer schools in the United States. After the 1941 National Convention, Rowland Estall was charged with the start—up of Bahá'í summer schools and conferences in Canada. With the financial help of Siegfried Schopfiocher, the first such gathering took place in Montreal from late June to early July of that year. A month later the Ontario Bahá'ís hosted a summer school at Rice Lake, and a summer session took place in Vernon, British Colombia. From then on summer schools became a regular feature of Canadian Bahá'í life. [BWM48-49]
- 1941-08-03 — The Spiritual Assembly of Toronto held it first annual Ontario summer school at Glen Lynden Farm, Rice Lake. 29 attended. The general theme was "Our Colossal Responsibility." They were blessed by a cablegram from Shoghi Effendi saying that he was delighted, and praying for success of the Ontario Summer Session. [TG84; BN No 149 December 1941 p6; OBCC164,268]
See photo at Worldwide Community of Bahá'u'lláh - 1941-08-29 —
First Summer School in Vernon, BC. Less than 20 attended. [OBBC 164,268]
- 1942-08-00 — A week-long summer school was held at the family farm of Paul Sala in Rivière Beaudette, QC with Dr Glen Shook as guest speaker. [TG84]
- 1946-00-01 —
The Beaulac property, near Rawdon was purchased by Rosemary and Emeric Sala in partnership with Freddie Schopflocher with the intention of establishing a winter school. Bill Suter, a Swiss immigrant, was appointed as the caretaker. [TG108]
- The farmhouse was improved and enlarged, two additional cottages were built, two mor wells were dug, part of the barn was rebuilt into a lecture hall. The property was offered for use by the Canadian Youth Hostel Association and was used by the Bahá'ís for winter and summer schools for more than twenty-five years. [TG109]
- When the National Spiritual Assembly was formed two years later this property became its first endowment. [CBN No 15 September, 1950 p5] .
- 1947-00-01 — The purchase of the Beaulac site, Canada's first nationally owned summer and winter school site. This site would serve the community until the early 70's.(OBCC164, BNNov1947p10-11]
- 1948-08-07 — First Baha'i conference held at Franklin Camp. Georgian Bay, Ontario. See photo. [Worldwide Community of Bahá'u'lláh
- 1950-07-22 —
The Laurentian Bahá'í School was held at Beaulac. Speakers were Genevieve Coy and Kenneth Christian. [CBN No 13 May, 1950 p5; CBN 15 September 1950 p5-7]
- 1950-08-12 —
The Ontario Summer Conference was held at Franklin Camp with about 60 persons in attendance. The speaker was John Robarts who spoke on the Covenant and Elsie Austin of Washington DC whose topic was "The Divine Art of Living". [CBN No 14 July, 1950 p14; No 15 September 1950; CBN No19 April 1951 p14]
- 1950-08-20 — Bahiyyih and Harry Ford were the guest teachers at the Bahá'í Conference held in Banff and she spoke on the Covenant. Harry's talk dealt with teaching methods.
[CBN No 16 November 1950 p3-4]
- 1951-07-21 — Reginal King and Lowell Johnson were speakers at the Laurentian Summer School. [CBN No19 April 1951 p13]
- 1951-08-04 — The Ontario Summer School was held at the Blue Mountain Lodge. The weekly group numbered 37, with many visitors dropping in for a shorter period. Owing to a serious accident to his son, Mr. Curtis Kelsey was unable to be present as originally
planned, but Mrs. Margery McCormick, out of her great love for Canada, came directly from Louhellen to give a wonderful course on 'The Seven Valleys". "Administration" was the second major subject, co-ordinated by Lloyd Gardner, with various speakers. An added feature was introduced this year when Nancy Campbell gave three periods on "Platform Technique While Speaking in Public". [CBN No 19 April 1951 p13; CBN No 23 November 1951 p6]
- 1951-08-26 — The Prairie Regional Teaching Conference was held at the Holliday House in Banff. They continued to use this venue until 1967 when the summer school were held at what become to be the Sylvan Lake Baha'i Centre. [CBN No19 April 1951 p13]
- 1952-08-00 — The Ontario Bahá'í Summer School was held at the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood. [UC35]
- 1954-08-29 — A summer school was held at the Banff School of Fine Arts attracting 41 adults and 12 children. Speakers were Florence Mayberry, who spoke on "Spiritual Dynamics", Ron Nablo, Rex King, (who had just recently pioneered to Anchorage. [CBN No 58 November, 1954 p4]
- 1955-07-01 —
Ross Woodman presented at the
first Beaulac session, July 1-10, and Mr.
and Mrs. Curtis Kelsey and Mr. Ron
Nablo at the second, Aug. 7-14. The
themes for study were:
- Man's Relationship to God.
- Man's Relationship to Society.
- Society and Administration. [CBN No65 Jun 1955 p6]
- 1955-08-21 — The Summer School on the prairies was held at Valley Centre, Fort Qu'Appelle, SK.
[CBN No65 Jun 1955 p6]
- 1956-07-21 — The Laurentian Bahá'í School was held in two sessions, July 21-28 and July 28-August 5. The theme for the sessions was "The Development of The Individual". The teachers for the first session were Mrs. Audrey Westheuser,
Dr. Genevieve Coy, Mr. Allan Raynor and from July 28 - August 5, Miss Winnifred Harvey, Mrs. Ruth Moffett and Mr. Mehdi Firoozi. [CBN No74 Mar 1956 p4; CBN No 78 Jul 1956 p4]
- 1956-07-28 — The Laurentian Summer School was held in two sessions, 21-28 July and 28 July to the 5th of August. The presenters were: Dr Genevieve Coy spoke on "The Reality of Man", Mehdi Firoozi told stories on the Dawnbreakers and the Hands of the Cause, Ruth Moffet gave her course on the "Spiritual Crusade" and Winnifred Harvey took the theme "Tools of Living", Audrey Westheuser gave a course on Faith in Action and Allan Raynor on "Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant and our Relationship to It". [CBN No 81 October 1956 p2]
- 1956-08-00 — The Ontario Summer School was held during the long holiday weekends. The first two were held in Dundas and the last two in Forest. sessions. At Forest on Labour Day weekend Nancy Campbell spoke on "Meditation and the Law of Love" and Charles Grindley on "The Science of Teaching". [CBN No 81 October 1956 p2]
- 1956-09-02 —
The Western Canada Bahá'î Summer Conference was held at the School of Fine Arts in Banff. The course material dealt with Bahá'í Administration, The Covenant, and Living the Bahá'í Life. CBN No 78 July 1956 p4]
- Presenters were: Katherine Moscrop and Ted Anderson spoke on the Covenant and Bahá'í Administration. Joyce Noble and W R Maclean spoke on "Deepening the Spiritual Life". Katherine Hamilton and Joyce Noble gave a wonderful description of their pilgrimage to Haifa. [CBN No 81 October 1956 p5]
- 1957-08-01 —
The Laurentian Summer School was held at Beaulac. The presenters were Margery McCormick, Mehdi Firoozi and Stanwood Cobb. [CBN NO92 September 1957 p4; CBN No 93 Oct 1957 p3]
- It was described as the most successful Conference held at Beaulac with over 80 Bahá'ís and friends in attendance.
- 1957-08-25 —
Western Canada Summer Conference at the Banff School of Fine Arts. The syllabus included (1) "The Covenant and the Aims, Purposes and Processes of the Administrative Order" (Allan Raynor) (2) "The History of the Faith" (Ted Anderson and Hartwell Bowsfield) (3) "The Fundamental Spiritual Verities" (Florence Mayberry) and "The Bahá'í World Crusade" (Beatrice Ashton). [CBN No 88 May 1957 p3]
- About 84 Bahá'ís and their friends were in attendance. [CBN No 93 Oct 1957 p5]
- 1958-08-02 —
The Ontario Summer School Committee presented three courses at the YMCA Camp Kitchikewana at Geneva Park on Lake Couchiching. Audrey Westheuser presented "Sources of Hidden Power", Beatrice Ashton, "The World Crusade" and Winston Evans, a Bahá'í from Nashville, Tennessee, contributed, "Bahá'í Faith in a Christian World". He suggested that in teaching Christians that they not be considered as a homogeneous group but rather they should be approached with an appreciation of the tenants of eacch particular group. [CBN No 105 October 1958 p5, UC79]
- Winston Evans extended his teaching trip throughout Western Ontario to consult with the Promulgation Committee. Two new pamphlets were designed, "The Reality of the Return of Christ" and "Letters to Christians". He spoke at public meetings in Toronto , London, Ajax, Georgetown, Dundas, Forest and other communities. [CBN No 105 October 1958 p3; UC80]
- 1958-09-00 — The first Yukon Bahá'í Summer School was held at Jackson Lake, YT and was attended by a "handful" of people. The property had only one small cabin. In 1961 the conference attracted over 70 people from the Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia and Washington State. By 1964 the number of participants had increase to 100 and in 1967 to 135 with an average class attendance of 25 for the adult classes. [Native Conversion, Native Identity: An Oral History of the Bahá'í Faith among First Nations People in the Southern Central Yukon Territory, Canada by Carolyn Patterson Sawin p95]
- 1962-05-00 —
The Western Canada Bahá'í School was held at the Banff School of Fine Arts from August 12 – 19. It cost a dollar a day to register and room and meals cost $5.00 to $7.00 per day. Mrs. Betty Putters in Sherwood Park was in charge of registration. (May 1962. Summer Schools. U. S. Supplement. Baha'i News)
- 1963-08-11 — The Banff Summer School was held at the Banff School of Fine Arts. The theme was "The Advent of Divine Justice". [CBN No163 Aug 1963 p4]
- 1967-07-30 —
The Western Canada Bahá'í Summer School moved from Banff to the new Bahá'í-owned lakeside chalet Sylvan Lake, AB (100 miles north of Calgary). The was a large camping area, motels, and limited indoor sleeping accommodation. [CBN No 207 April 1967 p7]
- Mrs. Beatrice A. Rinde of California conducted a course, Bahá'í Laws from Universal House of Justice
- 1988-05-08 —
The passing of Beatrice Owen Ashton (b. 17 May, 1890, Cleveland). She was buried in the Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. [BW20p896-899]
- She graduated from Vassar College in 1911 and in 1918 she learned of the Faith in Urbana, IL from Dr Jacob and Anna Kunz after meeting some Bahá'ís who had been picnicking. (See BW16p520 for In Memoriam for Anna Kunz)
- In August of 1918 she married Frank Ashton at Green Acre. In post-war 1945, the National Spiritual Assembly appointed her as the international relief representative for Germany and the Philippines. During the summers from 1947 to 1953 she undertook teaching trips to Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In April of 1952 she went on pilgrimage and met the Guardian for the first time. [BN no262, December, 1952 p5-7]
- In addition to administrative tasks she worked on the production of Bahá'í World XIII and taught summer school classes at Green Acre, Louhelen and Geyserville as well as Beaulac, Banff and Toronto in Canada.
- She pioneered to Lethbridge, Alberta from 1958 to 1966 and taught the Faith on the Peigan Reserve (now Piikini First Nation). When the Bahá'ís of Lethbridge elected their first Local Spiritual Assembly she went back to European teaching and made four trips to Norway by 1970.
- From 1970 she served in Haifa in the Research Department, cataloging and indexing the Guardian's letters and correspondence but in 1972 she had to return to the US due to failing health.
- In her latter years she made an index for Citadel of Faith as well as for Messages to America and indexed the Writings of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh that Shoghi Effendi had translated.
- Find a grave.
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