Janell Hilton's Photography and Art Sale

Janell Hilton (who passed away at the end of September) donated a number of art pieces to our church before she died. These pieces are for sale, with the proceeds going to the church in Janell’s name.

Some of the pieces are photographs Janell has taken — and some are art pieces that she purchased (or was gifted) from other artists.

See the new display of these pieces in the hallway leading from the Church Office to the side Sanctuary door. Many of Janell’s pieces are displayed there now — with more coming soon. So watch the display over time, as it will change as pieces are sold and new ones are added.

To purchase Janell’s pieces (or any of the other art pieces for sale in the church building), contact Inga Puhlmann (our Art Team Chair) or Janni in the Church Office.

Special thanks to Inga for displaying such beautiful (and varied) art throughout the church building!

More Tree Removal -- Why?

On October 25th, we took down 2 trees that were BADLY rotted from within. Both were at high risk for falling soon — causing possible damage to fences, buildings, vehicles, and people.

These two images show how the rot was deep . . . so these trees were on borrowed time!

Special thanks to Brian Welwood (B&G Chair) and Brian McConnell (the Church Factotum) for their foresight to have these trees removed, and overseeing the work.

"Living in the Spirit of Reconciliation" Reading List

As a follow-up to our September 29th service, our guest speaker (Ken Coates, PhD) put together the following reading list of books that relate to the theme of “Living in the Spirit of Reconciliation:

Best Historical Overviews

  • J.R. Miller, Skyscrapers Hide the Heavens: A History of Indian-White Relations in Canada

  • Olive Dickason and David Newhouse, Canada’s First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from the Earliest Times

Contemporary Policies and Legal Issues

  • Jodi Wilson-Raybould, True Reconciliation: How to be a Force for Change

  • Jodi Wilson-Raybould, From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada (and watch for her new book, Reconciling History, coming out this fall)

  • Bob Joseph, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act

  • Bruce McIvor, Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It

  • Greg Poelzer and Ken Coates, From Treaty Peoples to Treaty Nation: A Road Map for All Canadians

  • Sniderman and Sanderson, Valley of the Birdtail

Indigenous Perspectives

  • Michelle Good, Five Little Indians

  • Maria Campbell, Halfbreed

  • Tanya Talaga, The Knowing

  • Murray Sinclair, Who We Are

  • Thomas King, The Inconvenient Indian

  • Thomas King, The Truth About Stories

There is a large and wonderful body of literature by and about Indigenous peoples, Indigenous-newcomer relations, and the path to reconciliation.  This is only a start of your reading!!  Enjoy!

FUNfest Re-Imagined

Remember our annual FundFest event (formerly called "Bidnight"). . . what a great fundraiser and people-pleaser it was?  We are pleased to announce a modified version of FUNfest. Instead of an auction, the newly-imagined FUNfest is based on a simple sign-up and payment format with 100% of the proceeds going to NSUC. This is a great way of getting to know others in the NSUC community while having FUN and contributing to church funds. Starting this fall, we are offering a series of events starting with BUNKO on October 18th, T’was a Dark and Stormy Night on November 9th, and continuing with one event per month now throughout the new year!  Watch for more details coming soon.

October's Outreach: North Shore Women's Centre

Each month, 100% of our offering plate (unless otherwise noted) is donated to a non-profit organization whose mission is in line with our values. We call this “Outreach”.

During the month of October, we collected $1,548.50 for the North Shore Women’s Centre (NSWC) — a drop-in space offering access to resources, programs, support, information, and answers to questions women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals may have regarding a wide range of issued. All services offered by NSWC are free and confidential.

Thank you for all who contributed!

Scam Alert: We will NEVER ask you to buy gift cards!

Another round of scam emails went out recently --- and this happens frequently!  Someone pretending to be Barrie Forbes (our Board President) asked people to "help him with something" -- buying gift cards . . .

North Shore Unitarian staff and leaders will NEVER ask you to buy gift cards. 

DO NOT FALL FOR THESE HOAXES!  If you’re ever in doubt, phone the staff/leader to verify if the email was legitimate.  


Mythology Then & Now -- 5 Tuesdays Oct. 29 - Nov. 26

7-9pm on five Tuesdays:
October 29th through November 26th
in the Sanctuary

(sorry this event is not available by Zoom).

Enrich your life with the excitement of powerful ideas and masterful story telling!  Joseph Campbell, in a five-part series, explores “The Shaping of our Mythic Traditions”.   Explore our own mythic journey and the richness of First Nations rituals and religion.  Examine our primal and spiritual impulses.  Trace the ancient roots of Judeo-Christian traditions and their life renewing energies.   

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) focused his life on exploring and understanding mythology and comparative religions.  He believed in a common pattern beneath the narratives of the great myths, and that the privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.  His work examined the universal functions of myth in various human cultures.

Each session will begin with a 50-minute recorded presentation by Joseph Campbell followed by a discussion of the ideas presented in the video facilitated by Marga Hanna.

Sign up HERE.

Facilitated by Marga Hanna, a retired University Professor, Art Therapist and Trauma Therapist.  During her graduate work she studied at Pacifica University which maintains the Joseph Campbell’s archives.