Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
August 29, 2025

Welcome to our newest member!  Baby Maeve was born on Aug 23rdto Liam and Yette, she was 8.25 pounds and all are healthy and happy and now finally home. Stay tuned for more updates here.

We are invited to Lynn's Celebration of Life service by Lynn's family: Doug,Ryan, Colin and Derek . This which will be held Saturday, September 13th at 2:00 at the Vancouver Unitarian Church, 949 W 49th Ave.

You are encouraged to wear teal and purple as they were Lynn's favourite colours.

If you are unable to attend in person, there will be a  livestream link:
http://vanu.ca/lynnsabourin

Please put in your order for 
your t-shirts NOW!

Get ready to be seen! Many thanks to Lynda Fownes because we are ready to place some orders now!  They will range from $30-35 and are 100% cotton.

Order your t-shirt before Sep 8!

Sociocracy Circles this fall

During the Year End Gathering, many of us signed up for one or more circles after the presentation.  As we start up after summer, here are the leads for each circle below if you wanted to sign up but didn't get a chance to in June - please reach out to them now.  They will be setting up their initial circle gatherings within the next month. The June signup sheets can be found here on the Get Involved Page (only for members and friends):

Care & Concerns - Jackie
Communications - Cynthia
Community Dialogues - catherine
Finance - Ryan
Membership* - John S
Social and Env Justice** - Robyn
Sociocracy - catherine and Casey
Sunday Gatherings - Allyson
Worship - Cara

*also addressing documentation for becoming a registered society/charity

**for now, this circle will also address accessibility, inclusion, and intergenerational welcome.

Emergent Strategy Book Club –
First Meeting

TOMORROW!!
Sat, August 30 at 10:00am

Save the Date: September 20th

Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

September 20
for Coast-to-Coast
Mobilization for Justice

From rallies to strikes, marches to gatherings, this September 20th, communities will mobilize across the country and demand that Prime Minister Carney and the Canadian government pick a side: injustice, violence, and climate destruction— or a just and safe future for all of us.  In Vancouver, we are planning to gather outside the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre at 700 Hamilton Street.  Plans are to march down the Georgia viaduct to one of the City parks for a family-friendly festival with music, street theatre and games. Details are still being worked out.

This is more than one day of action—it's an invitation to unite, learn from each other, and build lasting alliances that will organize together long beyond September 20th. Contact Robyn Newton robyn.newton.mail@gmail.com  to learn more or to carpool.

See the detailed demands.

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
August 22, 2025

Thank you to everyone who gathered on Sunday to share stories and memories and be with others who loved Lynn. A special thank you to catherine and John for hosting. Her family is planning to hold a Memorial Service and that information will be widely shared when it is available. In the meantime, please feel free to share any thoughts that you wish in the Forum section of the website which is just for members only.

From Ron Phares:

"UU's of Salish Sea,

Along with you I am in shock and grief at the death of our beloved Lynn Sabourin. Her light and sincerity and ability and dedication was inspirational. She was a giant of love. She was supposed to be immortal. That is the measure of her impact. She felt like a forever person. And there is no way she should be gone from this life. 

Lynn knew what to do. Always. And was ever prepared for it. But she also was always ready to learn and adapt. It's a rare combination; to be so assured of oneself while also able to change gracefully. 

Take comfort in the truth that Lynn helped to shape you. As a people. And as individual people. Her example of clear sightedness, justice, and kindness remains a guide. We can honor her by living up to her example. That's how we can hold her still, hold her loss in such a way that it is creative. Her absence calls for us to fill it with stuff of the same kind. And for that, I know we are grateful. 

But for now I'm just sad; stuck between disbelief and acceptance. I'm so sad she is gone and shocked it is even possible. 

The day after I heard she had died I was at a funeral. That is why I was unable to join you on Sunday. But I carried my grief into that ceremonial coincidence and shed tears for Lynn there and felt a bit more reconciled for it. 

Hold each other. Weep with one another. And listen for her call in your hearts. She's not done helping. 

I love you all. My heart breaks with yours. May you hold each other in love. 

-- 

Reverend Ron Phares (he/him)
Minister, All Souls Unitarian Universalist

We have an official banner!

Thank you to all who sent in your votes. The dark blue banner was the winner!

And we are ordering t-shirts! too

Get ready to be seen! Many thanks to Lynda Fownes because we are ready to place some orders now!  They will range from $30-35 and are 100% cotton.

Order your t-shirt before Sep 8!

TOMORROW!
St. Margaret’s Church
Rummage Sale
Saturday, August 23
9:30am -12:00pm

Please come and support the church where we meet!

All proceeds will go toward their new heat pump/furnace project which will keep the space reliably warm in winter and cool in summer for years to come!

Emergent Strategy Book Club –
First Meeting

Sat, August 30 at 10:00am

Getting Ready to Meet this Moment: Activating the Canadian UU Ecosystem

Canadian UUs are preparing to meet this moment as a collaborative, interconnected ecosystem! We are thrilled with the response to our first announcement. We are now seventeen people in four interconnected planning circles.

Are you interested in helping us build capacity and engage in small experiments?our Fall 2026 in person event 

 Join us on Sat, September 6! 

We’re holding a two-hour online retreat for everyone in the planning circles: 9:00 am Pacific / 10:00 am Mountain & SK / 11:00 Central / 12:00 noon Eastern / 1:00 pm Atlantic.

Apply now to be a part of “activating” our Canadian UU ecosystem and meet everyone at our September retreat. Fill out this form, preferably by August 30, 2025.   

Are you wondering whether this project is a good fit for you? Fill out the form – one of us will be happy to chat with you. 

More info

Save the Date: September 20th

Please join us for the first service of our new church year. We will celebrate with a Unitarian Universalist water communion homecoming ritual in a service lead by your Worship Team.  Please bring some water from your home or from your summer adventures. We will enjoy food and fellowship at a potluck after the service.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Ask Canada to build Canada's East-West energy grid with renewables.

Some good news on the climate front!

And some less positive news

The National Council of Canadian Muslims are asking fellow Canadians to take action to protect Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians, who are facing threats and intimidation in Canada, and worse in Gaza. They report that an Ontario Student was forced to remove references to Gaza in their valedictorian speech this past June.

https://nccm.ca/take-action/

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
August 15, 2025

We are getting a banner!

Please fill out the following survey to help us design our banner.  If you run into any problems, send Ryan a note.

Deadline is next Friday, August 22by the end of the day.

A new initiative from the Care & Concerns Circle launches 
this September

We invite you to find yourself among friends, listeners, and witnesses to help support you through your personal challenges and concerns for the world in our new online “Community Care Circle”

This is a call to gather in intimacy, in fellowship, and live our shared values.

Lindsay Hindle, certified Emotional Freedom Techniques Practitioner, will facilitate and lead participants in the transformative practice of being witnessed and using somatic technique to release difficult emotions, calm the body, mind, and activate peace within. Taking place on a bi-monthly basis over Zoom, you may join from the comfort of your home, no travel necessary. Our first circle takes place on Monday, September 22 at 7:30 pm on Zoom.  Registration link coming soon.

St. Margaret’s Church
Rummage Sale
Saturday, August 23
9:30am -12:00pm

Please come and support the church where we meet!

All proceeds will go toward their new heat pump/furnace project which will keep the space reliably warm in winter and cool in summer for years to come!

Emergent Strategy Book Club –
First Meeting

Sat, August 30 at 10:00am

Reclaiming Education: 
A Conversation with Watsenniiostha Nelson, Director of Education, Kanehsatà:ke

Join us for a powerful conversation with Watsenniiostha Nelson, Director of Education for the Kanehsatà:ke Mohawk community, as she shares her vision for transforming education from a tool of assimilation into a pathway of reclamation and empowerment.

In the wake of the residential school legacy, Nelson is working to center Indigenous voices and faces in the classroom, confront the roots of absenteeism, and create spaces where young people can thrive in their full identity.

As part of the CUC’s ongoing commitment to Truth, Healing and Reconciliation, this event is held in the month of the 10th anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report. We are all invited to come together to listen, learn, and reflect on how education can be a site of healing, resurgence, and hope. More info.

Hosted by: Amber Bellemare, Reconciliation Programme Coordinator & Camellia Jahanshahi, Dismantling Barriers Lead.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

We Are All One Planet: 
A Night with Wet’suwet’en House Groups 
Before They Head to Court

From Raven Trust: On August 21st, Wet’suwet’en is returning to court. The government is once again trying to shirk their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, breaking their promise to protect future generations. RAVEN is hosting a pre-court event on August 20th at 7pm at the Vancouver Unitarians Church, where we will hear from representatives from Wet’suwet’en and their legal counsel about the Nation, their climate litigation, and what’s at stake with their motion to strike hearing. Also livestreamed. Come support Wet’suwet’en as they pursue climate justice for all of us! Register here

September 20
for Coast-to-Coast
Mobilization for Justice

From rallies to strikes, marches to gatherings, this September 20th, communities will mobilize across the country and demand that Prime Minister Carney and the Canadian government pick a side: injustice, violence, and climate destruction— or a just and safe future for all of us.  In Vancouver, we are planning to gather outside the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre at 700 Hamilton Street.  Plans are to march down the Georgia viaduct to one of the City parks for a family-friendly festival with music, street theatre and games. Details are still being worked out.

This is more than one day of action—it's an invitation to unite, learn from each other, and build lasting alliances that will organize together long beyond September 20th. Contact Robyn Newton robyn.newton.mail@gmail.com  to learn more or to carpool.

See the detailed demands.

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
August 1, 2025

UUSS 2025 Summer Gathering

A wonderful time at Jilly and Michael's on 
Bowen Island was had by all last Sunday! 
Thanks for hosting!

UUSS 2025 Summer Gathering

A wonderful time at Jilly and Michael's on 
Bowen Island was had by all last Sunday! 
Thanks for hosting!

Emergent Strategy Book Club –
First Meeting

Sat, August 30 at 10:00am

We’re starting a book club to discuss Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown. In our first meeting, we’ll talk about:

• What ideas stood out to you in the book?What ideas stood out to you in the book

• How could these ideas help your community or personal growth?
  

• How could these ideas help your community or personal grow

No need to read the whole book – just come ready to share thoughts. Registration opens soon.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Mark your calendars 
September 20  

Plans are underway for a Global Day of Action on Climate Justice and Democracy on Saturday September 20th .  The theme of the day is "Draw the Line".  Seniors for the Climate are starting to make plans for that day, but other environmental and justice groups will probably also be organizing events. 

 I hope local events will happen in the morning, as this is the same day as our water service, and I would like to see as many UUSSs show up on September 20 as possible.  The added bonus is that we do not have to do the organizing; we just need to show up!  So please put that date in your calendar now.  I will keep you posted as the details emerge.  Contact Robyn at 
robyn.newton.mail@gmail.com 
if you want to carpool. 

Check out our social media!

Check the calendar on our website for more events!

This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

www.uusalishsea.ca      2025

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Sunmmer Update
July 25, 2025

THIS COMING SUNDAY!!

Join us for a Summer 
Potluck on Bowen!

Jilly and Michael Watson invite their UUSS friends to a Pot-Luck Lunch at their house on Bowen Island on Sunday July 27.

Bring a dish to share. Drinks will be provided. Watch the ferries go by from their deck (and maybe even see some whales).

Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay.Either drive your car on to the ferry, or walk-on as a foot-passenger. You'll be picked up when you walk off on Bowen Island, and driven to their house.

A good ferry to catch would be the 10:35am from Horseshoe Bay.Ferry tickets have to be purchased at least 10-minutes before sailing time. If you come by car, you’ll need to arrive much earlier, to be sure of getting on. Parking at Horseshoe Bay is challenging.  BC Ferries have pay parking lots, but they can fill-up on week-ends.  And on-street parking is limited to 2-hours, and is monitored by by-law officers.

If you are planning on walking on to the ferry, one option is to catch the No.257 Express Bus to the ferry terminal (from Georgia St. at Granville in Vancouver at 9:36am; or from Park Royal in West Vancouver at 9:53am).

Ferries from Bowen Island return after lunch at 1:55pm, 3:15pm, & 4:40pm. 

RSVP to Jilly at 604-813-7954 jilly.watson@shaw.ca for directions and confirmation.

Sign up for Circle Meals!

Joy Silver is once again organizing small potluck meal gatherings over the summer and throughout the fall as long as there is interest.  If you would like to host, and/or be a guest, please indicate on the response sheet on the link below.  Joy will match up hosts and guests.  Hosts will receive a call from Joy, providing guest names.  Hosts will call their guests. Multigenerational meals are encouraged.

Let’s have a lot of fun getting to know each other better while we break bread over a meal of your choice.  Consider even a picnic during the summer months.

Sign Up Link

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Mark your calendars 
September 20  

Plans are underway for a Global Day of Action on Climate Justice and Democracy on Saturday September 20th .  The theme of the day is "Draw the Line".  Seniors for the Climate are starting to make plans for that day, but other environmental and justice groups will probably also be organizing events. 

 I hope local events will happen in the morning, as this is the same day as our water service, and I would like to see as many UUSSs show up on September 20 as possible.  The added bonus is that we do not have to do the organizing; we just need to show up!  So please put that date in your calendar now.  I will keep you posted as the details emerge.  Contact Robyn at 
robyn.newton.mail@gmail.com 
if you want to carpool. 

DEMAND AN END TO

MASS STARVATION

Canada has the power to impose sanctions — including an arms embargo — that can help bring an end to the genocide in Palestine. History is watching and Canada must act. Send a message nowdemanding that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand sanction Israel.

France has just declared they will recognize the state of Palestine.

Heather McPherson has a motion before the House to declare Canada’s recognition of the state of Palestine . See that motion here and the names of the MPs who support her motion:

Please write a short note to your MP and link them to the motion and ask them to support it along with other colleagues. 

CALL ON PRESIDENT LULA TO PROTECT BRAZIL'S 
AMAZON FOREST

Join the call to urge Lula to veto the 'devastation bill' – this may be our last chance. Add your name here.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON BILL 15

Public engagement is now open to support implementation of the Infrastructure Projects Act (ie. Bill 15). Click here to have your say on how this Act will be implemented.

The United Nations’ top court in a landmark advisory opinion Wednesday said countries could be in violation of international law if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change, and nations harmed by its effects could be entitled to reparations. Read the story.

Check out our social media!

Check the calendar on our website for more events!

This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

www.uusalishsea.ca      2025

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
July 18, 2025

Join us for a Summer 
Potluck on Bowen!

Jilly and Michael Watson invite their UUSS friends to a Pot-Luck Lunch at their house on Bowen Island on Sunday July 27.

Bring a dish to share. Drinks will be provided. Watch the ferries go by from their deck (and maybe even see some whales).

Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay.Either drive your car on to the ferry, or walk-on as a foot-passenger. You'll be picked up when you walk off on Bowen Island, and driven to their house.

A good ferry to catch would be the 10:35am from Horseshoe Bay.Ferry tickets have to be purchased at least 10-minutes before sailing time. If you come by car, you’ll need to arrive much earlier, to be sure of getting on. Parking at Horseshoe Bay is challenging.  BC Ferries have pay parking lots, but they can fill-up on week-ends.  And on-street parking is limited to 2-hours, and is monitored by by-law officers.

If you are planning on walking on to the ferry, one option is to catch the No.257 Express Bus to the ferry terminal (from Georgia St. at Granville in Vancouver at 9:36am; or from Park Royal in West Vancouver at 9:53am).

Ferries from Bowen Island return after lunch at 1:55pm, 3:15pm, & 4:40pm. 

RSVP to Jilly at 604-813-7954 jilly.watson@shaw.ca for directions and confirmation.

Sign up for Circle Meals!

Joy Silver is once again organizing small potluck meal gatherings over the summer and throughout the fall as long as there is interest.  If you would like to host, and/or be a guest, please indicate on the response sheet on the link below.  Joy will match up hosts and guests.  Hosts will receive a call from Joy, providing guest names.  Hosts will call their guests. Multigenerational meals are encouraged.

Let’s have a lot of fun getting to know each other better while we break bread over a meal of your choice.  Consider even a picnic during the summer months.

Sign Up Link

Announcing FUTURE,
the zine for Canadian
Unitarian Youth

Exciting things are happening in the Canadian Unitarian Youth space! We’re thrilled to introduce FUTURE, a brand-new zine by youth, for youth—and the first edition is out now! More info.

Before we drop the second edition, we wanted to make sure you had the chance to explore this debut issue. Packed with creativity, insights, and voices from our youth community, FUTURE is a space for expression, ideas, and connection.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

BC Climate Plan Survey

Check out our social media!

Check the calendar on our website for more events!

This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

www.uusalishsea.ca      2025

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
July 11, 2025

Join us for a Summer 
Potluck on Bowen!

Jilly and Michael Watson invite their UUSS friends to a Pot-Luck Lunch at their house on Bowen Island on Sunday July 27.

Bring a dish to share. Drinks will be provided. Watch the ferries go by from their deck (and maybe even see some whales).

Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay.Either drive your car on to the ferry, or walk-on as a foot-passenger. You'll be picked up when you walk off on Bowen Island, and driven to their house.

A good ferry to catch would be the 10:35am from Horseshoe Bay.Ferry tickets have to be purchased at least 10-minutes before sailing time. If you come by car, you’ll need to arrive much earlier, to be sure of getting on. Parking at Horseshoe Bay is challenging.  BC Ferries have pay parking lots, but they can fill-up on week-ends.  And on-street parking is limited to 2-hours, and is monitored by by-law officers.

If you are planning on walking on to the ferry, one option is to catch the No.257 Express Bus to the ferry terminal (from Georgia St. at Granville in Vancouver at 9:36am; or from Park Royal in West Vancouver at 9:53am).

Ferries from Bowen Island return after lunch at 1:55pm, 3:15pm, & 4:40pm. 

RSVP to Jilly at 604-813-7954 jilly.watson@shaw.ca for directions and confirmation.

Update on UUA General Assembly held June 18-22

More than 3,279 UUs from 592 congregations in 48 states and 4 countries gathered for 5 powerful days of worship, witness, learning, decision-making, and moments of joy and deep community. Read the UU World GA recap: "Meet The Moment".

One of the highlights was an introduction to the first-ever virtual hymnal, Sing Out Love, which has initially about 200 songs organized alphabetically by song title with 20 more added each successive month.

Did you know they
were a Unitarian??

Robert Fulgrum wrote the famous "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten", in which Fulghum lists lessons normally learned in American kindergarten classrooms and explains how the world would be improved if adults adhered to the same basic rules as children.  He later served as Unitarian minister at the Edmonds WA UU church from 1966-1985.

A subset of his credo:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

The next Membership Team Zoom meeting is Wednesday, July 16, 2025.  We are currently developing a proposal on the criteria for membership in the UUSS,  the process for becoming a member, and the responsibilities and privileges of membership.  New Membership Team members welcome! Contact Robyn to join.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Check the calendar on our website for more events!

This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

www.uusalishsea.ca      2025

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Summer Update
June 27, 2025

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Year End Gathering last week! There was wonderful food provided by Tamantopped off with cake for all. 

We also formally adopted our Vision, Mission and Convenant as well as signed up for the upcoming Circles that we will be starting as part of our officially embracing Sociocracy  as our governance model. More information will be forthcoming in future eNews publications. 

VISION:
Our vision is to become a multigenerational spiritual community where love and trust guide us, where all who seek to connect with the mystery, joy, and wonder of life feel wholly welcome, and that contributes to a more just and interdependent world.

MISSION:
To serve our community, other congregations, and the wider world as a covenant-based faith community that embodies Unitarian Universalist principles and values, by:

• Creating the welcoming conditions for people of diverse beliefs, backgrounds and identities (e.g. BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ , those with invisible disabilities) to feel fully welcome in our congregation and the broader Unitarian Universalism tradition by experimenting with systems, structures, practices and rituals that challenge the status quo.
•  Inspiring interconnection and reverence for all life through worship, ritual, small group ministry and other activities
• Working in solidarity with other communities and organizations committed to advancing justice in its many forms
  
  
  

Join us for a Summer 
Potluck on Bowen!

Jilly and Michael Watson invite their UUSS friends to a Pot-Luck Lunch at their house on Bowen Island on Sunday July 27.

Bring a dish to share. Drinks will be provided. Watch the ferries go by from their deck (and maybe even see some whales).

Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay.Either drive your car on to the ferry, or walk-on as a foot-passenger. You'll be picked up when you walk off on Bowen Island, and driven to their house.

A good ferry to catch would be the 10:35am from Horseshoe Bay.Ferry tickets have to be purchased at least 10-minutes before sailing time. If you come by car, you’ll need to arrive much earlier, to be sure of getting on. Parking at Horseshoe Bay is challenging.  BC Ferries have pay parking lots, but they can fill-up on week-ends.  And on-street parking is limited to 2-hours, and is monitored by by-law officers.

If you are planning on walking on to the ferry, one option is to catch the No.257 Express Bus to the ferry terminal (from Georgia St. at Granville in Vancouver at 9:36am; or from Park Royal in West Vancouver at 9:53am).

Ferries from Bowen Island return after lunch at 1:55pm, 3:15pm, & 4:40pm. 

RSVP to Jilly at 604-813-7954 jilly.watson@shaw.ca for directions and confirmation.

Sign up for Circle Meals!

Joy Silver is once again organizing small potluck meal gatherings over the summer and throughout the fall as long as there is interest.  If you would like to host, and/or be a guest, please indicate on the response sheet on the link below.  Joy will match up hosts and guests.  Hosts will receive a call from Joy, providing guest names.  Hosts will call their guests. Multigenerational meals are encouraged.

Let’s have a lot of fun getting to know each other better while we break bread over a meal of your choice.  Consider even a picnic during the summer months.

Sign Up Link

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Check out our social media!

Check the calendar on our website for more events!

This message was sent to you by UUs of the Salish Sea
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time

www.uusalishsea.ca   2025

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Weekly Update
June 20, 2025

TOMORRO

Join us for our final spring service on Sat June 21 @ 5:00
"Flower Communion”

St Margaret’s Cedar Cottage
1530 E. 22nd, Vancouver
In-person/Zoom

Bring a flower this week to add to our collective bouquet, as part of our Flower Communion! 

The Flower Communion is a beloved Unitarian Universalist ritual, developed in Czechoslovakia in 1923 by Norbert Čapek. This ritual symbolizes the coming together of our wild and varied selves into a community, a bouquet, a collective, where each individual's unique beauty is also not diminished by this coming together, but rather enhanced. 

Come celebrate the unique beauty of our community! 

also TOMORRO

Register for our YEAR END GATHERING directly following our JUNE 21st Service

We hope you will join us for our 2025 Year End Gathering on Saturday, June 21 after our service until 9 pm. We will start with our Flower Communion followed by a dinner catered by Tamam. During and after dinner, we will share reports from the various UUSS teams and talk about our transition to Sociocracy. Then we will move into an opportunity to offer feedback on all aspects of UUSS’s activity including any barriers you are experiencing to participation. Finally, we will invite sharing of your ideas for the upcoming year.  We hope you will join us!

Please RSVP by filling out this short survey. It includes opportunities to share any dietary needs and also to ask for or offer rides to and from the event.

Come celebrate another wonderful year with us!

Join us for a Summer Potluck!
Sunday 27 on Bowen

Jilly and Michael Watson invite their UUSS friends to a Pot-Luck Lunch at their house on Bowen Island on Sunday July 27.

Bring a dish to share. Drinks will be provided. Watch the ferries go by from their deck (and maybe even see some whales).

Bowen Island is a 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay.Either drive your car on to the ferry, or walk-on as a foot-passenger. You'll be picked up when you walk off on Bowen Island, and driven to their house.

A good ferry to catch would be the 10:35am from Horseshoe Bay.Ferry tickets have to be purchased at least 10-minutes before sailing time. If you come by car, you’ll need to arrive much earlier, to be sure of getting on. Parking at Horseshoe Bay is challenging.  BC Ferries have pay parking lots, but they can fill-up on week-ends.  And on-street parking is limited to 2-hours, and is monitored by by-law officers.

If you are planning on walking on to the ferry, one option is to catch the No.257 Express Bus to the ferry terminal (from Georgia St. at Granville in Vancouver at 9:36am; or from Park Royal in West Vancouver at 9:53am).

Ferries from Bowen Island return after lunch at 1:55pm, 3:15pm, & 4:40pm. 

RSVP to Jilly at 604-813-7954 jilly.watson@shaw.ca for directions and confirmation.

Sign up for Circle Meals!

Joy Silver is once again organizing small potluck meal gatherings over the summer and throughout the fall as long as there is interest.  If you would like to host, and/or be a guest, please indicate on the response sheet on the link below.  Joy will match up hosts and guests.  Hosts will receive a call from Joy, providing guest names.  Hosts will call their guests. Multigenerational meals are encouraged.

Let’s have a lot of fun getting to know each other better while we break bread over a meal of your choice.  Consider even a picnic during the summer months.

Sign Up Link

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Help Stop Bill C-5 

The government has introduced Bill C-5, Building Canada Act and is trying to push it through Parliament by Canada Day. This will circumvent proper Parliamentary procedure and eliminate the opportunity for public consultation on a Bill that grants sweeping power to the government to avoid environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation on projects that are deemed to be “in the national interest”. Who decides which projects qualify and what the parameters of qualification are is not specified. And, imagine this power in the hands of a government that you don’t agree with!

To learn more visit here. 

We need to make our voices heard ASAP! Please call, email or visit your Member of Parliament to tell them to ensure that Bill C-5 gets proper public consultation and that it must include both environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation and consent for all projects regardless of their importance to the country.

Stop PGRT pipeline

✍️ sign Dogwood's petition to @markjcarney urging him to review the PRGT pipeline  project under the Investment Canada Act, which is supposed to protect the country from hostile foreign actors (given Trump’s threats, this takeover of energy infrastructure by his Wall Street allies meets the criteria): www.dogwoodbc.ca/petitions/carney-stop-american-pipeline/ 

June is National Indigenous History Month, and also marks 10 years since the launch of the Truth and Reconciliation report. Read more here.

Call for action on Gaza

On the one-year anniversary of the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage (May 22), a broad coalition of Canadian church leaders representing more than four million people wrote to the Prime Minister. Their message was urgent and unified: Canada must act now to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.  Read more here.

Dismantling Barriers: 
Talking About Joy as Resistance

 Thursday June 26 – 4:00 pm PT 

Join us on June 26th, 2025 from 7-8:30pm ET on Zoom for a workshop and conversation around joy as resistance.

As people prepare to move into summer mode, lets talk about joy as resistance and a key factor for the work of dismantling barriers.

Queer joy, trans joy, Black joy, Indigenous joy, Immigrant joy, working class joy, young joy, elder joy, there are so many kinds of ways to celebrate and practice joy as resistance.

It is one of my most core beliefs that we must facilitate intentional joy to encourage our faith and counteract the burnout that often comes with the work of dismantling. Let’s talk about it!

Unitarian Universalists
of the Salish Sea

Weekly Update
June 13, 2025

NEXT SATURDAY!

Join us for our final spring service on Sat June 21 @ 5:00
"Flower Communion”

St Margaret’s Cedar Cottage
1530 E. 22nd, Vancouver
In-person/Zoom

Bring a flower this week to add to our collective bouquet, as part of our Flower Communion! 

The Flower Communion is a beloved Unitarian Universalist ritual, developed in Czechoslovakia in 1923 by Norbert Čapek. This ritual symbolizes the coming together of our wild and varied selves into a community, a bouquet, a collective, where each individual's unique beauty is also not diminished by this coming together, but rather enhanced. 

Come celebrate the unique beauty of our community! 

also NEXT SATURDAY

Register for our YEAR END GATHERING directly following our JUNE 21st Service

We hope you will join us for our 2025 Year End Gathering on Saturday, June 21 after our service until 9 pm. We will start with our Flower Communion followed by a dinner catered by Tamam. During and after dinner, we will share reports from the various UUSS teams and talk about our transition to Sociocracy. Then we will move into an opportunity to offer feedback on all aspects of UUSS’s activity including any barriers you are experiencing to participation. Finally, we will invite sharing of your ideas for the upcoming year.  We hope you will join us!

Please RSVP by filling out this short survey. It includes opportunities to share any dietary needs and also to ask for or offer rides to and from the event.

Come celebrate another wonderful year with us!

TOMORROW!

Come hear some of our UUSS folks in their spring concert on June 14!

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Help Stop Bill C-5 

The government has introduced Bill C-5, Building Canada Act and is trying to push it through Parliament by Canada Day. This will circumvent proper Parliamentary procedure and eliminate the opportunity for public consultation on a Bill that grants sweeping power to the government to avoid environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation on projects that are deemed to be “in the national interest”. Who decides which projects qualify and what the parameters of qualification are is not specified. And, imagine this power in the hands of a government that you don’t agree with! To learn more visit here. 

We need to make our voices heard ASAP! Please call, email or visit your Member of Parliament to tell them to ensure that Bill C-5 gets proper public consultation and that it must include both environmental assessments and Indigenous consultation and consent for all projects regardless of their importance to the country.

Dismantling Barriers: 
Talking About Joy as Resistance

 Thursday June 26 – 4:00 pm PT 

Join us on June 26th, 2025 from 7-8:30pm ET on Zoom for a workshop and conversation around joy as resistance.

As people prepare to move into summer mode, lets talk about joy as resistance and a key factor for the work of dismantling barriers.

Queer joy, trans joy, Black joy, Indigenous joy, Immigrant joy, working class joy, young joy, elder joy, there are so many kinds of ways to celebrate and practice joy as resistance.

It is one of my most core beliefs that we must facilitate intentional joy to encourage our faith and counteract the burnout that often comes with the work of dismantling. Let’s talk about it!

Kudos to Lynda Fownes for making this amazing stole for our chaplain, Barb Moore.  Barb debuted this beautiful art piece while officiating Janni's stepdaughters's wedding a few weekends back.

Check out our social media!

We have many NEW followers and growing and now are on Blue Skye! 

Check the calendar on our website for more events!

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www.uusalishsea.ca      2025