The Rev. Canon Aigah Attagutsiak, who grew up in Arctic Bay (Ikpiarjuk), is the associate incumbent in the parish of St. Margaret, Vanier, which has an Inuit congregation as well as a non-Inuit congregation. She conducts services, offers sermons and pastoral care in Inuktitut in the parish and beyond.

Aided by simultaneous translation in Inuktitut, much of the discussion centred on how much the need for care and services there is in the Inuit community beyond the parish, needs that far exceed what one priest and current volunteers can provide, and how Anglicans in the rest of the diocese may learn from Inuit how to act in solidarity with them for the changes they want to see.

There are thousands of Inuit living in Ottawa and the surrounding region, the gathering heard. They travel or move to the south for a variety of reasons – to access specialized health care not available in the north and sometimes to accompany a family member for medical treatment, for educational and job opportunities, better housing and a lower cost of living. Some are only in Ottawa temporarily, others move to the city permanently.

Whatever brings them to the city, Canon Attagutsiak said it is common for those arriving to feel lost in a big city and culture very different from their own. They may be unaware of services and Inuit organizations that can help them navigate this new experience.

Bishop Parker noted in his remarks that because of the Anglican Church’s historical relationship to the Inuit in the north, many Inuit may look to the church for pastoral care, community, and support in Ottawa. Canon Attagutsiak said that St. Margaret’s Inuit congregation can be a source of comfort and cultural connection.

“It’s so wonderful to be hearing the sermons in Inuktitut,” St. Margaret’s parishioner Jukeepa Hainnu said.

Perspective

The post Gathering supports Inuit ministry appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The café will continue to provide a safe and supportive daytime drop-in space for unhoused individuals and those at risk of homelessness Monday to Saturday. Guests will be able to access seating, relief from the weather, activities, programs, washrooms and food.

Niagara Anglican

The post Cathedral Café helps homeless appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The pool at the Diocese of Fredericton’s camp was built in 1968, some say out of fear that the construction of the Mactaquac Dam upstream would impact the river as far down as Upper Gagetown. The river was the only swimming option at the camp at the time.

That river impact didn’t happen, but the camp got a pool with an expected lifespan of 30 years. That was 56 years ago.

“The cement is deteriorating,” said camp director John Galbraith, adding the six- or seven-inch thick walls are much thinner these days, the deck is wearing away, it is unheated and has accessibility issues, and there are holes in the pool wall.

“It was a great pool for its day,” he said. “But we want to be open to more user groups.”

What he has in mind, and what has been approved, is a pool that would serve both the camp and the community, since there is no public pool in the region.

The design looks nothing like a traditional pool. It allows for a “beach” style, barrier-free entry for those with mobility issues. It has no lip around the edge. It would include a shallow pool plus a 25-metre lap pool that would allow for swim teams and synchronized swimming. It would also have full bathroom and changing facilities. The design is three pools in one.

It would be built at the entrance to the camp so that public access would be limited to that area.

“This is all so that we create opportunities, not limit them,” he said, adding the pool could be in use by 2026 if all goes well with fundraising.

Tagging along on the project is a new maintenance facility. The current building is just a shed. The new one would have a repair shop, storage for camp programs and equipment, and plenty of space. Together, the projects total $2.8 million –  $2.45 million for the pool, and $350,000 for the maintenance building.

New Brunswick Anglican

The post Camp needs new pool appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The executive team determines the conference’s theme each year, workshop presenters, the conference’s schedule and some programming. This year’s conference will take place on Nov. 2 at St. John, York Mills and will include more than a dozen workshops. The gathering will be sponsored by the church along with the Diocese of Toronto, Blessing for Children’s Ministry and Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec.

The ecumenical conference was first held in 2011 at St. John’s under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Catherine Keating and a group of lay people and clergy in the diocese. It was run for several years by Wycliffe College and is now hosted by Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec.

The post Priest joins conference’s leadership team appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The Anglican Church’s national office has been located at 80 Hayden St. in Toronto since 2004. The move to the new office space is expected to take place in 2026.

The new development, located in Toronto’s Annex-University of Toronto neighbourhood, will include a refurbished Bloor Street United Church, office, community, commercial and worship spaces. The floor plans, drafted with input from all three denominations, provide for a more efficient and flexible use of physical space for the new offices. The three denominations’ archives will move to the new national office building and will share space. Meeting and video production spaces will also be shared.

“The possibility of better ecumenical collaboration in this space will allow us to make more effective use of our financial and human resources,” said the Ven. Alan Perry, the General Secretary. “Being so close to good public transit allows for easy access for visitors to our offices and means we will have less impact on the environment.”

The post National churches to share office space appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Event advocates for Grassy Narrows appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Celebration kicks off Season of Creation appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Emancipation Day plaque unveiled appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Season presents slate of workshops appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

The post Print that! appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.