We sincerely hope that your visit to Bethel has been a
rewarding one. No doubt it has helped you to become
better acquainted with the work that Jehovah’s Witnesses
are doing to aid people in their search for a better future
through God’s Kingdom. May your visit with us be an encouragement to you in your efforts to learn more about
our loving Creator and to live by his righteous standards.
V ISITING H OURS
Visitors are welcome to take a guided tour of our facilities during regular working hours, Monday through Friday,
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO THE
CANADA
BRANCH OFFICE OF
JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Canada branch
office of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We hope your visit will
be a pleasant one. Our complex of buildings is called
Bethel, meaning “House of God.” This Biblical name is
fitting, for the men and women who live and serve
here are ordained ministers. They are dedicated to Jehovah God and devote themselves full-time to supporting the work of Kingdom preaching.
In over 230 lands, more than seven million Witnesses of Jehovah are carrying out the commission that
Jesus gave his followers—to preach the good news
of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) To organize this work, there are nearly 100 branch offices
worldwide—all serving under the direction of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This branch office,
in Georgetown, Ontario, supports the ministry of the
more than 100,000 Witnesses of Jehovah in Canada.
All Bethel family members are furnished with room
and board and a small monthly allowance to assist with
their personal expenses. They can truly be called a
s
˘ 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
Printed in U.S.A.
All rights reserved.
fo -E Ca
family because of their unity in serving their heavenly
Father, Jehovah God. As a family, they work together,
enjoy their meals together, and study the Bible together.
H ISTORY
The first branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada was established in 1918, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In
1920 the office was moved to Toronto, Ontario. At first,
it was at 270 Dundas Street West. In 1923 it was relocated to 40 Irwin Avenue. Then in 1956 it was moved
to 150 Bridgeland Avenue. Since June 1981 the Canada
branch office has been in Georgetown, Ontario.
We sincerely hope that your visit to Bethel has been a
rewarding one. No doubt it has helped you to become
better acquainted with the work that Jehovah’s Witnesses
are doing to aid people in their search for a better future
through God’s Kingdom. May your visit with us be an encouragement to you in your efforts to learn more about
our loving Creator and to live by his righteous standards.
V ISITING H OURS
Visitors are welcome to take a guided tour of our facilities during regular working hours, Monday through Friday,
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO THE
CANADA
BRANCH OFFICE OF
JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Canada branch
office of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We hope your visit will
be a pleasant one. Our complex of buildings is called
Bethel, meaning “House of God.” This Biblical name is
fitting, for the men and women who live and serve
here are ordained ministers. They are dedicated to Jehovah God and devote themselves full-time to supporting the work of Kingdom preaching.
In over 230 lands, more than seven million Witnesses of Jehovah are carrying out the commission that
Jesus gave his followers—to preach the good news
of God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) To organize this work, there are nearly 100 branch offices
worldwide—all serving under the direction of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This branch office,
in Georgetown, Ontario, supports the ministry of the
more than 100,000 Witnesses of Jehovah in Canada.
All Bethel family members are furnished with room
and board and a small monthly allowance to assist with
their personal expenses. They can truly be called a
s
˘ 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
Printed in U.S.A.
All rights reserved.
fo -E Ca
family because of their unity in serving their heavenly
Father, Jehovah God. As a family, they work together,
enjoy their meals together, and study the Bible together.
H ISTORY
The first branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada was established in 1918, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In
1920 the office was moved to Toronto, Ontario. At first,
it was at 270 Dundas Street West. In 1923 it was relocated to 40 Irwin Avenue. Then in 1956 it was moved
to 150 Bridgeland Avenue. Since June 1981 the Canada
branch office has been in Georgetown, Ontario.
BETHEL FAMILY
SPIRITUAL
PROGRAMS
BETHEL HOME
Two large residence buildings and six smaller residences house the Bethel family. A library and pleasant
family lounges provide fine locations for research, study,
and relaxation.
Some members of the Bethel family serve in the kitchen preparing nutritious meals for the entire family to enjoy in the spacious dining room. Other members do
cleaning, housekeeping, and laundry. These assignments
contribute to the family’s high standard of cleanliness.
Each workday morning, members of the Bethel family
come together at the breakfast table to consider a Bible
text using the booklet Examining the Scriptures Daily. A
chairman presides over this 15-minute discussion, and
family members are assigned to comment on the text.
On Wednesday mornings an audio-visual connection enables the Canada Bethel family to benefit from the morning worship program of the United States Bethel family.
Following the consideration of the text, the family is led
in prayer, and breakfast is served.
New arrivals attend the Bethel Entrants’ School and read
the entire Bible during their first year. Each Bethel family
member makes time for personal Bible study.
On Monday evenings, the entire Bethel family gathers
to study the Bible with the help of The Watchtower. At
times, there are special programs after the Watchtower
Study. The Bible discussions each workday morning and
on Monday evenings are an important part of Bethel
life.
Bethel family members also have a personal share in
Kingdom preaching. They attend various nearby congregations, where many of them serve as elders and ministerial servants.
M AINTENANCE AND T ECHNICAL S UPPORT
Much effort is involved in caring for our buildings and
equipment. Capable brothers and sisters serve as electricians, mechanics, carpenters, and painters. Others
maintain refrigeration, ventilation, and electronic equipment. In addition, the Computer Department provides
technical support for the computer systems used at
Bethel.
OFFICES
B RANCH COMMITTEE
Closely following the direction of the Governing Body of
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Branch Committee takes the lead
in organizing the preaching and teaching work in Canada.
PRINTERY
P RINTING AND D ISTRIBUTION
The printery and warehouse cover more than 17,000
square meters of floor space. Here the Watchtower and
Awake! magazines, among the most widely distributed
journals in the world, are printed in more than 30 languages, including English, French, and Spanish. On average, the printery produces over 5,000,000 magazines per
week, over 250,000,000 per year. This represents approximately one quarter of all the Watchtower and Awake!
magazines printed worldwide. Our Kingdom Ministry,
brochures, forms, and tracts are also printed here in a variety of languages.
After exiting the printing press, two continuous streams
of folded magazines are fed into two pairs of trimming
machines. Now ready for shipment, the magazines are
stacked and counted by two machines programmed to
bundle each congregation’s order according to the amount
requested.
P RINTING
PACKAGING AND D ISTRIBUTION
The magazines are packaged together with the other
items requested by each congregation. These usually include copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines in
any of more than 190 language editions, many of which
are received from other printing branches. Also enclosed
in each congregation’s package are copies of Our Kingdom
Ministry, as well as recordings on audio discs that are supplied by a commercial manufacturer. Packages containing these various items are delivered to congregations
throughout Canada, the Caribbean, and the United States.
Some packages go to branches in other parts of the world.
Shipments are dispatched using our own trucks, using commercial carriers, or using ocean or air freight, depending
on which is the most economical and timely method for
each destination. Humanitarian aid is also dispatched from
the Canada branch when an emergency need arises.
The press prints on a continuous supply of paper unspooled from a large roll. An automatic splicer performs
paper-roll changes without slowing the press, which
prints, glues, folds, and cuts magazines at a rate of 100,000 per hour, or approximately 28 per second. Most
functions of the press, including color adjustments and
folding, are electronically monitored and controlled from
the operator’s console.
P RODUCTION E QUIPMENT M AINTENANCE
The machinery used in the printery requires maintenance
by qualified mechanics and electricians. These brothers
identify problems, make repairs, and perform regular preventive maintenance to keep interruptions of production
to a minimum. They also give attention to improving the
efficiency of equipment.
P REPRESS
Before printing can start, artwork and composed text
are combined to form a set of electronic files. Then this
information is inscribed by laser onto metal plates. Plates
are made for each of the four ink colors used: magenta,
cyan, yellow, and black.
S ERVICE D EPARTMENT
Brothers handle correspondence from traveling overseers, elders, and others. In addition, this department
keeps records of congregation territories and compiles reports of field service activity. It schedules circuit assemblies and special assembly days. Theocratic schools, such
as the Bible School for Single Brothers, the Bible School for
Christian Couples, and the School for Congregation Elders,
are arranged. This department also coordinates the efforts
of Jehovah’s Witnesses to preach in areas of Canada’s vast
territory that are not assigned to congregations.
The Convention Desk arranges for the annual district
conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It selects venues, assigns speakers, and informs congregations of where they
will attend.
The Kingdom Hall Desk provides direction for Regional
Building Committees, which support Kingdom Hall construction in Canada. A number of standard building designs
have been prepared to make Kingdom Hall construction
economical and efficient.
Recommendation for translation work being presented
to the Branch Committee
H OSPITAL I NFORMATION S ERVICES
This office provides Hospital Liaison Committees in Canada with the latest information on bloodless medical procedures. In turn, the congregation elders serving on these
committees make this information available to doctors
who are willing to treat their Witness patients without the
use of blood.
W RITING D ESK
Canada is one of more than a dozen branches around
the world that submit articles for publication in our magazines. This desk also handles correspondence about Bible
questions.
L EGAL D EPARTMENT
This department provides assistance when it becomes
necessary to defend the public ministry or beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses.—Philippians 1:7.
T RANSLATION D EPARTMENT
Our branch cares for translation into several Native languages spoken in Canada and in the northern part of the
United States. These languages, spoken by some 200,000
people, include Algonquin, Blackfoot, Inuktitut, Mohawk,
Montagnais, Northern Ojibwe, Odawa, Omushkego Cree,
Plains Cree, West Swampy Cree, and Woods Cree. Our
branch also cares for translation
into Quebec Sign Language.
OFFICES
B RANCH COMMITTEE
Closely following the direction of the Governing Body of
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Branch Committee takes the lead
in organizing the preaching and teaching work in Canada.
PRINTERY
P RINTING AND D ISTRIBUTION
The printery and warehouse cover more than 17,000
square meters of floor space. Here the Watchtower and
Awake! magazines, among the most widely distributed
journals in the world, are printed in more than 30 languages, including English, French, and Spanish. On average, the printery produces over 5,000,000 magazines per
week, over 250,000,000 per year. This represents approximately one quarter of all the Watchtower and Awake!
magazines printed worldwide. Our Kingdom Ministry,
brochures, forms, and tracts are also printed here in a variety of languages.
After exiting the printing press, two continuous streams
of folded magazines are fed into two pairs of trimming
machines. Now ready for shipment, the magazines are
stacked and counted by two machines programmed to
bundle each congregation’s order according to the amount
requested.
P RINTING
PACKAGING AND D ISTRIBUTION
The magazines are packaged together with the other
items requested by each congregation. These usually include copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines in
any of more than 190 language editions, many of which
are received from other printing branches. Also enclosed
in each congregation’s package are copies of Our Kingdom
Ministry, as well as recordings on audio discs that are supplied by a commercial manufacturer. Packages containing these various items are delivered to congregations
throughout Canada, the Caribbean, and the United States.
Some packages go to branches in other parts of the world.
Shipments are dispatched using our own trucks, using commercial carriers, or using ocean or air freight, depending
on which is the most economical and timely method for
each destination. Humanitarian aid is also dispatched from
the Canada branch when an emergency need arises.
The press prints on a continuous supply of paper unspooled from a large roll. An automatic splicer performs
paper-roll changes without slowing the press, which
prints, glues, folds, and cuts magazines at a rate of 100,000 per hour, or approximately 28 per second. Most
functions of the press, including color adjustments and
folding, are electronically monitored and controlled from
the operator’s console.
P RODUCTION E QUIPMENT M AINTENANCE
The machinery used in the printery requires maintenance
by qualified mechanics and electricians. These brothers
identify problems, make repairs, and perform regular preventive maintenance to keep interruptions of production
to a minimum. They also give attention to improving the
efficiency of equipment.
P REPRESS
Before printing can start, artwork and composed text
are combined to form a set of electronic files. Then this
information is inscribed by laser onto metal plates. Plates
are made for each of the four ink colors used: magenta,
cyan, yellow, and black.
S ERVICE D EPARTMENT
Brothers handle correspondence from traveling overseers, elders, and others. In addition, this department
keeps records of congregation territories and compiles reports of field service activity. It schedules circuit assemblies and special assembly days. Theocratic schools, such
as the Bible School for Single Brothers, the Bible School for
Christian Couples, and the School for Congregation Elders,
are arranged. This department also coordinates the efforts
of Jehovah’s Witnesses to preach in areas of Canada’s vast
territory that are not assigned to congregations.
The Convention Desk arranges for the annual district
conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It selects venues, assigns speakers, and informs congregations of where they
will attend.
The Kingdom Hall Desk provides direction for Regional
Building Committees, which support Kingdom Hall construction in Canada. A number of standard building designs
have been prepared to make Kingdom Hall construction
economical and efficient.
Recommendation for translation work being presented
to the Branch Committee
H OSPITAL I NFORMATION S ERVICES
This office provides Hospital Liaison Committees in Canada with the latest information on bloodless medical procedures. In turn, the congregation elders serving on these
committees make this information available to doctors
who are willing to treat their Witness patients without the
use of blood.
W RITING D ESK
Canada is one of more than a dozen branches around
the world that submit articles for publication in our magazines. This desk also handles correspondence about Bible
questions.
L EGAL D EPARTMENT
This department provides assistance when it becomes
necessary to defend the public ministry or beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses.—Philippians 1:7.
T RANSLATION D EPARTMENT
Our branch cares for translation into several Native languages spoken in Canada and in the northern part of the
United States. These languages, spoken by some 200,000
people, include Algonquin, Blackfoot, Inuktitut, Mohawk,
Montagnais, Northern Ojibwe, Odawa, Omushkego Cree,
Plains Cree, West Swampy Cree, and Woods Cree. Our
branch also cares for translation
into Quebec Sign Language.