On July 27, 2016, SSIO Canada was invited by John Tory, the Mayor of Toronto, to participate in the Toronto Area Interfaith Council (TAIC). TAIC is an organization of faith groups, dedicated to affirming the importance of ethics, spirituality, and faith in daily life and for the promotion of understanding, harmony, respect, and acceptance among the faith communities of Toronto.

Through beautiful video presentations, the growth and contributions of the city’s major places of worship left the participants with hope and a renewed sense of purpose to continue to work in unity to build a strong spiritual community. In his speech, the Mayor commended the wonderful work of the council and stressed the importance of Unity in Diversity. A notable outcome of this experience was an invitation for SSIO Canada to work alongside TAIC and the Toronto City Council to host the next Parliament of the World’s Religions in October 2018.