Canadian Unitarian Council
Symposium 2023

Come, come, whoever you are, wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. Ours is no caravan of despair. Come, yet again come. Rumi

Focus on the 8th Principle

Join us in person or online to renew your spirit, reconnect with friends, and explore the 8th Principle and what it means to be a radically inclusive faith. Find opportunities to worship and bear witness, to learn and connect, in the Schedule at a Glance and the Program.

The 2023 Symposium on Living into the 8th Principle will be a multiplatform event. For the first time, we will be hosting events and facilitating discussions with in-person and online audiences at the same time.

All events will be held at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario between May 19 and 21, 2023. If you plan to attend the symposium in person, please review our Health and Safety statement.

How to Use the Website and Register

This website contains all the information you need to take part in the symposium. The menu on the top will help you get to the sections you need. Please read through BEFORE you register, especially the Program, Accommodations and Meals sections. The youth and young adult information has its own sections, accessed from the menu. Check out the FAQ section as well for answers to commonly asked questions.

When you go to register (the link will take you out of this website to the CUC website), keep this site open so that you can go back and forth.

Registration confirmation

Once you've successfully registered (remember to click on the Submit button at the end of the payment section), you will receive a confirmation email. SAVE THAT EMAIL. It will contain a link that goes to a password-protected section of the CUC website where you'll find links to all the sessions plus other relevant information for your virtual and in-person participation.

Virtual / Multiplatform and In-person Participation, and Livestreaming

What do we mean by these terms?

Livestreaming: these events are open to all and free of charge. No registration is required. You can find these on the CUC's YouTube channel. Livestreamed events are the Opening Ceremony and Confluence Lecture on Friday, May 19, and the National Worship Service on Sunday, May 21.

Virtual / Multiplatform: Paid Symposium registration is required for these events. The terms are used interchangeably to describe situations where virtual participants join those on site for an interactive experience. Multiplatform events are the Confluence Lecture (which is also being livestreamed) on Friday, and the Keynote, the four Streams and the conversation with the CUC Board on Saturday. Virtual participants will also be part of online Chalice Circles.

In-person: In-person participation in Ottawa entitles you to all the symposium activities on the Algonquin College campus. Paid Symposium registration is required.

Cost of Attending the Symposium

Money should not be a barrier to your participation in the symposium, and for that reason, we offer a sliding scale. Subsidies for youth, young adults, and adults are also available. Visit the Registration page for more information.