The Manitoba Buddhist Church has its origins in the events surrounding the contentious evacuation of the Japanese-Canadians during WWII. Over 1,000 Japanese-Canadians arrived in Manitoba with the promise of keeping the families together, work and housing. These families endured many hardships including racial, religious and cultural persecution. At the end of the war their was some interest in removing Japanese-Canadians from Manitoba, but there were those who spoke out in their favor, including the Winnipeg Free Press.

In 1946 these Manitobans began to organize to build a church for moral, spiritual, social and cultural activities. In 1947 they held the first Buddhist religious event in Manitoba an obon, a very important yearly memorial service in the Shin Buddhist tradition usually held in July or August. A beautiful altar arrived in 1951 and by 1952 the church was up and running with a language school, a Sunday School and regular Sunday services. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1996.

The Buddhist Churches of Canada, with 16 groups in Canada (including in Manitoba),will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2005.