September and October are a busy months for Social Justice and Advocacy at the Diocese of Toronto!

1. Season of Creation 2026: Resources and Events
2. Register for Diocesan Outreach Conference on October 17, 2026
3. Prepare to vote in the Municipal Election on Oct. 26, 2026
4. Climate Conversations Matter webinar (Sept. 9)
5. Call for Federal Action on Homelessness – CAEH Campaign & webinar
6. A Prophetic Voice: An Evening with Maggie Helwig (Sept. 15)
7. Justice for Grassy Narrows: Justice like a River (Sept. 16) and River Run (Sept. 23)
8. Barrie Housing Symposium (Sept. 17)
9. Rally and March for Migrant Justice (Sept. 20)
10. Bible Remixed Course (Sept 20 – Oct. 25)
11. AURA Walk N’Roll (Sept. 26-27)
12. Orange Shirt Day Resources

1. Season of Creation 2026 Resources and Events: The global Season of Creation (Sept. 1 – Oct. 4) is a time for Christians around the world to join in prayer and action for God’s creation. This year’s theme, “Living Water,” draws on Ezekiel 47:1-12, and also dovetails You can find Season of Creation resources from our Diocesan Bishop’s Committee on Creation Care at www.toronto.anglican.ca/creationcare

The Anglican Church of Canada has adopted the Feast of the Creator as a Major Feast within the liturgical calendar, to be celebrated on September 1 or another Sunday within the Season of Creation. A liturgical text for trial use can be found here.

The ecumenical coalition For the Love of Creation is hosting two events:

• Join in prayer with Christians from across Canada on the World Day of Prayer for Creation, Tues. Sept. 1 at 12:00 noon. Register here.
• “Living Water: Renewal, Reciprocity, Responsibility” is a webinar to be held on Weds. September 9 at 12:00 noon. This webinar will examine how protecting water as a shared gift and common responsibility can deepen our understanding of reciprocity, strengthen our commitment to the common good, and contribute to the healing and flourishing of all creation. Register here.

The Parish of Craighurst and Midhurst is hosting the following events, open to all:

• Hiking Church on Sat. Sept. 5 and Sat. October 6, starting at 10 a.m.
• Celebrating the Feast of the Creator on Sunday, Sept. 6 (9:30 at St. Paul’s Midhurst, 11:00 at St. John’s Craighurst)
• Watershed Mapping Workshop at St. Paul’s Midhurst on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. – noon

Contact the Rev. Andrew Kuhl for more details.

2. Register for Diocesan Outreach Conference (October 17, 2026): Our Diocesan Outreach Conference, “The Church as a Catalyst for Liberation,” will take place online on Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 9:30 – 3:00. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Dean Detloff, Research and Advocacy Officer for Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, as our keynote speaker. Dean is also a sessional faculty member at the Institute for Christian Studies and co-author, with Matt Bernico, of “Enough is Enough: Degrowth, Capitalism and Liberation Theology.”

We are modifying our format this year to allow for an extended time of discussion and networking to follow the keynote address. In the afternoon, we will offer a choice of four workshops on ways in which the church here in the Diocese of Toronto can be a catalyst for liberation. Registration for this free event will open on our Diocesan website after Labour Day. Please plan to join us!

3. Prepare to vote in the Municipal Election: Municipalities across Ontario are going to the polls on Monday, October 26, 2026. This is an excellent opportunity for

conversations with your neighbours and prospective candidates about how we can create caring and inclusive communities. We have prepared a non-partisan information resource, with questions to ask of prospective candidates, to aid your discernment as you prepare to vote on October 26. It is available on our Diocesan website here.

• A Toronto mayoral debate on affordability issues, sponsored by Daily Bread Food Bank, will be held on Mon. Sept. 14 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at 191 New Toronto St. Learn more, register for in-person attendance (the event will also be live-streamed) and submit questions here.
• A Mississauga mayoral debate will be co-hosted by the Mississauga Food Bank and Metamorphosis Network on Thurs. Oct. 1 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at 4544 Eastgate Parkway. Register here for in-person attendance or to get the live stream link.

Watch for similar events happening in your community!

4. Climate Conversations Matter: Webinar with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Sept. 9 Seniors for Climate is hosting Dr. Katharine Hayhoe for a free webinar on Weds. Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m., on the topic of engaging more Canadians in the climate conversation. Learn more and register here.

5. Call for Federal Action on Housing and Homelessness: Housing and homelessness have reached crisis levels across the country, with overall homelessness having doubled since 2018. The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) is calling for the federal government to take bold action in the 2026 Budget, including renewing the National Housing Strategy with a focus on improving housing outcomes and reducing homelessness, negotiating a Canada Housing Accord between federal and provincial/territorial governments, and investing in supportive and bridge housing through the Build Canada Homes program. Read more and send a message to your MP here. You can also join CAEH for a webinar on their policy asks on Tues. Sept. 15 at 1 p.m.: register here.

6. A Prophetic Voice: An evening with the Rev. Maggie Helwig (Sept. 15): The interfaith coalition Crisis in Our City will host a public conversation with the Rev. Canon Maggie Helwig on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Carrot Common Green Roof, 348 Danforth Ave, Toronto. The event will focus on encampments, unsheltered homelessness, shelter and housing policy, and the need for responses rooted in dignity and community. Register here for this free in-person event.

7. Justice for Grassy Narrows The Northwestern Ontario First Nation of Grassy Narrows has suffered from the physical, economic and social effects of mercury contamination for over fifty years, yet their community remains at risk of increased contamination from industrial, logging, and mining activity. Members of Grassy Narrows will be travelling the 1700 km to Toronto this month to demand that the provincial and federal governments compensate the community fairly for the mercury crisis, end pollution from the Dryden mill and mining and nuclear waste plans that threaten their community, and support them in restoring their community and way of life.

• On Weds. Sept. 16 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. join the Rev. Leigh Kern and Elin Goulden in person or online for Justice Like A River, an opportunity to learn more about Grassy Narrows and prepare signs and banners for the following week’s River Run march and rally. We will meet in person at the Synod Office, 135 Adelaide St. E., with a Zoom link for those wishing to attend virtually. Register here.
• On Weds. Sept. 23 at noon, join people from across Ontario and members of Grassy Narrows for the River Run march from Grange Park to Queen’s Park in solidarity with Grassy Narrows and their demands for fair compensation and an end to pollution and exploitation. Register here on the Free Grassy site. Busses to the rally are being organized from communities outside Toronto: click on the links to reserve a spot on the Barrie/Orillia bus or the Peterborough bus. Join Bishop Andrew Asbil and Anglicans from across our Diocese in marching together – meet us at 11:30 a.m. at St. George the Martyr to gather and pray before the march begins! Contact the Rev. Leigh Kern or Elin Goulden to let us know you’re coming.

These events in solidarity with Grassy Narrows provide an opportunity for us to engage with both the Season of Creation theme of Living Water and on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, both of which are in focus this month.

8. Barrie Housing Symposium (Sept. 17): A “Symposium on Housing: Responding in our Community with Compassion and Hope” will be held at St. Mary’s Church, 65 Amelia St., Barrie ON on Thurs. Sept. 17 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Come and hear information about housing initiatives, resources in our community, the complexity of needs and practical ways to be involved in changing how we respond to the lack of housing. No registration is required; all are welcome.

9. Rally and March for Migrant Justice (Sept. 20) Migrants in Canada do essential work: growing food, caring for children and elders, building homes, and keeping communities running. Yet as the affordability crisis grows, migrants are increasingly being scapegoated and subjected to restrictions, exclusion, and deportation. Blaming migrants does not lower rents, raise wages, or fix healthcare. This fall, the federal government will be deciding the future of immigration. Before Parliament returns, join the Rally and March for Migrant Justice on Sunday Sept. 20 beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Christie Pits Park, 750 Bloor St. W., Toronto.

10. Bible Remixed Course, Sept. 20-Oct. 25: What if the tensions we experience between the God of the Hebrew Bible and the message of Jesus are rooted in a tragic misreading of the story of the Creator God? Join Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat for the online course “Love Goes All the Way Down: Discover the Old Testament God,” Sunday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., September 20 – October 25. Costs are pay-what-you-can. Find more information and register here.

11. AURA Walk N’ Roll Fundraiser (Sept. 26-27): Walk ‘N Roll is an annual fundraiser to help refugees find freedom in Canada. This fall, the Anglican United Refugee Alliance (AURA) invites parish groups, families, neighbours, sponsors, former refugees and other AURA supporters to host small local events on the weekend of Sept. 26-27 – walks, rides, book clubs, garden tours and more – to raise funds and awareness for AURA’s work supporting refugee sponsorships. Visit the Walk ‘N Roll website to learn more, sign up and/or donate!

12. Orange Shirt Day Resources: For many Indigenous families, September can be a painful time, recalling memories of family separation, abduction and legally enforced attendance at Indian Residential School or Indian Day School. Many children did not survive; others did, but with traumatic experiences that left a devastating legacy for them and their families. Each year on a Sunday close to September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day) parishes are invited to mark the occasion in solidarity and prayerful memory. Our Right Relations Coordinator, the Rev. Leigh Kern, has prepared preaching and teaching resources for Orange Shirt Day and an action toolkit to animate the 94 Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in your community. You can also learn more on the Truth and Reconciliation page of our Diocesan website.

For more information about social justice activities across the diocese, to be added to the distribution list for this newsletter, or to share information on events happening across our Diocese, please contact me at the email address listed below. If you would like to receive more frequent updates on our activities, consider liking and following our Facebook page.

In faithful witness,

Elin Goulden

Social Justice and Advocacy Consultant, Diocese of Toronto

egoulden@toronto.anglican.ca

Social Justice and Advocacy Website: www.toronto.anglican.ca/sjac