As part of our Black History Month celebrations, St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church in Ottawa welcomed the London Trio Plus Ensemble to perform a concert in our sanctuary. In the afternoon of Feb. 8, we were blessed by the powerful vocals and beautiful harmonies of this group as they shared spirituals and gospel songs.

The original three London sisters who formed the group, The London Trio, added family members and friends to create the “Plus.” It was a truly special afternoon where the audience swayed and clapped in time to the music. We were also invited to stand and join in singing ‘Lift Every Voice’ and ‘Siyahamba (We Are Marching)’.

Other ways of marking Black History Month included guest speakers and a book study on Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley which will continue through Lent. We are grateful to the Black History Month Committee led by Dr. Joy Mighty for planning this, and the many other events we held throughout the month of February. — The Rev. Maria Nightingale

(Thanks to the Rev. Maria Nightingale for sharing these great photos!)

St. John the Evangelist: Drumming, singing, dancing and joy

On Feb. 15, St. John the Evangelist in downtown Ottawa hosted a Black History Celebration. The church was filled with drumming, singing, dancing and joy. Special thanks to Petr Maur for sharing these wonderful photos.

The Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer shared a view of the celebration in the weekly parish newsletter, thanking all the talented guests and people who brought the celebration together:

• Batimbo Percussion Drums! They love to be booked for events!
• Singers and Dancers: Valentine, Giselle, Cynthia, Ciella, Francine
• Our organizers: Deborah Nasasira, Clementine Mahirwe, Nick Busch

St. Mark’s: Food for thought, fun and fellowship

St. Mark’s has rich traditions for observing Black History Month, including inviting inspiring guests to speak at Sunday worship services. This year’s speakers — Sophia Chiboka, Rawlson King and Yolanda Parsons — shared reflections on the theme: “Honouring the Past, Empowering the Present, Inspiring the Future.” Parishioners and guests also celebrate by gathering for a fabulous potluck lunch that features flavours from African and Caribbean cultures. The Rev. Mary-Cate Garden celebrated her first Black History Month as incumbent of St. Mark’s and helped cut the cake (see photo gallery.)

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A dedicated group of parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle is preparing for our annual February celebration of Black History Month. Following the national BHM 2026 theme of Resistance, our theme is Faith as Resistance.

Guest speakers at Sunday services, and enhanced fellowship time following our 10 am service featuring refreshments from various African and Caribbean countries, are planned. (see details in poster below)

As well, a Lenten book study will start during Black History Month, beginning Feb. 4, 2026 on Zoom on Wednesdays at 7 pm and run until March 18. A special in-person session is planned for Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.  We will be reading and reflecting on Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley. We are asking for a free will offering to cover the cost of these hard-cover books (suggested $30).

This year, we are excited to present a concert at St. Thomas on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 3 pm featuring the London Trio Plus Gospel Singers. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and children. Tickets can be obtained by emailing the church office at stthomasparishottawa@gmail.com

To get a taste of the talent of the London Trio Plus, visit their Youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/londontrioplus

St. Thomas the Apostle is located at 2345 Alta Vista Dr. in Ottawa. — The Rev. Maria Nightingale

St. John the Evangelist Ottawa plans a special service on Feb. 15

In his weekly parish newsletter, the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer reflected on the importance of Black History Month:

St John’s joins the wider community in keeping Black History Month in February of each year. You may be wondering why this is important. I learned about its importance from a theological student who did an internship with me in the church where I served before coming to St John’s. Randy Williams, who is originally from Bermuda, pointed out how often we use the word “We” when we are trying to be inclusive. But our “We” does not actually include everybody.

Our schools taught history in a way that left out so much. We thought we were learning everything that was important, but by omission, we didn’t learn about slavery. We learned about ancient Greece and Rome but never the ancient civilizations of Africa. This is also true about Indigenous Peoples in Canada and how we were not taught about Residential Schools and their real damage to Indigenous families, their language and culture. St John’s Indigenous Engagement Coordinator, Kimberly Johnson, has helped us to understand that before there is reconciliation there must be truth — and that we are capable of hearing it, growing in understanding, and being transformed by our God’s passion for love and justice.

Black History Month is about this same process of recognition. It was our blind spot in many churches before the brutal murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020. This was the time of the pandemic and my church congregation of the time, St Anne’s in Toronto, was having worship services on Zoom with conversation sermons. The Black members of our congregation explained to us that they do not feel seen. We learned from their stories of being stopped by police in their cars for no reason, being followed around retail stores, passed over for employment opportunities and housing rental. We learned about the presumptuous use of the word “We” that did not include them. The passion and emotion from people we had known for a long time moved us deeply. We began to study. I read White Fragility by Robin Diangelo. I have come to appreciate that there are many good books about racism, but this was the one that started the opening of my eyes.

Here at St John’s, I hope you appreciate the ways our congregation has been blessed over the past two years with newcomers from Africa. You can see from the regular photographs in this newsletter (and the pictures above) that they are very involved in our community. We recognize the hardship and challenges of coming to a new place and starting over. This month, we are celebrating the richness of languages, cultures, music and food as we continue to grow in friendship. While each Sunday will bring its own blessings, we especially invite you to attend on Sunday, February 15. There will be African music during the service with dancing and lunch following. — The Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer

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“We will start with abatement of hazardous materials and demolition of the old rectory, then proceed with our construction schedule,” said Janice Horton, board chair.

She said that while the board was waiting in September for final approvals from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), there was inadequate time to complete abatement work before freeze-up. This would have resulted in an excavation surrounded by fencing during the winter. Until spring, the rectory will be maintained and secured.

CMHC gave the project conditional approval in June, pending review of Ellwood’s lease agreement with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.

The lease was prepared with the Diocese’s legal counsel as well as with Kelly Santini, Ellwood’s counsel, a firm with extensive experience in development and construction law.

CMHC has conditionally approved $6,935,004 in financing, which Ellwood directors consider to be secure, along with $9,500,000 from the Ontario Building Faster Fund.  The CMHC funding includes $150,000 in pre-development support, $1,225,346 in a forgivable loan and the balance, $5,559,658, as mortgage.

The directors are in the process of hiring a fundraising consultant for a capital campaign. But until details with CMHC are finalized they don’t know how much they will need to raise.

MacDonald Brothers Construction have been engaged to undertake the work. The project on the campus of St. Thomas the Apostle Church will add 38 accessible and affordable one-bedroom apartments for seniors, more than doubling Ellwood’s capacity.  The original building on Braeside Avenue opened in 1988.

The project includes expansion of existing patio and lounge areas, expanded and upgraded parking, better and safer traffic and pedestrian routes and additional landscaping. As well, detailed upgrading to expand services for the entire campus of St. Thomas the Apostle and the Ellwood site is likely to take some months.

Top photo: St. Thomas’s former rectory, at right, will be coming down to make room for the Ellwood House expansion, shown in the drawing below.

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With Dr. Joy Mighty moderating, the chosen theme was Black contributions to peace. The panelists were:

• Dr. Joseph Amuah, senior researcher at the Canadian Institute for Health Information, originally from Ghana, and a parishioner at St. Mark’s.
• Josiah Davies, St. Thomas of the Apostle parishioner, who came to Canada from Liberia
• The. Rev. Felix Longdon, a PhD candidate in theology at St. Paul University, an Anglican priest from Ghana, serving as interim priest in the Parish of Bearbrook-Navan.
• Victoria Sajuyigbe, a product marketer and a parishioner at St. Thomas, originally from Nigeria

They discussed several public figures who have made important contributions to peace:

• Martin Luther King
• Kofi Annan, Ghanian diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize
• Influential Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley
• Former South African President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Joseph Amuah added that the idea of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which originated in South Africa, is an important Black contribution to peace.  “People are given the opportunity to actually share their experiences, have conversations with those who are the perpetrators, and then come to peace for themselves and by extension their society.” He noted that Canada followed this model for its Truth and Reconciliation Commission and that it had also been used in Sierra Leone and Rwanda. “There’s nothing like the victims having conversation with the perpetrators and gaining that peace. That is the reality of it. Retribution doesn’t move anyone forward.”

The panelists also reflected on what peace means on a personal level.

Josiah Davies, who grew up in Liberia when the country experienced 20 years of civil unrest, spoke about how that political situation made it nearly impossible to have any personal peace. “I couldn’t have calm as a person because….I was afraid, thinking if I walked to the road I could get shot by other people or someone could harm me or my parents. So, when I want to consider peace, I think about that state of mind where I’m at ease. I can have food, I can have water, I can have shelter, I can have clothing, I can say hi to my neighbour, I can be of help in my community.”

Victoria Sajuyigbe agreed that the conditions in the society play a big role in how much peace people feel personally. She explained that if she sees people around her suffering from chronic poverty, she can’t feel at peace in her own life.

All four panelists had migrated to Canada and spoke about the challenges of integrating into a new country.

Sajuyigbe said she felt she had to work twice as hard as non-immigrants to achieve the same things.

Amuah described an experience when he was teaching first- and second-year students at a university in Calgary who said they couldn’t understand him. Amuah was puzzled because he was teaching statistics with mostly numbers and formulas, not difficult language, and people always seemed to understand him in other settings. He wondered: “Maybe they’ve never seen someone like this before, and so they are sort of struggling to see maybe why you are the one … teaching them this class, and so, it manifests in a different way, that we don’t understand what you’re saying.” But once they got to know him, they were soon coming to his office to ask for help with their studies.

Mighty asked the panelists about the role of the church. “Has the Anglican church played a role in moving us toward peace? “

Longdon said the church’s liturgy is very inclusive. “It tries on the idea of unity in diversity. We try to tap into each and everyone’s gifts in the church.”

Davies mentioned the Anglican Church of Canada’s participation in calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. Aside from what the leaders do, he added, “what we can do is just show love to one another and that will spread like the branches of a tree.”

Much of what the panelists focused on were ways that individual people in the church make a difference and have welcomed them into their worshipping communities.

Sajuyigbe said she has been attending St. Thomas for about two years. “When I came into this church, I was welcomed with open arms and there was so much love….The fact that the priest smiled at me, looked into my eyes, called my name, made a difference. I could see that the church was very intentional.  And what more intention can the church have than what we are doing right now, giving us the opportunity to sit down here and educate others about who we are, about our experiences.”

Amuah shared the story of how he began to attend the 8 am Sunday services at St. Mark’s Church but would always hurry home right afterwards to watch soccer. “One day while I was slipping out, this lady called to me. “Hi, how are you? I see you every time, but you leave so early.’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been caught,” he said, laughing. She asked him for his name and contact information so they could stay in touch and soon after his wife told him an elderly lady from the church had called their home. “Before that I hadn’t really talked to anyone. So that was what drew me.” Gradually, he began to stay for coffee, got to know people and became a part of the community.

Mighty shared her own story of moving to Kingston, Ontario. Her parents came to live with her, and “we decided we would church shop…. We were looking for a church that would be welcoming” she said. They started at Christ Church Cataraqui. After the service, they wrote their names in the guest book. “A couple of days later, there were three ladies who rang the doorbell. They brought bread and flowers welcoming us. It touched me. …And then Father Ed came and visited. That was the end of the shopping. We had found a church,” she said. “It starts with just one person being kind or open or welcoming to another person.”

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Dr. Joy Mighty, professor emerita from Carleton University and a St. Thomas parishioner, narrated the show and offered a brief introduction noting that African clothing and fashion provides a glimpse into diversity of different African cultures. Traditional clothing differs within each country from region to region, she said, adding that fashions may also vary considerably within a society according to age, social class, generation, occupation, and geography, and may change over time.

Mighty reminded the audience of ways in which fashion has been an important expression of politics and identity:  “During the rise of the civil rights and Black Power movements in the West in the late 1960s/1970s, the phrase ‘Black is beautiful’ became extremely popular. It transcended into fashion and into how Black people in the west wanted to dress and look. They wanted to show their pride in being Black, something that had previously been treated as inferior because of the history of slavery and colonization that Black people around the world had suffered. So, Blacks began wearing clothes and especially accessories with African themes, adapting the styles and bold colours of traditional African clothing, as if to say ‘see me, hear me. I am here. I am Black, and I am proud, and I am beautiful.’

There was also a rich display of African arts and crafts in the St. Thomas parish hall.

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Two Saturday events are planned. On Feb. 8, from 2 pm to 4 pm in our parish hall, we are hosting a fashion show with clothing from a variety of countries from around the world. A display of arts and crafts will also enhance our understanding of the diversity of black culture in countries of the Caribbean, North America, and Africa. On Feb 15 at 1 pm, Kathy Armstrong and Stacey Can-Tamakloe from Carleton University will lead a drumming workshop, which will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Black Contributions to Peace’ from 3 pm to 4 pm in the parish hall.

At our 10 am Sunday worship, we will have special guest preachers throughout the month of February and an enhanced coffee hour following the service with finger foods from different African and Caribbean countries each week.

We hope you will be able to join us for worship or some of these special events! (2345 Alta Vista Dr.)

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“Ellwood House is thrilled at the success of its funding request through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund,” Janice Horton, chair of the Ellwood board says. “This will be a significant contribution to the project, which will also require mortgage funding and a capital campaign.”

She says the funding allows Ellwood to work with partners, St. Thomas the Apostle parish, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and the City of Ottawa, in completing the project to deliver 38 more affordable housing units for seniors.

Before the $9.5 million can be accessed the board must:

• negotiate a long-term lease with St Thomas the Apostle and the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, owners of the land;
• complete architectural drawings as required to get a building permit; and
• apply for the building permit.

While the outcome isn’t in doubt, negotiating the lease is the top priority because it is a condition for getting CMHC funding. And when it’s obtained the lease has to be approved by the City – and it all takes time.

The Rev. Tim Kehoe, rector of St. Thomas, says the parish is in “full bore” negotiations with Ellwood’s executive board and representatives of the diocese. The agreed lease terms will go to a parish town hall to be followed by a special vestry council meeting, both expected in October. The next step will be approval by the Diocese’s property and finance committee.

The board has hired Turner & Townsend, a project management firm specializing in affordable seniors housing. Horton says the firm “has a deep understanding of capital programs and will apply this expertise to finding the best value for money and highest quality for the realization of the Ellwood House Extension.”

Greg Stallard, the senior project manager, is working with the Ellwood board to compile the cost of pre-development work and to secure funding. There will be legal fees to finalize the lease. Architectural drawings must be 80 per cent completed – up from 30 per cent at present – to apply for a building permit. The permit itself comes with a fee.

The goal is to file for a building permit by November. Allowing for a month that is required for the City to review the application and given that the City is strongly supportive of the project, the building permit may well be issued by year’s end.

The $9.5 million is part of $176.3 million allocated by the CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund to the City of Ottawa. The fund is designed to provide incentives to municipalities to encourage local initiatives such as Ellwood that remove barriers to affordable housing.

The board expects to mount a capital fundraising campaign to complete the financing. But until all government subsidies are in place it’s impossible to establish a realistic goal.

The extension will be located on the site of the former rectory which has been rented out for many years. The tenants have been kept informed as the project has progressed. The parish is providing them with information to assist them in their search for new accommodation before the end of the calendar year.

The project builds on 35 years of successfully providing safe, affordable housing for seniors in Alta Vista. The common areas of existing Ellwood House will be renovated to accommodate more tenants.

Two lots, with separate buildings and services, will be integrated into one campus with expanded utility services, more parking, more trees, landscaping and a new drop-off area for Ellwood House.

Sixty per cent of the apartments will be earmarked for tenants listed on the City’s housing registry and the remaining 40 per cent will be available for online applications subject to approval by Ellwood’s housing manager.

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This year, the need was greater than ever. The Dempsey shelter went from housing 60 women last year to housing 90 women in 2023.  We were also informed that many more women were staying at a new shelter recently opened at the Heron Community Centre, which added up to more than 200 women at the two shelters.

The two churches stepped up to prepare 90 gift bags for the Dempsey shelter. Along with parishioners, other community members joined in with donations of items such as winter hats, scarves, gloves, socks, toiletries, chocolate, pens and pencils. The generosity was so great that, although we could not prepare gift bags for the women at the Heron Centre, we were able to make donations of needed items to share with them.  City councillor Marty Carr’s office helped with the distribution of these items at the Heron Centre.

Many thanks to all who participated in this outreach project.

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When they arrived in Canada in July, sisters-in-law Mariana and Oksana Kateryniak did not speak much English, but they have been diligently studying and practicing and answered some questions from Crosstalk about their time in Canada and conditions in their homeland.

How are things for your families in Ukraine?

Oksana: Our city is 50 km from the city of Burshtyn, where the Burshtyn thermal power plant is located, so there are often air raids and rockets fly over our city from time to time, but compared to other regions and cities of Ukraine, I can say that my relatives are currently in relative safety in Ukraine.  My husband goes to work and financially supports my mother and his parents.

Mariana: For now, my family remains in Ukraine and copes with the new challenges that each new day brings.  They work and do everything possible to win. I am very proud and worried about my husband. He serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, protects the territory of our country.

Our city is not bombed like eastern cities of Ukraine, but nevertheless, in every city, one feels and does not forget for a moment that there is a war in the country … Some cities are under constant shelling, other cities are without electricity. .. So much depends on electricity. The light is turned on for two to three hours, then there is no light for six hours. It is very difficult. They do not have time to warm up the premises in schools and kindergartens.  Children in schools write in mittens because the air temperature indoors and outdoors is almost the same. Mothers worry whenever their children have to sit in air raid shelters….It seems that we have accepted one situation, learned to live with it, a new day is coming with new challenges.  But the Ukrainian people are strong and believe in a free and better future.

How are you all adjusting to life in Canada?

Oksana: My children and I love Canada. The picturesque nature of Canada reminds us of Ukraine. The climate in Ottawa is very similar to the climate of our area in Ukraine, so we did not need to acclimatize.  My children are delighted with the local schools. They go every day with pleasure. And they really like the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa … and winter fun in the snow in Lansdowne.

Mariana: Yes, the children really like it in Canada….There are dogs in the house where we live, and the children are very happy about it.  There are many parks and playgrounds not far from us. We often go for walks in our free time.  I am glad that my children have such opportunities.

What would you like to do in Canada?

Oksana: If the language was not a problem, my dream job would definitely be related to the beauty industry, namely care cosmetics and decorative cosmetics. This is my passion.  In the future, I see myself as a consultant in the cosmetic departments of luxury cosmetics, for example, Estée Lauder, Bobby Brown, YSL, Shoppers Drug Mart or Nordstrom.

Mariana:  I am a landscape designer by profession, and it would be a pleasure to work in Canada professionally. But at the moment, I am looking for any job. I understand that I have no work experience in Canada, but I am ready to learn and gain new experience.

Have you made friends?

Mariana: I found friends among Ukrainians who were also forced to leave Ukraine because of the war, but I still have a big family of Canadian friends who take care of us. I thank God for helping me and my family through wonderful people. …They do so much for us and think for us from the beginning of our arrival until today.  I am infinitely grateful to each of them for their support, help, patience, time, open and kind heart

Oksana: During half a year of living in Canada, I found many good friends who became like family to me. I did not know before coming to Canada that this happens: when strangers on another continent of the globe can take care of you and help you like their own children, love and respect you; bring you and your children many gifts for Christmas from people you do not know at all, but you know for sure that these people have big hearts.  I thank God that I have such friends!

We also want to thank all the parishioners of St. Thomas Church for their material and moral support for us and our children. And especially to our new Canadian family: Cathy Munroe, Sara Jordan, Joan Evans, Maureen Tracy, Beverly Ensom, Derwyn Sangster , Serge Choquette, David Tracy, Gwen Levesque, Channing Rodman, Jurek Elzanowski and our host Cate Soroczan. We couldn’t do it without your care, help and support!  You are incredible people!

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