Thrangu Monastery, Canada’s first traditional Tibetan Buddhist monastery, was officially opened in Richmond, British Columbia, on July 25, 2010 by the Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, the worldwide leader of Thrangu Monasteries. A spokesperson said: "The central Buddha is flanked by 35 smaller Buddhas of confession and 1,000 medicine Buddhas that offer protection from illness and danger. There are 8 retreat rooms at the monastery, where practitioners can engage in short and long term retreats, a library with texts in a number of languages, and a room for visiting teachers.