banner photo by Janet Best
An open letter to the Minister Responsible for the French Language / Lettre ouverte au Ministre responsable de la Langue française
View the French letter HERE (version Française)
So by now you know that Family Day is coming! And you are all invited!
(le français suivra)
It's been a while since we have been able to host an in person event. We are grateful to have had opportunities to connect online with the kids. But let's be honest, nothing compares to being together in person. Especially after such a long time apart.
We are officially celebrating the return to in person communities and the abundant, contagious joy, enthusiasm and energy of children and families!
Note that you don't need to be a child to participateyou just need to be willing to feel like one!
What to Expect? A safe, rain or shine fun-filled outdoor community event including....
Live music
Bouncy castle
Clowns
Picnic Lunch (only those who have registered will receive lunch)
Bubbles
Crafts
Popcorn and more!
Have questions, want to volunteer or learn more. I will promptly reply. Contact me (project lead) Lee-Ann
Join the Facebook Family Day event HERE
Vous savez maintenant que le Jour de la Famille arrive ! Et vous êtes tous invités !
Cela fait longtemps que nous n'avons pas été en mesure d'organiser un événement en personne. Nous sommes reconnaissants d'avoir eu l'occasion de nous connecter en ligne avec les enfants. Mais soyons honnêtes, rien n'est comparable au fait d'être ensemble en personne. Surtout après une si longue période de séparation.
Nous célébrons officiellement le retour des communautés en personne et la joie, l'enthousiasme et l'énergie abondants et contagieux des enfants et des familles !
Notez que vous n'avez pas besoin d'être un enfant pour participer, vous devez simplement être prêt à vous sentir comme tel !
À quoi faut-il s'attendre ? Un événement communautaire en plein air, sûr et amusant, qu'il pleuve ou qu'il vente, incluant.....
De la musique en direct
Un château gonflable
Clowns
Déjeuner pique-nique (seuls ceux qui se sont inscrits recevront un déjeuner)
Bulles
Artisanat
Popcorn et plus encore !
Diocese of Montreal ministries rally to support young people
On Tuesday, April 19 the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) kicked-off its 2nd annual Say Yes! to Kids Campaign with a live online launch.
“Last year we knew we had hit on a real need within the church,” said Dr. Scott Brubacher, Executive Director. “This year’s campaign has focused on laying the groundwork for Say Yes! to Kids to be a long-term effort, one we believe can become a source of sustainable funding for youth-focused ministry and outreach across the Canadian church.”
According to AFC, there are approximately 20 fundraising teams nationwide. Campaign goals range from $2,500 up to $20,000 and programs include: dramatic arts, student bursary funds, revamping youth spaces, and support for young people who are experiencing homelessness, just to name a few. In the Diocese of Montreal there are currently two teams who have joined the Say Yes to Kids family.
Montreal Mission Internship (MMI): $5,000 to $10,000
A ministry of the Montreal Diocesan Theological College, MMI provides interns with service-learning placements that position them to become leaders, and act as change-makers in the community. “Placements may include work at one of Montreal's many faith-based service organizations,” says Dr. Jesse Zink, Principal. “Be it homelessness, food insecurity, or migration, placements are carefully chosen and arranged based on the participants’ interests, the quality of supervision, and the availability of meaningful work.”
Zink says the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled the lives of many young people on the verge of adulthood, “Every $5,000 raised through this year’s campaign will give one more young person access to a high-quality paid internship that will help launch them onto a path they are passionate about and provide them with the kind of vocational growth opportunities that have been sorely lacking during the pandemic.”
Phoenix Community Projects: $15,000
Launched in response to the pandemic, Phoenix Community Projects offers a variety of innovative programs that support and enrich emotional well-being for all ages. Jessica Bickford, a Vocational Deacon in the Diocese of Montreal and Executive Director of Phoenix has chosen to use the Say Yes! to Kids program to provide core funding for two key youth-focused programs.
“Through this fundraiser we will be able to expand our Play Like a Girl program to Lasalle, Quebec where we will partner with 4 additional schools,” says Bickford. “We will continue to build community partnerships and relationships with potential participants. We hope to reach between 100 and 150 young girls in our 2022-2023 season.” Bickford says Phoenix will also launch Camp Artemis, its inaugural summer day camp. “Within Quebec, programs for the English community are limited and hard to find. This is especially true when it comes to summer day camp programs.”
Bickford is grateful for an opportunity to connect with more supporters through Say Yes! to Kids. “It’s important to remember that growing up has never been easy and the pandemic has only made it more difficult. Caring, committed community partners who are using their skills and expertise to create safe, enriching programs can have a big impact on the lives of children and their families.”
Diocesan & National Partners
For every $10 donated to the Montreal teams, $4 will be shared between youth-focused ministry at the diocesan and national levels. This year the Diocese of Montreal will go the extra mile for Mile End Mission’s Montreal community. “Thanks to a 2021 grant from AFC’s 2021 Say Yes! to Kids campaign, 12 Mile End kids will get to enjoy a week-long camp experience at Quebec Lodge Outdoor Centre in the Eastern Townships,” says the Rt. Rev. Mary Gibson, Bishop of Montreal. “The diocesan portion of this year’s Say Yes! to Kids funds will help outfit the group with the necessary camping supplies—bathing suits, sunscreen, sleeping bags, etc.—to have a truly successful camp experience.”
Nationally, funds raised through Say Yes! to Kids will support Indigenous youth initiatives that are national in scope, and that complement the transformational work being done at both the local and diocesan levels. Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and Chair of AFC’s Board of Directors, says, “Our Say Yes! to Kids champions are wonderful examples of sacrificial love and service, showing us in ways large and small how to be adaptable, how to persevere, and how to keep the faith amid uncertainty.”
You may donate HERE
For more information on registering a fundraising team for the 2023 Say Yes! to Kids campaign, contact Michelle Hauser at mhauser@anglicanfoundation.org
1444 Union Avenue
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B8
Tel: (514) 843-6577 // 1 (800) 355-3788
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The Synod Office is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk), at a place called Tio’tia:ke (Montreal), a meeting place for many First Nations, including the Haudenosaunee (Six Nation Confederacy), Anishinabeg and Algonquin peoples.
We recognize and respect the Kanien’keha:ka as the traditional stewards of the land and waters of Tio’tia:ke.
Our acknowledgement stands as a promise to continue the ongoing work of recognition and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
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©2026 Synod of the Diocese of Montreal & Lord Bishop of Montreal
