Social Justice and Advocacy

People push large carts with supplies across Bloor Street West in downtown Toronto.

Carts connect with homeless

Along busy Bloor Street West and through the upscale streets of Yorkville, two industrial tool carts loaded with food and supplies are bringing hope and …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Unhoused people must not be swept away

“But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor …

A bin with containers of oatmeal sits on a metal cart.

Deepening poverty calls for advocacy

Over the past few months, 123 parishes in our diocese have passed this year’s social justice vestry motion, calling on the provincial government to double …

A sign that reads "Future site of highway 413" stands next to a field.

Diocese speaks out to protect Greenbelt

The Diocese of Toronto extends far beyond the urban metropolis, encompassing 26,000 sq. km. of south-central Ontario. Nearly half of Ontario’s Greenbelt falls within the …

A gloved hand holds a candle.

Our faith calls us to do what we can

As a diocese, our key social justice priorities include reducing poverty, working to end homelessness by creating affordable housing, and safeguarding the integrity of God’s …

A woman wearing a medical mask speaks into a microphone while a crowd looks on.

Jesus statue caged in protest

On a bright, cold December morning, more than 100 people – Anglicans and other clergy, parishioners, neighbours, supporters, representatives of the media and the local …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Open letter calls on city to take action

Christmas day. The number of unhoused people in Toronto is more than 9,700, and by the city’s own admission there is insufficient shelter space, much …

A line of folded paper houses

Church welcomes homeless seniors to neighbourhood

When Jamie Perttula learned that the City of Toronto was putting in a modular housing project for homeless seniors not far from the Church of …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Youth can show the way, says leader

A workshop at the Outreach and Advocacy Conference led by Shelagh McGlynn, youth animator for the Anglican Church of Canada, flipped on its head the …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Anglicans explore social justice issues

Nearly 100 Anglicans from across the diocese, as well as a few from as far as British Columbia, learned and shared ideas on how to …

Tents set up in front of a church

We must be at this sharp edge

There has probably never been a time in the last few decades that there has not been one or two people living in the yard …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Time to make social assistance a real lifeline

With inflation at the highest rates seen in decades, the cost of living is on everyone’s mind these days. There is probably no one in …

A bed of kale in a garden.

Why are so many people hungry?

Abundance is central to the gospel promise. God wants everyone to “have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The prophet Isaiah exhorts …

Three people stand holding a take-out meal.

Parish rallies around evicted residents

Over the summer, a west-end Toronto church joined its local community in supporting evicted residents of a nearby Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) complex. On May …

The Anglican

Parishes pass vestry motion to support workers

Last fall, the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy Committee, with the support of the College of Bishops, put forward a motion calling on the provincial …

A sign points the way to a polling place.

An opportunity to vote with our values

On June 2, Ontarians go to the polls to choose the next provincial government. As Canadians, the right to vote is an integral part of …

Photo of a number of arriving refugees

Observe Refugee Sunday and save lives

War. Environmental crisis. Famine. Injustice. Racism. Xenophobia. These are some of the factors that lead to human migration and cause individuals and families to seek …

The Anglican

Building a healthier, more resilient Ontario

This is a summary of “Putting Ontario on the Road to Recovery,” the provincial pre-budget submission from Bishop Asbil and the Social Justice & Advocacy …

A line of folded paper houses

Symposium looks at ‘homefulness’

The Sorrento Centre is an Anglican education and retreat centre located on Shuswap Lake in the central interior of British Columbia. The Rev. Michael Shapcott, …

Paper doll chain with various skin tones

Parishes respond to anti-racism vestry motion

Last November, the College of Bishops approved the Social Justice Vestry Motion “Committing Ourselves to Anti-Racism.” While in most years the Social Justice & Advocacy …

Bishop Asbil sits a table with microphones, with tents visible behind him

Bishop Asbil speaks out on housing crisis

On Nov. 18, in anticipation of National Housing Day, Bishop Andrew Asbil spoke to members of the media and others outside Holy Trinity, Trinity Square …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Conference affirms value of everyone

“No one is disposable” was the theme of the diocese’s outreach conference, held Oct. 24. The conference underscored that message by tackling the feeling of …

A statue of a panhandler representing Jesus in the snow.

Perhaps we can rise to this moment

Nights in Advent are dark and very long. In a drafty old church in Kensington Market, people sit below the dim stained glass, six feet …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Anglicans help most vulnerable

Anglicans continue to do good work to care and advocate for the most vulnerable at this critical time. While the COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered church …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Poverty maze builds empathy, dispels myths

The newly formed Uxbridge Poverty Coalition hosted a “Poverty Maze” last November to raise awareness of the realities of life below the poverty line in …

A pair of hands holds a mound of soil with a green sprout.

Vestry motion helps us care for creation

It’s time to get serious about creation care. From widespread fires in Australia and the Amazon to the flooding of Venice’s council chambers, the disrupting …

hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

Church to provide emergency shelter in York Region

Holy Trinity, Thornhill is taking seriously its commitment to stand in solidarity with those living in poverty. In a special meeting on Oct. 20, its …

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