FOR ALL WHO celebrate the diversity of our community, the Jaffari Community Centre will celebrate its grand opening on Oct. 8.

The stunning facility, housing the largest mosque in Canada, isn’t visible from its location on Bathurst Street but is set back on a 28-acre property. And, unlike the original Jaffari Islamic Centre on Bayview Avenue, there is enough parking at the complex.

The Shia community of the Greater Toronto Area has grown and prospered over the past three decades. More than 5,000 members of the faith are served by the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat of Toronto.

The new Jaffari centre will allow the Jamaat to offer expanded religious, educational, youth and sports programs. It will also operate its own religious library, marriage bureau, media and public relations group, outreach services and a variety of specialized activities.

I’ve seen how the Jaffari slamic Centre on Bayview Avenue operates as an integral part of Thornhill, how it contributes to the quality of life of our residents — Muslim and non-Muslim alike —andhowithas become one of the most important mosques in Canada. I was proud to attend the centre’s inauguration and to see how the diversity of our community is its greatest strength.

As a cabinet minister and in my previous career as a journalist, I’ve had the chance to visit many countries around the world and meet people from all backgrounds and all faiths.

What I have found striking isn’t how people differ from one another but the myriad ways in which they are the same. We all want a better future for our children. We all want to be treated with respect and dignity. We all want our communities to be safe. And we all want the opportunity to learn, work and to build a better life for our families.