The Rev. Canon Doug Richards, vicar of the cathedral and a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, has been an important part of bringing people together for these conversations. “For a long time, we were, as a group, meeting here about every three months, because it was this safe, neutral space,” noting that there are many different groups within the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, and so it is challenging to express their views on situations and issues.

Soon after Chief Eric Stubbs began his work as the new head of the OPS, the cathedral hosted a morning meeting between representatives of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and members of the OPS, including Chief Stubbs. “It was a really good day where the community got the chief’s ear for the morning,” recalls Richards. They met in the cathedral’s Great Hall, but the cathedral itself was open and available for participants if they felt stressed and wanted to take a break from the meeting. “We started the day actually with going into the cathedral and spending some quiet time in there with everybody….It’s just a beautiful sacred space,” he said. As vicar of the cathedral and someone who isn’t connected to any of the other groups in the room, Richards said he was in a good position to sum up the truths that were said during the meeting.

Such meetings and discussions are important because of a mistrust of police in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community going back to the history of police raids of gay bars and bath houses in the 1980s and in the decades before. And any negative encounter can contribute to mistrust in the present. “As soon as you come across a police officer who is, in the heat of the moment, is not respectful of an individual, then that compounds, that gets out into the community quicker than if a person has a wonderful relationship,” Richards said.

From his conversations with the chief, Richards says he has the sense that “he really wants to make the relationship between the community and the Ottawa Police Services better.”

Constable Amanda Williams plays an important part in that effort. In 2020, the OPS began a pilot project with the aim of building relationships and strengthening communications between the OPS and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. Williams, who is a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ herself, set out to get to know people. She asked to meet Richards for coffee and they have been meeting to talk regularly ever since. She has gotten to know many other leaders in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community in similar ways, and she helped gather leaders for the meeting at the cathedral.

Williams says she has been working to give all of the police services a human face. “It’s developing relationships with individuals and communities.”

Richards noted that now if there has been a problem, people in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ will call Williams to discuss the issue. “They phone up Amanda and they talk to her about what’s going on,” and she can contact the appropriate people in the department to get involved if necessary.

If a protest or event is planned, Williams can introduce the leaders of the group to officers that will be managing the crowds.

Getting to know Williams also helps people in the community who want to report an experience to the police. “I think folks now have a hard time distinguishing hate crimes versus hate incidents.” She explains that the criminal code is the only thing that police can use to identify a hate crime. “If the offence that occurred is not criminal in nature, it’s important that the police at least reach out and explain why something is an incident and allow the person reporting it to ask questions.” She adds that she encourages people to continue to report incidents, so that they are recorded. “We need to know those incidents because if they escalate into crimes, we are able to go back into the history to help the Crown attorneys and Attorney General to be able to decide whether hate crime charges are laid.” She added that charges can also be laid for hate-related crimes, such as mischief, property damage and assault.

When asked if the number of hate crimes is rising or if people are now reporting more, Williams says it is both. “Are hate crimes on the rise? Absolutely, you’re seeing Stats Canada providing these stats, but that means people are reporting.”

Williams adds that she tracks what’s going on in the community, locally and provincially. “And I sit on a national liaison board, so we get a better pulse of what’s going on.”

She mentions another important community outreach — the annual Human Rights Learning Forum. The event on Dec. 5, 2024, (St. Elias Banquet Centre, 750 Ridgewood Ave., Ottawa) will be the ninth year the OPS has organized and hosted the forum, which brings speakers and members of the community and the police service together to learn and discuss human rights issues.

Williams will be on leave in the coming year, but another officer will continue the outreach work with some support from Canon Richards. “It’s great work, and I see progress being made,” he says.

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In November 2023, Guild members attended an in-house workshop to study the process and to facilitate the remembrance of the connection between who we are within the greater body of Earth and our role in an ecosystem of healing. The workshop was led by Robin MacDonald a facilitator, who works within the realms of social justice, earth care, as well as spiritual and mental health.

In March, the Guild delved even deeper during two online book club sessions to explore Joanna Macy and Molly Brown’s book Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work that Reconnects, which describes the work of reconnecting, or deep ecology, “as a body of work and teachings to move from ecological apathy and grief to social healing and collective thriving.”

There is no doubt that the labyrinth can be helpful to provide a framework for working through difficult realities such as climate change. Walking the labyrinth provides time for a releasing, reflecting and gaining new perspectives. Macy and Brown’s book could be considered as a guidebook to do the spiritual work of reclaiming our humanity here on Planet Earth. It explores our relationship with the natural world, and indeed how we are part of the natural world. It also asks how one can work through apathy and hopelessness to a place of synergic power. The role of spirituality is explored in terms of our oneness with the Earth.

Joanna Macy calls upon her five decades of activism to share her experience for this work. Molly Brown’s family moved to Los Alamos shortly after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She reflects on the banality of evil and the assumptions of scientific and military culture.

The Work that Reconnects is presented as a spiral with four stages: 1) Gratitude; 2) Honoring our pain; 3) Seeing with new and ancient eyes; and 4) Going forth.  (see image, above right).

I appreciated the many examples of practices shared in the book which were unique ways to integrate the work in a practical way. For example, the practice of inviting representatives from different life forms such as a bird, a river, and a fish to speak as part of a ‘Council of Beings’ to humanity, brings a powerful message of interconnectedness.  This book is a rich resource which one could potentially use to engage with reconnection on an ongoing basis.

On May 11, 2024, the Labyrinth Guild is working with Robin MacDonald once again to host a public workshop entitled Stepping Forward for Earth. This retreat-style half-day workshop is designed to facilitate remembrance of the connection between who we are with the greater body of Earth and help clarify your role in an ecosystem of healing. Space is limited so register early.  More information can be found on the Christ Church Cathedral website’s listing of upcoming events:

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Dean Bretzlaff said that some members of the planning team helped with the 2007 conference, so they have the benefit of experience. 

“The theme is cathedral as meeting place,” she told Crosstalk. “Ottawa is from the Algonquin word adàwe, which means a safe place to trade, and so we are inviting them to come and bring their experiences, exchange stories and knowledge, and take home new connections and inspiration.” She added that the theme is also particularly apt because “we are meeting at the confluence of the Ottawa, the Rideau, and Gatineau Rivers, which feature on the cathedral crest and our new logo.”

The aim of the conference is to give deans from across North American the opportunity to network and get to know each other’s context, she said. “It’s very unique every year wherever you are.” 

Last year’s conference was hosted by the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., so Bretzlaff offered to host, with the idea that it would be good to go from one national capital to another. The conferences, however, will be very different in character and atmosphere. The conference in Washington was very political with many high-profile speakers, and the days were packed with events, the dean said, recalling that one of the days was a full 14 hours with no breaks. 

The team is aiming for a more relaxed atmosphere and structure this year.

Those who attended the Ottawa conference in 2007 visited the Governor General’s residence and Parliament, so Bretzlaff said this year’s conference won’t repeat those stops, but there is time built into the schedule for the guests to visit some sites of their own choosing. 

This year’s conference will begin on Thursday with registration of the expected 80 to 100 deans and partners, and an orientation for new deans, followed by evensong, at which Bishop Shane Parker will speak. “Since he was a dean for so long, he has lots of wisdom to share,” Bretzlaff said. “Albert Dumont, the Algonquin teacher in residence at our cathedral and advisor to our bishop, will offer an official welcome to the land at a dinner hosted by the bishop that evening,” she added. 

Friday will begin with morning worship for those who wish to attend. Cathedral parishioner Julia Thompson, who is an executive coach and has worked extensively in reconciliation and anti-racism, will speak. Then the deans will learn about this cathedral’s context and that of the diocese.

In the afternoon, the deans will be bused to the RCMP stables to watch a practice for the renowned musical ride and tour the stables. That will be followed by a bus tour of the National Capital Region.

The day will be capped off with dinner and a kitchen party featuring the band Cécilia, one of North America’s best fiddle acts with Celtic and Quebecois influences.

Saturday morning will again feature worship and then National Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper will speak to the deans about the creation of the self-determining Indigenous church within the Anglican Church of Canada and other Indigenous concerns. Two of the deans who work closely with Indigenous communities will offer their experience as well.

After the annual meeting and group picture, the Canadian deans will meet over lunch. There may be time for special interest groups to meet before the deans are free to explore Ottawa that afternoon and evening. 

The conference will end with a full choral Eucharist on Sunday morning. “It’s going to be beautiful, with full choirs and amazing floral arrangements” said Bretzlaff. The Dean of Coventry Cathedral in England, the Very Reverend John Witcombe, is coming to the conference, and he will preach on Sunday morning. Coventry Cathedral is home to the Community of the Cross of Nails, a global network of about 260 churches including Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa, dedicated to the work of peacebuilding and reconciliation. 

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Introducing the new symbol in her sermon on Nov. 26, Dean Beth Bretzlaff spoke about how the name of that feast day, the Reign of Christ, has changed over the years with the tides of history.

“An effective brand acts both as a mirror reflecting us to ourselves and as a window offering a transparency to others to see us. And just as our words and names of feasts evolve and change over time, so is a brand meant to evolve and change over time,” she said. “So, as we begin a new church year this Advent, our Cathedral Council has heartily endorsed a new way to tell the story of this vibrant and diverse community that glorifies God and welcomes all people.”

Directing everyone’s attention to the new logo on their order of service, she pointed to some familiar themes from the Cathedral’s West Window, heraldic crest and the diocesan brand and logo. “The circle is composed of blue wavy lines which represent the confluence of the Ottawa, Gatineau, and Rideau rivers. The fuchsia central lines represent our episcopal foundation and nature,” the dean explained. “The open space at the center creates a welcoming hub in the shape of a Celtic cross. The red lines reaching out show our cathedral’s ministry to society beyond our walls.”

The dean also introduced the new logo in the Cathedral’s newsletter Ex Cathedra in the traditional annual Church Mice story. Not unlike diverse parishioners, each of the four church mice expressed different responses to logo and opinions of it, as you can read in these brief excerpts:

Mr. Lecternmouse said he liked “the bits facing outward as it looks like us reaching out. And all my non-church friends will like it as it is modern and open.”

Ms. Bishopmouse was concerned that she did not see the heraldic crest and asked, “Are we getting rid of it?” with some acidity. ”Of course not,” replied the dean. “It remains our crest and will be used, especially for formal occasions like a state funeral or on official documents.”

Mr. Deanmouse noted that the Celtic cross is formed by the negative space. “It has the feel of a pathway or labyrinth.”

Ms. Bishopmouse was still wrestling with a lot of mixed feelings about it, but finally said, ‘Well, the straight central lines reflect our foundation, and you say that the colour is episcopal. So I can live with it,” she pronounced.

“Excellent, we begin a new year with a new image….” said the dean.

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Traditionally, the training and formation of new organists from a young age—essential for the long-term viability of our musical tradition—was something we could take for granted. That’s no longer the case. And so, before we can contemplate recruiting and training university organ majors, there is urgent work to do introducing young people to the instrument in the first place.

Earlier this past summer, Professor Demers approached me with the idea of offering a course of introductory organ lessons, free of charge, to one or two young piano students. This barrier-free approach has in the past paved the way for new players to encounter and embrace the pipe organ. It’s something the Royal Canadian College of Organists has been working on for many years, but what’s new is the close collaboration between our Cathedral, the College’s national office and McGill University to enrich the experience, share resources and broaden the reach of each institution.

With the support of Dean Beth Bretzlaff, funding was secured from both an anonymous local donor and the College for a pilot class of two students: Shireen Kwok and Eva Liu. They are now receiving weekly lessons with me at the Cathedral and attended McGill’s Organ Discovery Day last month, exploring the cultural riches and religious heritage of Montreal. We can look forward to hearing Shireen and Eva play at services in the coming months.

A central pillar of the music ministry of our Cathedral and key to its reputation is our outreach to youth—our girls and boys choirs are the largest youth group in the diocese.  In recent years, we have increasingly shared their music, by visiting and supporting local worship throughout the diocese with our choristers, at massed-choir evensongs and hymn sings. The launch of this new initiative alongside national partners not only broadens the scope and profile of our Cathedral youth ministry, it also lays the groundwork for future leaders in the sacred arts to emerge and for excellence in sacred music to be a continuing feature of our diocesan life and worship.

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The old Christ Church, first built at the western limits of Bytown back in 1832, and continuously expanded to seat more people as the city grew, had now become an embarrassment to the young capital. The Hand-Book to the Parliamentary and Departmental Buildings just four years earlier had gone so far as to declare, “Ottawa is somewhat behind in Ecclesiastical Architecture,” and in a deliberate swipe at Christ Church, opined, “from some cause or other there is no English Episcopal Church worthy of the place, nor any present prospect of so desirable an addition to Ottawa’s Ecclesiastical Buildings.”

So Arnoldi must have been alternately pleased with this commission to build a landmark new church, yet at the same time frustrated by the phrasing that it be “in conformity with recent improvements.” He had already proven himself with the design of Saint-Alban-the-Martyr in Sandy Hill. What an architect wants to do is produce a design that will stand out, not one that is in conformity with the work of others. Even if that other was his own mentor, Thomas Fuller.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Despite the best efforts of the parish building committee, most of Arnoldi’s crafty design passed muster. Although they pared down his chancel to one quarter the size he proposed, sixty years later the larger structure was finally built, albeit to a less robust design. Although they managed to cut down the size of the west window to half the size he envisioned, he framed it with a Gothic arch and drip mouldings on the outer wall against the day that a larger aperture might be desired.

Conformity? It could be seen in the same hue of Nepean sandstone used in the parliament buildings. Conformity? It was apparent outside in the sloping sill of the west window, borrowed directly from the tower of the East Block of the parliament buildings. Conformity? It was evident in the buttresses and finials that were appropriated from the design proposed for the parliamentary library whose walls would soon start rising. Conformity? It could not be missed in the daring slender columns inside the new Christ Church that were copied directly from those in the House of Commons designed by Arnoldi’s mentor, Thomas Fuller.

But clever King Arnoldi made sure that Christ Church stood out as a distinctive building. The tall broach spire made sure of that, reaching higher into the skyline of the capital than that on any other church in the city. Perhaps the single feature that caused the large new church to stand out were the step gables on the front and rear gables and above the chancel arch. The latter two would disappear when the 1872 chancel was torn down in 1932, but the front step gable remains a defining feature on the Ottawa landscape, despite recent intrusions on either side.

We can only regret that Arnoldi’s plans on paper did not survive. By the time the Diocesan Archives was created 72 years later, the plans had disappeared. By contrast, plans for the 1958 Cathedral Hall, seen here, are preserved in the Cathedral collection at the Archives.

If you would like to help the Archives preserve the records of the Diocese and its parishes, why not become a Friend of the Archives? Your $20 membership brings you three issues of the lively, informative Newsletter, and you will receive a tax receipt for further donations above that amount.

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