His Highness the Aga Khan concludes inaugural visit to Western Canada, advancing partnerships for inclusive development

Vancouver, Canada, 27 July 2026 – His Highness the Aga Khan has concluded the Western Canada chapter of his inaugural official visit to Canada, reinforcing long-standing partnerships between Canada, the Ismaili Imamat and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), while celebrating new investments in affordable housing, healthy aging, community infrastructure and international development.

The visit to Alberta and British Columbia built upon commitments announced during His Highness' visit to Ottawa in March 2026, where he and Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a Joint Declaration reaffirming a shared commitment to collaboration in affordable housing, economic development, pluralism and international cooperation.

In Calgary, His Highness met with the Premier, the Honourable Danielle Smith, and senior members of the Alberta government to discuss areas of shared interest, including healthcare, housing, education and workforce development. The discussions reinforced the longstanding partnership between the Province of Alberta and the Ismaili Imamat, established through the 2012 Agreement of Cooperation, and highlighted initiatives including Generations Calgary and the Aga Khan Garden at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden.

Travelling with Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan, His Highness continued to Vancouver, where he joined federal, provincial and municipal leaders for Building Together: A Commemoration of New Projects in British Columbia, recognising progress on a growing portfolio of community-led housing and community infrastructure initiatives.

"Today we mark another important set of milestones in our shared journey of building a better world, here in Canada and across the globe," said His Highness.

The event celebrated progress on Generations Vancouver, Generations Tri-Cities, Generations Burnaby and the Burnaby Lake Multipurpose Centre (Pavilion). Together, these initiatives will expand affordable housing, healthy aging, recreation and community spaces while strengthening connections across generations.

"A home is where people feel secure, families establish roots, and children first learn what it means to belong," His Highness said.

During the event, His Highness witnessed the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding that advance commitments announced during his March visit.

The first, between Build Canada Homes and the Ismaili Council for Canada, establishes a framework to expand affordable, multigenerational housing across Canada through the Generations model, integrating housing with services such as long-term care, primary healthcare, early childhood development and community programming.

The second, between FinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), strengthens collaboration to advance sustainable and inclusive economic growth through investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture and financial services across Africa and Asia.

"The purpose of these agreements is practical: to help create homes, livelihoods, and new opportunities," His Highness noted.

The visit also provided an opportunity for His Highness to meet with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Anita Anand, and the Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, to discuss affordable housing, international development, regional security and continued implementation of the Joint Declaration.

Reflecting on Canada's role in an increasingly interconnected world, His Highness observed: "Canada represents the promise of what happens when we create space to lift one another up and when we seek to build an inclusive society."

Throughout the visit, governments, development partners and community leaders celebrated more than five decades of collaboration between Canada, the Ismaili Imamat and AKDN. Together, these partnerships continue to improve quality of life by advancing practical solutions in housing, health, education, economic development and community resilience.

"The partnerships that we build in service of humanity enable us to leave for future generations a legacy of hope, of opportunity and of promise," His Highness said.