Winnipeg Central Mosque - Winnipeg

Winnipeg Central Mosque (WCM) at 715 Ellice Avenue is a new addition to the urban life of Winnipeggers.

Located at the corner of Toronto Street and Ellice Avenue the mosque, or Muslim house of worship, was officially opened in October 2004. However the property itself was acquired in February 2004 and the Muslim community, under the leadership of local Muslim elder Dr. Mujibur Rahman and his family, renovated the building over the subsequent months, to make it suitable as a place for the Muslim community to gather and offer daily congregational prayers. The work was hard and required gutting the interior of the building, repainting and refurnishing. It was, however, well worth the effort. Today the mosque is open daily for prayers, and is attended by hundreds of Muslims in both the downtown and greater Winnipeg area.

The WCM serves as a religious centre for a multilingual, multicultural and multiethnic community of both recent and established immigrants, students and second, third and fourth generation Canadian Muslims. The WCM offers classes for all ages every Saturday on how to read the Quran (Islamic holy text which is in Arabic), religious learning circles, is open for community dinners and events and is developing a library, food bank and other community services to meet the spiritual needs of the Muslim community. The WCM is managed by a Council of dedicated volunteers. With community support and help we hope to contribute positively to the cultural and spiritual fabric of the urban community.

The concept of ‘community’ is integral to the lives of all Muslims, as is the importance Islam places on taking care of one’s neighbours. In this way, community development is something we as Muslims in Winnipeg feel very strongly about. Whether it is renovating the building, keeping the car park and pavements clean, having fundraising activities or inviting members of other faith communities to come to our mosque to learn, initiate dialogue, or break bread with us, WCM is proud to contribute to the health and diversity of the West End neighborhood.