It is also a program that has attracted extensive community support through partnerships far beyond the parish. These include not only other parishes, but also diverse partners such as Durham Regional Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the United Church, the Baptist Church, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, The Gathering Place (a partnership of seven local churches) the Salvation Army and many individual donors.

What is the role of the Church in the Canadian economy?

One template is the Migrant Worker Ministry in Orono and its support of the agrifood sector. Administered by one of the smallest parishes in the diocese, this ministry demonstrates what faith-based programs can achieve beyond the four walls of a church building.

Every year, migrant farm workers come from around the world to support the physically demanding work of agriculture in Canada through the federal Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. These workers are essential to the success and stability of our national food infrastructure. Before the pandemic, more than 20,000 migrant workers worked on farms and in greenhouses in Ontario alone. The majority of these workers come from Mexico and Jamaica, with other source countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Nicaragua and Vietnam. In Clarington, workers arrive from Mexico and the Caribbean to spend at least 10 months working in agriculture and helping to feed Canadians.

The Rev. Augusto Núñez, incumbent of St. Saviour, Orono, provides Spanish-language religious services to the men. This ministry includes a weekly church service as well as regular pastoral visits to the men in their working and living environments. The Sunday service is held simultaneously with the regular English-speaking congregation, providing a growing opportunity for cultural exchange and friendship.

The Hub

The ministry also provides access to “The Hub,” the crown jewel of the ministry. The Hub is a free “store” located in the church basement. It provides clothing, non-perishable food, hygiene supplies, winter coats, hoodies, sweaters, boots and bicycles for transportation around the farms. The estimated retail value of the items in The Hub in 2026 is conservatively $30,000. This has been made possible through the development of partnerships with the wider community and fellow faith-based organizations. All items in The Hub are donated by a growing number of community organizations, individual donors, interfaith churches and the congregation of St. Saviour’s. The workers can access The Hub throughout the year, obtaining appropriate clothing and footwear as the seasons change from the cold of winter to the heat of summer.

Community dinners

The second major area of financial support comes through communal dinners. Throughout the year, four communal sit-down dinners are provided free of charge to the men. These occasions can accommodate more than 100 workers. Along with the food, musical entertainment is always very popular, with the workers enthusiastically participating in the Spanish-language entertainment. Many of the men have excellent voices and are never shy about providing solo performances. These dinners are hosted by community supporters and parishes, with the full cost of each dinner borne by the hosting parish. But this ministry is clearly more than one parish, one minister or one congregation. It is a community supporting migrant workers in their work to feed us all – and supporting their stewardship of God’s earth, which has a direct impact on Ontario and communities far beyond Orono.

Saying goodbye

José and Jesús are saying their goodbyes to the congregation at St. Saviour’s in Orono and packing their bags at the end of yet another 10-month season of farm work. “On behalf of the workers at Garden Farm – Cayetano, Carlos Felipe and José – we thank Father Augusto and everyone who provides us with annual donations, such as groceries, delicious meals, clothing, footwear and exchange vouchers. May God multiply these gifts and bless you always. Truly, thank you very much, Father.” – José at Garden Farm

“On behalf of all the Mexican workers at Pingle’s Farm Market, we extend our deepest gratitude to Father Augusto and all the volunteers at his parish for the selfless support they have provided us from the start of the season until its conclusion. Thank you very much, Father. May God always watch over and bless you.” – Jesús, Pingle’s Farm Market

Supporting Canada’s agricultural future

Today, Canadian society is highly dependent on migrant farm workers to maintain the agricultural sector, whether on farms, in fruit orchards or in greenhouses. A recently announced 10-year, $3.2 billion food security strategy highlights the Canadian government’s focus on developing and growing domestic food production, with plans to establish small food hubs and terminals for a more “home grown” distribution of produce across the country

The Anglican Church, along with other faith-based and agrifood-sector partners, can assist with this strategy. The success of Núñez and the partnerships he has developed demonstrate a potential model for how faith communities can contribute to this important work.

St. Saviour’s and the Migrant Worker Ministry wish to acknowledge the invaluable financial advice, support and encouragement provided throughout the year by all of our donors and partners, along with the Diocese of Toronto, FaithWorks, the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation and, in particular, the continued encouragement and support of Bishop Riscylla Shaw.

A final thank you

We conclude with a message from one of the workers in a thank-you letter received during the 2026 season:

“Anyone would party with you until dawn, but not just anyone would do so in a hospital. Anyone might eat with you at a restaurant, but not just anyone would sit on the street and share a meal with you. Anyone can be there during times of plenty, but not just anyone stands by you during times of scarcity. That is why today, with a heart full of gratitude, I want to thank the Migrant Worker Ministry and all the people who support us through their generous donations. Especially Father Augusto Núñez for the help he provides every Sunday through the Spanish-language services. He teaches us that we are not alone, that God is with us wherever we are, and that He gives us the strength to keep moving forward. I thank God for the incredible people He has placed on our path and for everyone who makes us feel truly blessed.” – Workers at Rekker’s Gardens Inc.

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The exhibit comes after the devastating fire that destroyed the church’s interior in 2024. The Rev. Hannah Johnston, priest-in-charge of St. Anne’s, describes Pimenta’s curation as striking a balance between the current state of the ruins, while highlighting the theology and worship that were the foundation of the church since 1907. Visitors had the opportunity to record reflections on the history of the church and their hopes for its future through the Telephone Booth, an installation by artist David Jensenius. Johnston worked with Jensenius to create prompts that incorporated lectionary readings for all four Sundays of the exhibit. “One of the things we heard from people the most was the importance of being able to come back into the space,” says Johnston. Over three weeks, more than 4,800 people visited the exhibit, among them a significant number of individuals and families with fond memories attending weddings and concerts at the church.

The outpouring of support from the local community continues to be a source of strength for the congregation as plans are considered for the future. Following the closing night of the exhibit on Sept. 13, Johnston reflected on the experience as being beyond anything she could have imagined. “Being able to talk about St. Anne’s, the church community and the fact that we’ve never stopped worshipping on the site. We were back the week after the fire and the congregation is thriving and growing.”

St. Anne’s continues to accept donations to support the ongoing ministry and mission of the church.

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Downstairs, the source becomes clear.

Young people and adults are moving around an aging church kitchen while frittatas bake and food accumulates on counters and serving tables. Coffee is brewing. Homemade scones, cakes and other delicacies appear on tiered plates and glass stands.

“We do perfume the neighbourhood,” says Penny Nutbrown, St. John’s children’s minister and one of the chief organizers behind much of the activity.

This is Emmaus Café day, a weekly pay-as-you-can lunch that has become one expression of a much wider network of community ministry at St. John’s. Soon after we shake hands, Nutbrown is quick to share the origin story, emphasizing that nobody sat down one day and designed the network. “I’m big into the organic process,” she says. “We never planned to do all of this.”

After retiring from teaching in 2020, Nutbrown helped establish the parish’s Spiritual Park and Community Garden the following year. Produce went to the food bank. Relationships grew. Community dinners returned. Then came Emmaus Café in 2023, inspired by a church café in England created in a village where older residents were losing many of the places where they once gathered socially.

In short, one ministry kept revealing the need for another. Nutbrown compares the process to Russian nesting dolls: open one and another is waiting inside.

At Emmaus Café, parishioners began hearing more about people whose housing was becoming precarious. Nutbrown says, “One older woman regularly came for companionship but never asked for anything and never took food home. Eventually, she quietly arrived with a small container. Her rent was increasing, she explained, and she was worried there might be days when there would not be enough money left for food.” St. John’s responded with a take-home freezer.

The parish keeps discovering its next ministry by paying attention to the people already in front of it – a habit that gives practical shape to St. John’s motto, “Learn, Love, Serve.” That pattern is especially visible among the young people moving confidently through the kitchen during my visit. Nutbrown, who spent the last decade of her teaching career in kindergarten, brings an educator’s instinct to the work: “You put everything out and then you let people discover what they’re going to discover.”

This is a place where children and youth are celebrated. A nearby wall of what Nutbrown calls “firsts” commemorates children and teenagers baking their first cake or pie, running a church coffee hour, helping at Repair Café Port Hope, working in the garden and taking responsibility for community events.

One young volunteer, Samantha, has been Nutbrown’s “right arm” since she was 10. Another teenager recently came into the kitchen after lunch and simply asked what needed doing. More scones were required. He had never made them before. Soon Nutbrown was shouting scone-making instructions across the kitchen while tending to the ailing dishwasher.

The Rev. Deb Chapman, a deacon who oversees much of the food preparation, describes the all-ages kitchen as “controlled chaos” – especially when the young volunteers arrive. “The kids get all excited,” she says, “and we’re happy to have them.” Chapman is a classically trained chef who worked in business before becoming a hospital chaplain, studying theology and eventually being ordained a deacon. Her professional and pastoral lives now meet naturally at St. John’s.

She has always loved food, she says, but equally important is what happens around it. “As a chef, it is all about making it as simple as possible and breaking it down,” she says. “We share and we learn from each other.” The fragrant frittatas being served today come from one of Chapman’s family recipes. So do the scones.

By lunchtime, I have stopped pretending I am there only to observe. One of the young volunteers takes my frittata order, and the scones and jam require very little persuasion.

The kitchen shows its age. The energy around it does not. Most appliances are domestic rather than commercial, and equipment has been donated and adapted over time. There is a strong contrast between ordinary surroundings and extraordinary care. “You don’t need brand new fancy cupboards and all of that,” Chapman says. The kitchen is inspected, functional and busy. St. John’s is a parish using what it has – and using it intensively.

Chapman, together with the Rev. Shane Watson, was ordained a deacon in 2023 after a parish-based discernment process. Watson is away during my visit, but his name comes up repeatedly throughout the day. Where Chapman leads much of the work in the kitchen, Watson builds relationships with people who are unhoused, living in motels or at risk of losing housing. His ministry ranges from food and hygiene support to the kind of practical accompaniment that might find him standing in a grocery store, phone in hand, making sure a family gets what it actually needs.

In the parish, their vocations are different but mutually generative, which the Rev. Canon Jesse Parker, St. John’s incumbent, explains is not accidental. “The church runs on the ministry of all the baptized,” he says as we try to find a quiet space to talk amid the hubbub in the hall. For Canon Parker, ordained ministry is not about concentrating responsibility in clergy. It is about helping people recognize and inhabit their own vocations.

His question to himself as a priest is often: “How am I helping – and not getting in the way of the Holy Spirit?”

Giving people space to explore helps explain why Nutbrown is called the children’s minister rather than simply the Sunday school teacher, why Chapman and Watson’s diaconal vocations were discerned through the parish, and why teenagers here are given meaningful responsibility rather than token jobs.

It also helps explain how a relatively modest parish sustains so much activity. “You get the right people in leadership with you, and you meet together regularly,” Canon Parker says. There is something appealingly unromantic about his answer. Canon Parker explains that those meetings begin with questions that are more pastoral than strategic: How are you? How is your family? Is what you are doing sustainable? “If it is not,” he says, “the next question is what can come off – or who else can help.”

St. John’s is not insulated from the pressures facing many churches. Canon Parker describes its finances as operating on “a bit of a shoestring budget.” The buildings are old. Utility and maintenance costs continue to rise. His response to the temptation to retreat is succinct. “We never grow by shrinking.”

The evidence is all around him.

On a Wednesday morning, a hall that might otherwise be empty is filled with people cooking, serving, eating, talking and volunteering. Some will never become regular Sunday worshippers. Canon Parker still considers them part of the parish. He worries that churches can become too congregational in their understanding of whom they exist to serve – reducing “parish” to the people visible in the pews. For him, the wider community matters too.

While Canon Parker and I talk about baptism, vocation and parish life, parishioners Peter and Janet Lang are quietly gathering food.

The Langs have been married for more than four decades. They came to Canada from South Africa; Peter later taught mathematics for 15 years at an Orthodox Jewish school, teaching grades 9 through 12. Both completed the Education for Ministry course through the Diocese of Toronto.

Their experiences in South Africa and after immigrating to Canada have helped shape their sensitivity toward people who find themselves excluded, underestimated or on the margins. Now they lead the Meals for Motel Residents ministry, the latest expression of love and service at St. John’s.

They know the people they visit by name. They don’t need a spreadsheet to track the day’s deliveries.

Prepared meals come out of the parish freezers, but Peter and Janet add food from Emmaus Café according to the kinds of things the people they serve might enjoy and what they can use.

After lunch, I climb into the back seat of their minivan and accompany them to Cobourg.

The food matters. But once the motel doors open, it becomes obvious that something else is happening too. People want to talk to them. They offer Peter and Janet updates. They explain what has happened since the last visit. They ask questions. At one stop, a woman has a small gift for Janet.

Despite having very little herself, she regularly finds little things she thinks Janet might enjoy – makeup, lotion, something picked up second-hand. Janet describes herself as “the most gifted person in the world.”

At another door, a resident (who preferred to remain anonymous) agrees to talk about what the visits mean to him. “They’ve been a real – I don’t even know how to say how much of a blessing they’ve been,” he says. Cooking facilities in his motel room are extremely limited, making prepared meals especially useful. Peter and Janet have also helped connect him with food bank resources, and they keep coming back.

By the time Peter and Janet drop me back at St. John’s around two o’clock, I am exhausted – and I have mostly just been watching. The lunch crowd is gone. The room is quieter. The commercial dishwasher has given up its ghost for the day, and a volunteer stands at the sink washing dishes by hand.

Nutbrown, who appears to possess a different number of hours in the day from everyone else, is already preparing for another planning commitment. One volunteer says she hopes to have a beer when she gets home. Another is making phone calls for an annual neighbourhood women’s lunch. It is important, she says, for the women to “keep spending time together and helping one another.”

There is nothing particularly grand about the closing scene. Just dishes. Phone calls. Leftovers. Plans for the next gathering.

Just ordinary humans finding extraordinary ways to learn, love, and serve.

Since 2021, and through the generosity of our members, the Anglican Foundation of Canada has awarded three grants to St. John the Evangelist, Port Hope totalling $10,000, supporting the parish’s Spiritual Park and Community Garden/Sustaining Sundays, Emmaus Café and Meals for Motel Residents.

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When Lucas Sadiwnyk and Suki Tattersall married at St. John the Baptist, Lakefield in May, they had an unusual request: could they bring two small trees into the church to help decorate the space for their big day? The result was a first for the historic parish: a wedding ceremony conducted between two Japanese lilacs, strewn with twinkling fairy lights.

The couple originally intended to plant the lilacs at their farm following the service, watching the trees grow alongside their marriage. They reconsidered after learning about the Anglican Church’s Communion Forest initiative.

A global initiative focused on forest protection, tree growing and ecosystem restoration, the Communion Forest facilitates grassroots conservation projects undertaken by Anglican parishes, dioceses and churches throughout the world. Many churches in the Diocese of Toronto have planted trees as part of the project, and Luke and Suki were happy to donate one of their wedding lilacs so St. John’s can add to their ranks.

The tree was planted, watered and mulched after Holy Communion on National Indigenous Day of Prayer on June 21. The timing wasn’t accidental. The Rev. John Runza chose that day to show solidarity with the Indigenous community, whose heritage and culture are deeply embedded with a respect for creation and the earth. Fortunately, it was a glorious summer morning – mild, sunny and perfect for planting.

Originally a beautiful symbol of marital love, St John’s cherished lilac tree now stands as a reminder of God’s love made manifest through creation and the importance of a harmonious union between nature and humanity.

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Participating in the celebration were Bishop Riscylla Shaw, the colour party from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 68, costumed interpreters from the Penetanguishene Museum, and costumed naval interpreters. (The Anglican parish of St. James-on-the-Lines was built for and by the soldiers stationed at the local garrison, which is now called Discovery Harbour.)

Bringing greetings on behalf of the province and the country were Adam Chambers, MP for Simcoe North, and the parents of Jill Dunlop, the local MPP.

Future anniversary plans involving the historic cemetery include the planting of a children’s memorial garden in remembrance of the boys of the Boys Reformatory of Upper Canada (the province’s first juvenile detention centre) and the many other children buried there. Children from Burkevale Protestant Separate School will also be participating in the No Stone Left Alone program, honouring and remembering Canada’s veterans. The program will conclude with placing white crosses made by clients of the Waypoint Mental Health Centre at the grave of every veteran in the historic cemetery.

Submitted by the Parish of Penetanguishene

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The Ven. Steven Mackison, incumbent of Redeemer, Bloor St., describes the mural as a “visible message to Torontonians of Indigenous art and culture that we believe will contribute to understanding and reconciliation. It is strong evidence of our parish’s vision to reach out to the world around us.”

On June 7, parishioners were joined by Ojibwe artist Donald Chretien for the mural’s dedication led by Archbishop Chris Harper, the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop and Presiding Elder of Sacred Circle. Chretien, a member of Nipissing First Nation, based the colourful mural on traditional bead work, devising a striking fusion with digital technology. The exterior placement of the 72 ft. long, 17-panel mural emphasizes connection to the earth and the beads that symbolize the church’s roots, Chretien explained. “The roots are the base of the tree of life from our ceremonies and reach to the sky.”

The mural is accompanied by plaques in English and Ojibwe that read, “We invite you to walk the path of beaded roots. They reach deep towards an ancient, buried creek. They spring from land lived upon by humans for 18,000 years; from the Huron-Wendat and the Petun and the Seneca to the Mississauga of the Credit River. These roots now rise to embrace the living church. What comes before nurtures what comes after. With stories. With healing wisdom. With hope.”

Stephen Allen, the dedicated leader of the church’s active Indigenous Solidarity Working Group (ISWG), shepherded the project to completion over many years. Reflecting on the culmination of this project, he said, “At this busy intersection of Bloor Street and Avenue Road, may this mural communicate our commitment to truth and reconciliation, and may this mural be a celebration of Indigenous art and culture.”

Dawn Lee, the design and project coordinator, highlighted the mural’s dynamic inspirations and the significance of Indigenous roots holding up a church. “The colours shift in ‘waves’ travelling along the wall to represent the four stages or ‘hills’ of life, the four seasons, the four cardinal directions of the compass and the four colours of the Medicine Wheel,” said Lee.

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“For a long time, I wanted to forefront an Indigenous, female presence within the interior of an Anglican Church. I have called this a Grandmothers Chapel,” writes Homer. “This hope has been manifested, and it is beautiful.”

Reconciliation looks at Christianity and the Indigenous spiritual traditions of the land called Canada and sees that they have been in contrast with, and at tragic odds with, each other. Christianity stems from the Abrahamic world view, in which the creator of all is assumed to have a special relationship with human beings. Contemporary Christianity also has roots in a European world that has been largely patriarchal and misogynistic. In contrast, Indigenous traditions place high value on women and the feminine as creative and life giving. In these traditions, the creator of all is seen to have equal and full relationships with all beings, human as well as plant and animal.

The upsetting history of the meeting of these two traditions is well known and does not need repeating here. The Grandmothers Chapel invites us to something different — to see the two traditions not as antagonists but as complementary, able to create wholeness within each of us and with our world, our oneness and equality with all God’s creation. The equality of Woman with Man.

In the Grandmothers Chapel we find three grandmothers, and among them a stained-glass vision of Mary as the Madonna of the Wheat that seems to have been waiting for them. Many scholars agree that this representation of Mary harkens to ancient portrayals of the sacred feminine. It is as if our Madonna of the Wheat has been waiting for her mother and grandmothers to come to her.

Grandmother Moon

Our Grandmother Moon is a feminine figure deeply associated with the waters. She creates the tides in the seas and oceans and within all women, who are connected with the waters. From the waters of the moon within women, all new human life emerges. Grandmother Moon is paradox, light in darkness or, in the case of an eclipse, darkness in light. Stillness and vibrant power at once.

In our painting of Grandmother Moon, we see the quiet power of her darkness, which still allows light. We see her in her waters, luminous and female, illuminating the waters with the colours of the night. We can feel great stillness and great power.

Grandmother Hannah

The painting of Grandmother Hannah (St. Anne) shows her holding the infant Miriam (Mary). St. Anne is honoured as the grandmother of Jesus of Nazareth.

Our St. Anne is surrounded by echoes of the luminous moon in the waters of the Grandmother Moon painting. This birth of a daughter is presented as emerging from the depths of creation. This is a story of long ago and far away, being repeated here on Turtle Island. Baby Mary is dressed in Mary’s traditional blue. Around mother and child we see a symbolic representation of all creation, the four directions, the four colours of the medicine wheel. Here, to suggest the power and protectiveness of life, the colours are represented as living flowers, drawn in the woodland Indian style.

Roses are said to be the flowers associated with both Mary and Anne, white and red. Here those colours are combined in a circle of wild roses, showing the natural capacity of our land to hold and honour holiness. The colour green is also associated with St. Anne. Here it is depicted as the living green of the Earth, sacred in itself. Surrounding all, a turquoise necklace, protection to the newborn and carrying the meaning of the connection between the sky and the waters.

Looking at this painting, we rest in the assurance that in the vastness of creation, we are always held.

Grandmother Spider

The third painting is of Grandmother Spider. Spiders always have something to tell us, with their beautiful, hopeful webs, spun with endless patience and perseverance. Grandmother Spider is a figure of incarnation and mystery. These words accompany her: Giving birth to the world, she lives within it.

Three swans fly at the centre of this painting. Grace, beauty and spiritual significance, messengers of faith, flying free within the web of life. Guides to self-awareness and transformation.

Submitted by Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale.

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Several of us responded to Irina’s call. None of us had experience teaching English as a second language, but we were game to support our new priest as she set about reconnecting St. Tim’s with the neighbourhood. There were those of us – I was one! – who wondered whether such an initiative could ever fly in a posh, two-income neighbourhood like North Toronto. Who did we know who needed to learn how to speak English?

At the first ESL session in June 2023, six volunteers showed up. To our surprise, so did six willing students. A single mother from Brazil teaching at university, a young man from Turkey, someone from India, someone else from Hong Kong… and all they wanted to do was talk in English so they could improve their speaking skills. The skeptics among us left that first get-together feeling that we were truly doing God’s work. Those six students were so grateful to be able to sit in our library with no fear of judgment or criticism, working their way through tough words like “enough” as we helped them as much as we could.

By the end of the first year, the leadership of the Rev. Carol Shih, our assistant curate, had grown the attendance to 10-20 students who arrived every Tuesday morning from all over the city. A real community had developed within St. Tim’s ESL program. Friendships were created as newcomers from all over the world found comfort in each other’s experiences. They went on weekend trips together around the city, they supported each other when interviews didn’t turn into jobs, and we all celebrated when someone arrived and said it was their final meeting because they had found a job. A reading group formed spontaneously and met for an hour every two weeks to discuss the English book they were all reading. A career mentoring group also met every two weeks, and we helped several newcomers find jobs to support their new lives in Canada.

Jonathan Kang took over from Carol after her departure in 2025. The ESL program continued to thrive during his time with us. The development of a greater degree of lay leadership was a hallmark of his guidance during the third year of the ESL program.

In April 2026 – three years after the ESL program was started – the wife of an Iranian couple who often attend our sessions asked if she could address the group. Farnoosh stood up and read this letter:

Dear volunteers,

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for everything you have done for us. Your kindness, patience, and dedication in teaching us English during this time have truly made a meaningful difference in our lives.

Because of your support, we have gained more confidence in speaking, improved our skills and feel more connected to the community. You didn’t just teach us a language – you opened new doors and gave us hope for a better future.

Even in the cold of winter, through snow and harsh weather, you came and continued to support us. This showed us your true commitment and kindness, and we will never forget it.

This week is Volunteer Week, and we would also like to congratulate you on being part of this meaningful and inspiring community.

We deeply appreciate the time and energy you shared with us. Your encouragement has inspired us to keep learning and growing. Thank you for your generosity and for believing in us.

With sincere appreciation,

Farnoosh Darooie

In the shadows of the photo from that day are the 150-200 other volunteers and participants who have passed through the St. Tim’s ESL program since 2023, including my late wife Sheila, to whom this program was so dear that we talked about it in the hospital up until the end. It’s good to recognize the number of lives – both students and volunteers – that we have touched so positively in such a short time. Not all of the volunteers are members of our congregation; several live in the neighbourhood, heard what we were doing and wanted to participate.

Several of the folks who first walked through our doors hoping to learn how to speak better English have themselves become parishioners and begun to volunteer in other parish initiatives: gardening, arranging altar flowers, running AV during services.

And finally, it’s important to acknowledge that Irina “stepped out in faith” when she suggested we do this three years ago, despite the misgivings some of us had. She knew we wanted to reconnect with those who needed what we had to give. She understood that if we were successful that we could change many lives for the better.

She was right: we have.

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Name tags affixed and coffee and music in hand, participants moved into their respective sections – soprano, alto, tenor and bass. In addition to Holy Trinity, Aurora (where choir camp director Mary Ridgely, ODT, is the director of music), the singers came from across the diocese, representing St. Christopher in Richmond Hill, St. Thomas, Huron Street, Church of the Transfiguration, St. James, Sharon, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Basil Roman Catholic Church, St. Olave’s and more.

The Toronto Diocesan Choir Camp ran for many years at Trafalgar Castle in Whitby as an overnight camp for youth. After the pandemic, Ms. Ridgely began offering intergenerational choir days to promote church choral music to a broader audience.

I wondered how we’d get through the thick packet of music by the end of the day. There was a Magnificat by Mary Catherine Rounsavall, the Howard Goodall arrangement of “The Lord is My Shepherd” (from The Vicar of Dibley), a Spiritual called “Ain’t That Good News” by Moses Hogan, as well as an Anglican chant psalm and two hymns. The plan was to sing everything in a service of thanksgiving at 4 p.m. The pressure was on.

Thankfully, vocal clinician Nicholas Nicholaidis was our expert guide for the day. He started with a thorough warm-up of our “instruments.” He explained how our voice resonates in our body and the process that is required when singing. “Our voice is the only instrument that changes from one day to the next,” he said. “So we need to understand the process for using it.”

Originally from South Africa, Mr. Nicholaidis sings with the Elora Festival Singers and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. With his calm yet infectious enthusiasm, we made it through to the end of the service. United by music, we were no longer strangers.

To inquire about hosting a choir day at your church, contact Mary Ridgely, ODT, at tdchoircamp@gmail.com.

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