June 2021 Operational income: $44,597 Operational expenses: $29,598 To 30 June we are AHEAD: $5,944
The Financial Update that appears in the Cathedral bulletin each week is an attempt to share information about our current financial status month to month.
It might not be difficult to imagine that accurately reporting our financial reality is a challenging task. "Designations" or "restrictions" on offerings adds a layer of complication as not all of the offerings we receive are available for use towards the general operating budget. At the same time, offerings fluctuate month to month having the potential to make it difficult to meet regular expenses.
In June 2021, an attempt to incorporate some new realities into regular reporting resulted in a January - June adjustment in those numbers to date. Notes to the June Financial Summary include:
the Summary is adjusted January to June better reflecting our current financial status
June expenses are significantly less than previous months for various reasons, including an end to the annual heating season
the staff parish nurse position has been vacant February -June 2021
annual interest from the clergy housing fund (O'Dell sale) has now been anticipated/estimated monthly to offset some of the clergy housing allowance expense
we received a generous and unexpected donation of $4000 in May following the death of a Cathedral member
The following is a letter from the Interim Steering Committee regarding the devastating fires in the Lytton area. Donations for emergency relief for those now homeless may be sent to: Marked "Lytton Fire" Territory of the People 360 Nicola Street Kamloops, BC. V2C 2P5 This letter in PDF format To the Members of the Lytton ... Read more
Residential Schools and Missing Indigenous Children
Since the discovery of the remains of 215 children in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, there have been questions about what the Anglican Church of Canada has done in response to the Calls to Action by the National Truth & Reconciliation Commission. There have also been questions about whether our National Church and dioceses are assisting in the work of making records available to indigenous leaders and communities so that other sites which may contain the remains of children who died at residential schools may be identified. I share with you part of a message from our Primate, Archbishop Linda Nicholls to the House of Bishops this week:
“We, of course, have much more to do to fulfill the TRC Calls to Action and are committed to that work, but we also need to keep our Church informed about work underway already.
The apologies of 1993 and 2019 are available on the national church website. There is ongoing work to make the Apology for Spiritual Harm available in Indigenous translations, just as the first apology has been translated (see: https://www.anglican.ca/tr/apology/).
Documents in the national archives relating to Anglican residential schools have all been copied and transferred to the Truth & Reconciliation Centre in Winnipeg. It is my understanding that all diocesan archives have also been transferred as required.
The national archivist, Laurel Parson, is committed to decolonizing the archives by including the original Indigenous names for places and people wherever possible. She spoke to (the Council of General Synod) in 2020 about that work and it was covered in The Journal at that time - here.
We are committed to the work of exploring the archives and burial records available in light of the list of missing children to find any references that would help with identification. All of this work must be done in collaboration with Indigenous people to set the parameters with sensitivity. I trust that diocesan archives will consider similar searches. There may be grants available through your province or territory to assist with the human resources needed to do this. In Ontario, the student summer grants program often helps the national archives complete projects.
I trust we are listening to the voices of Indigenous communities to walk with them in other actions needed. Anglican residential schools surely have similar unmarked sites and it is critical that we share in the responsibility to uncover as much information and truth as is possible in the coming months and years.
Please keep Archbishop Mark MacDonald and the Indigenous leaders – bishops, ACIP, Dawn Maracle and the suicide prevention workers, and all Indigenous clergy – all in your prayers. They are bearing the burden of the pain felt by so many in the reopening of the wounds of residential schools. With the death of (Indigenous Ministries Coordinator) Canon Ginny Doctor, and (Reconciliation Animator) Melanie Delva on leave, the leaders are under significant stress.” – Archbishop Linda Nicholls
The Elm City String Quartet performs at the beautiful Christ Church Cathedral, featuring works by Haydn, Borodin, and Shaw.
The Elm City String Quartet returns to the beautiful Christ Church Cathedral for their first concert of 2021. Enjoy the charm of Haydn’s “Lark” quartet, the romance of Borodin’s quartet number one, and the dynamism of Caroline Shaw’s “Blueprint.” The concert will be one hour in length with no intermission. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Please bring your community mask.
Parish Nurse for CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL, FREDERICTON NB
Permanent part-time position: 20 hours/ week with benefits
Definition: Parish nursing emphasizes the wholeness of body, mind and spirit rooted in the vision of Christ as Healer. A Parish Nurse is a registered nurse who practices holistic health for self, individuals and the community using nursing knowledge combined with spiritual care. See the Canadian Association of Parish Nursing Ministries.
From the review on A Mama's Corner of the World - Marvellous Macey spotlight - Can you va va voom? Do you light up the room? Marvellous Macey does! She may not quite fit the mould, but she is living delightful days. Embrace Macey's world of imagination and ability to love and accept everyone. Life may not be perfect and some things might be hard, but Macey shows us how to live in the moment and find the delight! Be inspired by Macey to make everyday the BEST day.
5 4 3 2 1 GO
It’s a launch. The book is real. It’s on the internet. And in a local shop here in Okotoks AB.
Time to sit back and relax.
Or be busier than ever wildly trying to cover my bases, step up to the plate, and score - these are mixed metaphors. I think they are sports-related, but you get the point.
Flipped-lid-magic
Macey “flips her lid” daily. That simply means that her feelings get big and she loses her ability to think and act clearly.
She lives in a world that often doesn’t make sense. Her functional age is younger than the almost eight-year-old she is. I feel like a good parallel would be me living in a country where I don’t understand the language.
On Monday, March 1 we set out to have a little celebration to mark the official launch of “Marvellous Macey, The Delightful Days.”
And we did. It was lovely.
The magic part was that after supper when Macey did “flip her lid” I was not deflated.
Everything doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect. I know I’m not done learning this lesson, but I have gotten so much better at accepting that we wouldn’t have the magic we have without the “flip side.”
Everything doesn’t have to be perfect to be perfect.
I finally have a tool to help start the conversation and to demonstrate that disability most definitely does not mean inability.
Into the unknown
A song from Frozen. And the place I’m wandering into.
One year ago (on March 6th exactly) I shared the first draft of “Marvellous Macey, The Delightful Days” with a group of authors in a publishing group I’m a part of.
I chewed my hangnails (like a do every day) and waited to see if I had written garbage or sunshine.
They suggested it was “delightful.” Having a draft is a far cry from having a real-life book in the world.
Now I do.
But having a real-life book is a far cry from it selling enough to pay your illustrator (or pay a desperately needed house cleaner).
I’ve been walking “into the unknown” for a long time so I guess it isn’t something to fear.
The unknown is uncomfortable and exciting all wrapped together.
True or false? “I made this book thing happen all by myself.”
False.
There is not one SINGLE thing I did all by myself. Not ONE.
I didn’t pay for the investment myself.
I have never self-published a book so I needed a coach, subscriptions, and memberships to things.
Um ... a picture book needs pictures so I had to hire an illustrator.
I didn’t even write all the words alone. I have a trusty side-kick who spent hours helping me (because even fully grown children need help from their mom).
I had help from a gracious editor for the fine-tuning.
There were logos to create, a website to build, publicity and marketing, and then books to be printed,
And more.
PLUS, there are all of you - the cheerleaders, buyers, and reviewers.
I love you so much for sharing screenshots of the book(s) arriving, pictures and videos of your kids and grandkids reading, words of encouragement, private and public reviews, and telling other people about the great new book you just ordered!
You. are. the. best.
The proof is in the pudding.
Is week two of the launch “the pudding” or is “the pudding” far away in the distance?
I don’t know. But I hope there is proof of this book filling hearts and homes with hope.
Press on,
Cait
P.S. Unless you really really really want off the hook please tell people about Marvellous Macey - the real girl - and about her book!
P.P.S. I was on a podcast last week talking about trial and triumph. I hope you will find it encouraging. See the graphic and go find it.
In-person worship at the Cathedral will resume and Memorial Hall will reopen to the public. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Monday to Friday.
Pandemic precautions outlined in the latest revision of the Cathedral Pandemic Operational Plan (20 January 2021) will be followed. These include:
Worship gatherings are limited to 50 individuals
Meetings are limited to 25 individuals
2 metres of physical distance between bubbles is required
Face masks are mandatoryindoors and out at all times (with an exception for “performers or officiants whose activities require vocalization” while maintaining 4 metres of physical distance between bubbles)
Please note that during the Orange Level, we are strongly encouraged to limit contact outside of single household bubbles, especially in confined spaces. Please continue to pray for those who are at risk and those providing care and helping to keep us safe.
Worship reservations
With current limits of individuals, worship reservations are required. Reserve online by visiting Cathedral Signups by 8:00 p.m. on the previous day. Telephone reservations are needed in real time (not by voicemail). If reserving by telephone, please contact the Cathedral Office (506) 450-8500 during office hours, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon, Monday to Friday.
Basswood on Cathedral grounds gains new life with carvers
When a 2020 summer storm struck and felled a large basswood on the east end of the Cathedral Green, Christ Church Cathedral congregation member and former forester Eric Hadley volunteered to step in and help with cleanup.
Unlike many large trees felled by wind storms, Eric saw that the roots of this tree had remained firmly planted while the tree trunk itself had snapped.
Closer examination revealed considerable rot within the tree. This outwardly strong-looking basswood was a bit of a disaster waiting to happen. And along came Mother Nature and her winds providing just that disaster!
Since there are other Tília Americana (basswood) trees on the Cathedral property, it seemed like a good idea to check for any signs of visible rot and potential for damage to the Cathedral building itself.
Sure enough, just outside the west end (main) door and directly in line with the stained glass window over that door, stood another big old basswood showing what Eric believed to be signs of rot.
a legacy for future generations
When Eric brought in Mike Glynn, assistant manager of Parks and Trees and city forester for the City of Fredericton, he confirmed the diagnosis and advised that this old beauty posed considerable risk to the building. He recommended it be removed.
Enter Calvin Thompson, manager of First Nations relations, City of Fredericton. Calvin contacted Cathedral officials to see if there would be an interest in offering the wood to the St. Mary’s First Nation community.
The answer was a resounding yes! Renowned indigenous woodcarver Percy Sacobie was delighted to accept the offer. Basswood has long been the wood of choice for indigenous carvers, coveted for its featureless, fine-grained, white wood that doesn’t splinter or chip easily.
Percy Sacobie, woodcarver, Mike O’Brien, Mayor, Eric Hadley
In addition, Bob Clowater of the Fredericton Woodcarvers group was interested in obtaining some of the wood for their 17 members who meet twice a week at the Johnson Street Seniors Workshop.
And thus, this venerable old tree, Tília Americana, will leave a legacy for future generations. It may no longer stand guarding those ancient Cathedral walls, but it will not be relegated to the wood chipper or the furnace!
Its God-given artistic form will be transformed into man-made artistic forms by New Brunswick woodcarvers and enjoyed for years to come.
As referenced in the Dean's Pastoral Letter for Christmas 2020, the true cost of the current pandemic is yet to be calculated. The issue of many in our society attempting to navigate the economic realities should be important to us all. Please pray for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 18 December the Dean of Fredericton signed the letter below addressed to New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs and Minister Wilson.
Re: Support New Brunswick’s Tenants During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dear Premier Higgs and Minister Wilson,
We, the under-signed non-profit organizations and grassroots advocacy groups working in the areas of
housing, poverty, employment, and human rights, are writing to request government action to offer
support for tenants in New Brunswick during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a group of organizations with
expertise in housing and closely related issues, we are providing the following:
1) a summary of the challenges facing tenants in New Brunswick,
2) a list of pandemic-related recommendations for your consideration, and
3) a discussion of some of the benefits for New Brunswickers that these measures can produce. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, other provinces have offered similar support for tenants and we request that the government of New Brunswick consider doing the same.
The Challenges
As the COVID-19 crisis continues, greater support for tenants in New Brunswick is urgently needed.
Even before the pandemic, tenants in New Brunswick were facing significant challenges. The Canadian
Rental Housing Index 1 shows that 36% of renter households in the province are living in unaffordable
housing, with 14% living in situations of severe unaffordability. At the same time, the New Brunswick
government has reported that across the province vacancy rates dropped while tenant shelter costs
rose 14% between the last two censuses 2. In this same timeframe, the median tenant income increased
by only 11% ($29,769 to $33,226). Homeowners in the province, however, experienced the inverse,
with median income growing by 13.8% ($62,602 to $71,259) and shelter costs by only 9.9%. 3 Simply
put, tenants in the province, as a group, have less of a financial reserve to draw on during periods of
hardship. This hardship is experienced disproportionately by lone female parents, people with
disabilities, and Black and Indigenous people and People of Colour. The pandemic will only continue to
exacerbate these challenges.
In addition to the concerning trends represented by these statistics, anecdotal evidence of a rental
housing crisis is in the news and on social media, with tenants reporting monthly increases in rents of
upwards of 50% at a time, amounting to hundreds of dollars per month. Faced with these new and
unanticipated costs, it is foreseeable that many tenants will be forced to seek lower-priced
accommodations at a time when there is an extreme shortage of affordable rental stock. There is also
the risk that tenant relocation due to dramatic rent increases will require tenants to move out of their
neighbourhoods and further away from their places of employment, thereby disrupting access to their
support networks and necessities such as public transportation and childcare.
While we recognize that average rent and utility costs in New Brunswick may be lower than the national
average in absolute numbers, so too is the average income of New Brunswick tenants. When
compared to the national average, tenants in New Brunswick are spending approximately the same
percentage of their income on rent and utilities and face similar rates of unaffordable housing. 4 Tenants
in New Brunswick, therefore, need support similar to that provided in other jurisdictions.
Our Recommendations
We are calling on the provincial government to immediately implement the following support for
tenants:
1. Introduce a 2% cap on rental increases for existing tenants until a vaccine has been
successfully rolled out and the entire province of New Brunswick has been moved into the
Green Phase.
This will ensure that tenants remain housed at a time of income uncertainty. It will also allow
tenants to budget effectively at a time when New Brunswickers are often forced to miss work
due to symptoms of or risk of exposure to COVID-19.
2. Make this 2% rent cap retroactive to September 1, 2020, and allow tenants to apply any
ensuing rent credits to arrears and/or future rental costs.
3. Re-establish a moratorium on evictions until the entire province returns to the Green Phase.
Since June 1st, 2020, New Brunswickers have been without any kind of eviction protection
despite the economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 and the now well-established
relationship between homelessness and vulnerability to COVID-19. As the second wave of the
virus continues to hit Canada hard as winter begins, it is essential that New Brunswick tenants
have a secure place to live where they can limit contacts, self-isolate if necessary, and maintain
their health and well-being as we weather this crisis together. A renewed moratorium on
evictions would support public health efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
4. Fund a rent bank that provides tenants in financial need with non-repayable grants or interest-
free loans to cover their rent OR implement a rental subsidy program similar to that put in
place by the government of Prince Edward Island at the beginning of the pandemic.
A rent bank will limit rental arrears and forestall evictions for unpaid rent during the pandemic
following the end of any moratorium on evictions. More broadly, a rent bank will support the
provincial government’s stated commitment to “timely access to affordable, safe and adequate
housing options that meet individual needs and promote healthy and inclusive communities.” 5
One model is the BC Rent Bank, with funding provided by the provincial government. 6
We also request that in the new year, before March 31st, 2021, the government take the following
actions:
1. Roll-out the Canada–New Brunswick Housing Benefit that is part of the Canada–New
Brunswick bilateral agreement under the National Housing Strategy.
As part of the National Housing Strategy, “the federal government committed to introducing a
new $4 billion dollar Canada Housing Benefit that would provide affordability support directly to
families and individuals in housing need.” 7 While other provinces have taken the opportunity to
implement housing benefits for low-income renters (e.g. Nova Scotia, Ontario), New Brunswick
has not yet done so. However, there are provisions for the implementation of this benefit for the
2020–2021 fiscal year in the bilateral agreement (see Schedule B). 8
2. Establish a New Brunswick Affordable Housing Commission
The commission will support the implementation of the provincial housing strategy and will
identify and contribute to the establishment of promising practices for the purpose of addressing
housing challenges in the immediate post-COVID-19 context.
The Benefits of Taking Action
Improving support for tenants during the pandemic will serve as both a response to the numerous
financial hardships brought on or exacerbated by the pandemic and will support the continued efforts of
public health to stop the spread of COVID-19 in New Brunswick. Offering tenants greater support will
also safeguard the pre-pandemic work done by government and non-governmental stakeholders alike
on affordable housing, community development, and homelessness 9 from the economic hardships
COVID-19 has caused. Similar measures have been taken by the governments of other small
provinces, such as Nova Scotia, and larger provinces, like Ontario and British Columbia. We therefore
hope that the government of New Brunswick will implement our recommendations as part of its ongoing
commitment to maintaining New Brunswick’s position as a leader in the fight against COVID-19.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Those signing on behalf of community organizations
Since March 2020 the Cathedral has provided a combination of video recording and live streaming Sunday worship. Live streaming Sunday and special worship events are well ‘attended’ with the number of views this fall ranging between 50 and 75 per service. The November worship during Covid orange had 117 views and the fall ordination had 146. Comments and feedback indicate that the streaming is very much appreciated by those who do not attend every week (allowing others a chance to attend with the 50 or 80 maximum) and those who do not feel comfortable worshiping in person. The live streams keep Cathedral people engaged, nourished, and feeling a part of the church community.
This is an investment in the wider Cathedral community and an outreach tool
We believe that video streaming should be part of the Sunday routine in the future, recommend that and request the funding for purchase and installation. This is an investment in the wider Cathedral community and an outreach tool that will appeal to those not currently part of a church family. To date, we have used a web camera and computer belonging to Peter Jacobs. Video editing, when it has occurred, again has used personal computers. There has been a steep learning curve regarding pricing and determining the specifics, but it has been successful, and we have used what we have learned to create this proposal. We want to proceed quickly in order to provide a higher quality solution which will be simpler to provide as soon as possible. To date Peter Jacobs and Kirsten McKnight have been operating the live stream, but we would add to those numbers and create a sign-up category to ensure each event is covered.
