The Buddhist Association of Canada was founded in 1968 by Ven. Lok To, Ven. Sing Hung and Ven. Shing Cheung, a year after they came to Canada for the World Expo in 1967.

Cham Shan Temple of Canada was founded in 1973. Its present location was donated by the lay devotees Deqing He and Xueming Zhang He, both disciples of Master Tan Xu. It was named Cham Shan Temple in memory of the Cham Shan Temple established by the Dharma Master Tan Xu at Qingdao in China. The couple thereafter invited three of Ven. Tan Xu's ordained monks from Hong Kong, Ven. Sing Hung, Ven. Shing Cheung and Ven. Lok To, to be the pioneering abbots to the temple in Canada.

The three Buddhist monks undertook the vows bequeathed by Master Tan Xu to house the monastics and propagate Buddhism to benefit all beings. Two years later, in 1975, with the concerted efforts of the Sangha and the laity, the residential house was converted to a Buddhist main worship hall. Cham Shan Temple then found its footing to reach out to the public and became one of the first Buddhist institutions featuring traditional Chinese architecture in a Western country. It provided a sanctuary for the Chinese-Canadian community to learn Buddhism and cultivate towards enlightenment.

In 1984 and 1994, two additional congregation halls known as Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) Hall and Dizang (Ksitigarbha) Hall were constructed respectively. The Entrance Gate and the Tan Xu Memorial Shrine were also built. Since 1998 until present, the neighbouring houses adjacent to Cham Shan Temple were subsequently purchased and the properties were converted to become the Wisdom (Prajna) Shrine and Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) Pavilion. The total land area now stands approximately over four acres. In the years that followed, various congregation buildings within Ontario province were also subsequently established. They are: Hong Fa Temple, Cham Shan Buddhist Learning Centre, Fah Hoy Temple, Cham Shan Chan Temple, Cham Shan Buddhist Library, Ten Thousand Buddhas Sarira Stupa, Ci En Temple, etc. Scheduled events and services including dharma talks, meditation, chanting and repentance services, Sunday school, library service and many more are provided at all the above locations to propagate Buddhism.

Cham Shan Temple stands out as one of the earliest Buddhist organizations to spread Mahayana (Great Vehicle) Buddhism in Toronto. Over the years, it has become an important place of worship for devotees in Toronto. On special festive occasions such as Chinese New Year, thousands of visitors come to the temple to offer homage to the Buddha and to attend services for peace and blessings.

Cham Shan Temple continues to expand to meet the growing demands of the congregation. In 2003, the three Elder Masters ceremoniously handed the torch of Tiantai Dharma Lineage to Ven. Dayi Shi, a postgraduate of the City University of New York, USA to succeed as the 46th Patriarch of Tiantai Sect and Abbot of Cham Shan Temple.

Ven. Dayi Shi has been diligently promoting the principle of “Living with Wisdom”. He regularly delivers Dharma discourses through three radio programs in Canada, consistently practices meditation, and is actively involved in charity events. Under his leadership, Cham Shan Temple and its affiliations take the initiative in three aspects:

1. Establish and develop an education centre to promote Chinese culture and propagate Buddhist virtues of loving-kindness and compassion.

2. Uphold monastic standards, nurture monks and nuns in the promulgation of Buddhism.

3. Construct the Four Great Sacred Buddhist Gardens in Canada to provide amiable places for cultivation, to purify the mind and bring about social harmony.

Ven. Dayi Shi pledges to carry on the vows of the Elder Masters in leading both the monastery and the congregation of Cham Shan Temple into a new era in developing the Four Great Sacred Buddhist Gardens in Canada (The land covers 1,300 acres). This remarkable development is a major project, which will go down in history providing benefits to numerous generations of future truth-seekers. This project, when completed, will become a historical milestone in the growth of Buddhism in North America. It also serves to promote multiculturalism in Canada by bringing Chinese culture to a Western society.

Today, Cham Shan Temple and its affiliated locations organize various activities, which include regular classes and services, meditation retreats, mantra and sutra reading, Buddhist palliative care, library service, etc. Please check individual location for opening hours, schedules and activities.