What binds together Louis Riel's former secretary, a railroad inventor, a Montreal comedienne, an early proponent of Canada's juvenile system and a prominent Canadian architect? Socialists, suffragists, musicians, artists--from 1898 to 1948, these and some 550 other individual Canadian Bah?''s helped create a movement described as the second most widespread religion in the world.

Using diaries, memoirs, official reports, private correspondence, newspapers, archives and interviews, Will C. van den Hoonaard has created the first historical account of Bah?''s in Canada. In addition,...