If you’ve searched for a place to pray, celebrate a wedding, or find funeral services in Ottawa’s West End, chances are you’ve come across Jami Omar. This mosque and community centre in Bells Corners has grown from a small bungalow into one of the largest Islamic facilities in the National Capital Region, and it’s become a genuine hub for Muslim life in the city. This guide walks through everything you need to know about Jami Omar, from its history to its prayer times to the programs that keep the community connected.
What Is Jami Omar?
Jami Omar is a Sunni mosque and community centre located at 3990 Old Richmond Road in Ottawa’s Bells Corners neighbourhood. Also known as Masjid Jami Omar, the facility serves thousands of Muslim families across Ottawa’s West End with daily prayers, religious education, and social services. It’s run by the Jamiatul Muslemeen of Ottawa-Carleton (JMOC), a federally registered non-profit charity, which means it operates on donations, volunteer effort, and community involvement rather than any outside funding source.
Unlike a small neighbourhood musallah, Jami Omar functions more like a full community campus. Alongside the main prayer hall, the site includes a gymnasium, fitness centre, banquet hall, and space set aside for a future library. That combination of worship space and recreational facilities is part of what sets Jami Omar mosque apart from many other prayer spaces in the region.
The History Behind Jami Omar
The story of Jami Omar goes back to the late 1980s, when a group of Muslim families in Ottawa’s West End began exploring whether the growing community needed its own dedicated place of worship. At the time, most West End Muslims had to travel considerable distances to reach a mosque, and organizers wanted something closer to home for Bells Corners, Nepean, and the surrounding suburbs.
That effort led to the founding of Jami Omar in 1992, when the mosque opened inside a renovated 2,000-square-foot bungalow on the Old Richmond Road property. It was a modest start, but the congregation grew quickly, and within a decade the original building could no longer keep up with demand.
Construction on a much larger mosque began on the same site in 2003. Over roughly fifteen years, the project expanded into a facility of about 50,000 square feet, a scale that reflects how much Ottawa’s Muslim population has grown in the West End since the mosque first opened its doors. Today, Jami Omar stands as one of the largest Sunni mosques in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, and its long construction timeline is a testament to a community that built its own institution piece by piece, largely through local fundraising.
Where Jami Omar Is Located
Jami Omar sits at 3990 Old Richmond Road, in the Bells Corners area of Ottawa (some directories still list the older Nepean designation, since Bells Corners was part of the former City of Nepean before amalgamation). The location is easy to reach from Kanata, Barrhaven, and central Ottawa via Highway 417 or Richmond Road.
A quick note for anyone driving in for the first time: parking on surrounding private property is not permitted. Visitors are asked to use the designated lot at D.A. Moodie School or other approved parking areas nearby, especially during busy periods like Jumuah or Eid prayers when the site draws large crowds.
Prayer Times and Daily Worship
Like most mosques, Jami Omar’s five daily prayer (salah) times shift slightly throughout the year based on the sun’s position, and the mosque publishes updated iqama times on its website so worshippers always know exactly when congregational prayer begins. Jumuah (Friday) prayer is one of the busiest times of the week, with the mosque typically running two Jumuah sessions to accommodate the size of the congregation, a practical response to how much the community has grown since Jami Omar was first built.
Beyond the five daily prayers, Jami Omar hosts:
- Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan
- Eid prayers for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
- Regular Islamic study circles and lecture series open to the wider community
Because prayer times change with the seasons, it’s always worth checking the mosque’s official iqama schedule rather than relying on a fixed time from memory.
Services Offered at Jami Omar
What makes Jami Omar mosque more than just a prayer space is the range of practical services it provides to Ottawa’s Muslim community. These include:
- Funeral services — Guidance and support for families upon the death of a Muslim community member, including ritual washing (ghusl), burial preparation, and janazah prayer coordination.
- Marriage services (Nikah) — Officiants available to perform Islamic marriage ceremonies for couples in the community.
- Family counselling — Support for families navigating personal or relationship challenges, grounded in an Islamic framework.
- Zakat and Sadaqa collection — A structured way for community members to fulfill their obligatory charity (zakat) and give voluntary charity (sadaqa), with funds redirected to those in need locally and internationally.
- Scholarship programs — Jami Omar runs an annual scholarship program supporting students in the community, typically opening applications in the summer months.
- Humanitarian aid campaigns — Periodic fundraising drives for causes affecting Muslim communities abroad.
This mix of religious, social, and charitable services is a big reason Jami Omar functions as a genuine community anchor rather than simply a building people visit to pray.
Facilities at Jami Omar Mosque
Because of its size, Jami Omar mosque offers amenities that smaller masjids in Ottawa typically can’t match:
| Facility | What It Offers |
|---|---|
| Main prayer hall | Large congregational worship space with separate areas for men and women |
| Gymnasium | Used for youth sports, community events, and recreation nights |
| Fitness centre | Separate, dedicated facilities |
| Banquet hall | Rented out for weddings, community dinners, and celebrations |
| Library (in progress) | Planned resource space for religious and educational materials |
The gymnasium in particular has become a popular gathering point for younger members of the congregation. Jami Omar runs scheduled gym nights for boys and girls separately, giving youth a supervised, faith-friendly space to stay active and socialize outside of school.
Programs and Community Life
Jami Omar’s programming goes well beyond prayer. The mosque regularly runs youth-focused initiatives, including gym time reserved specifically for boys and girls on different days, plus seasonal programs like summer lecture series and Islamic study sessions aimed at strengthening faith among younger attendees. It’s not unusual to see the mosque hosting first aid and CPR certification courses, seasonal bazaars, and an annual community barbecue that draws families from across the West End.
The mosque also communicates actively with its congregation through a WhatsApp community group, a YouTube channel for streamed lectures and khutbahs, and a monthly newsletter, small touches that make it easier for busy families to stay connected without needing to check the website every day.
How Jami Omar Compares to Other Mosques in Ottawa
Ottawa is home to several mosques, including Assalam Mosque, Bilal Masjid, and the South Nepean Muslim Community centre, along with a handful of Shia mosques such as the Ottawa Ismaili Mosque and the Islamic Shia Ithna-asheri Association. Jami Omar stands out among these largely because of its scale and its West End location, which makes it the natural gathering point for Muslim families in Bells Corners, Nepean, and Kanata who might otherwise face a long drive downtown or to the east end.
If you’re comparing options, the right mosque for you often comes down to proximity, denomination, and the specific services you need, whether that’s a wedding venue, funeral support, or simply a nearby place for daily prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jami Omar
Is Jami Omar a Sunni or Shia mosque? Jami Omar is a Sunni mosque, serving the Sunni Muslim community in Ottawa’s West End.
Where exactly is Jami Omar located? Jami Omar mosque is located at 3990 Old Richmond Road in the Bells Corners area of Ottawa, Ontario.
Does Jami Omar offer funeral and burial services? Yes. Jami Omar provides funeral services for the community, including support around ghusl, burial arrangements, and janazah prayers.
Can non-members use the gym or banquet hall at Jami Omar? The banquet hall is available for community rentals, including weddings and celebrations, while gym access is generally organized around scheduled community programs. It’s best to contact the mosque directly for current rental terms and availability.
How can I find current prayer times at Jami Omar? The mosque publishes updated iqama times for Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha, along with Jumuah times, directly on its official website, since these times shift throughout the year.
How can I donate to Jami Omar? Jami Omar accepts donations online through its website as well as by e-transfer, supporting both regular mosque operations and periodic humanitarian aid campaigns.
Final Thoughts
Jami Omar has grown from a converted bungalow in 1992 into a 50,000-square-foot mosque and community centre that anchors Muslim life across Ottawa’s West End. Between its prayer services, funeral and marriage support, youth programs, and fitness facilities, Masjid Jami Omar offers far more than a place to pray — it’s a genuine community hub built by and for the families it serves. Whether you’re new to the area, planning a visit for Jumuah, or looking for community support during a difficult time, Jami Omar mosque is worth reaching out to directly for current hours, services, and event details.
If you’re in Ottawa’s West End and haven’t yet visited, consider stopping by for a Friday prayer or checking the mosque’s website for upcoming events, it’s one of the easiest ways to connect with a community that’s spent more than three decades building something lasting.
