Announcements

April 27
Time is Running Out: Registration Closes in 5 Days

Registration for the Canadian Unitarian Council's 2023 Symposium  closes Monday at midnight (ET). Don't miss your chance to reflect on what it means to live into the 8th Principle--online or in person in Ottawa, ON. 

Highlights include:

• Opening ceremony and banner parade

• Confluence Lecture featuring Rev. Julie Stoneberg

• Keynote presentation by Albert Dumont, English Poet Laureate of Ottawa

• Workshops in one of four streams:

  • Widening the Circle 2.0

  • Uncolonizing Environmental Justice

  • Conflict & Covenant

  • Music & Worship

• National Multigenerational Worship Service with Revs. Eric Meter, Diane Rollert, and Fulgence Ndagijimana

Registration for the children's program, CanUUdle (youth con), the Chorus program for young adults, and OWL facilitator training also ends May 1. 

Hurry. Register now to secure your spot. 

April 27
Time is Running Out: Registration Closes in 5 Days

Talent Show: In person

Saturday, May 20, 8:00 - 10:00 pm ET

Wolves Den, Athletic Facility 

Join us Saturday, May 20th for an open mic organized by our host committee.  There will be music, storytelling, poetry, spoken word, and jokes from UUs of all ages at this in-person social event. You can also expect a few rounds of trivia. Got something to share? This is the place!

Sign up   to  perform for up to 5 minutes. We cannot wait to see your talents.pril 20

April 20

Introducing Chalice Circles

The Canadian Unitarian Council is  introducing something new at the 2023 National Symposium: Chalice Circles.

Register to attend the symposium in person or online. You will be invited to join a small group. Together, you will reflect on your experience during the symposium and what it means to be a radically inclusive faith. 

We cannot wait for you to join us.

Read about chalice circles and other opportunities to strengthen connections at the symposium.

April 18
Keynote Speaker: Albert Dumont (Algonquin, Kitigan Zibi)

We are honoured to welcome Albert Dumont (Algonquin, Kitigan Zibi) to the Canadian Unitarian Council’s National Symposium, where he will deliver the keynote presentation on Saturday, May 20, 2023.

Dumont, the English Poet Laureate of Ottawa, has  dedicated his life to promoting Indigenous spirituality and healing and to protecting the rights of  Indigenous Peoples.

Learn more about Albert Dumont

To hear him speak, register to attend the symposium (online or in person) by May 1, 2023.

April 13
Confluence Lecture: Open Minds | Closed Doors

Twenty years ago, UU Ministers of Canada (UUMOC) launched the Confluence Lecture series to stimulate and promote critical thinking on issues important to Canadian Unitarian Universalists. 

Since then, the Confluence Lecture has been a highlight of the Canadian Unitarian Council’s National Conference. This year is no exception. 

We are pleased to announce that Rev. Julie Stoneberg will deliver the 2023 Confluence Lecture. Rev. Stoneberg ministered for over 17 years with two Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations in Ontario and recently moved to Wisconsin where she is serving UU Church West as Interim Minister.

Learn more about Rev. Stoneberg and her topic–Open Minds | Closed Doors. 

The Confluence Lecture will be livestreamed on the CUC's YouTube Channel and on Zoom for those who cannot attend in person. 

April 11
Music at the Symposium  

Come, come, whoever you are. 

Music plays a vital role in worship and in our community. This year, we are pleased to announce that Joe McDonald (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa) and Susanne Maziarz (Neighbourhood UU Congregation) will co-direct the music program at the symposium–and you can sing with them. 

Sign up for the in-person, multigenerational choir that will perform during the *national worship service on Sunday, May 21.

 If you would like to sing in the choir, please fill out this form by May 1, and further information will be sent to you.

*The multigenerational worship service will be livestreamed at 10:30 am ET on the CUC's YouTube Channel, and will be available immediately afterward for any congregation that wants to use it for their own service.

April 6
Young Fun Children’s Program
May 20-21, 2023

The 2023 Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) Symposium on Living into the 8th principle has something for everyone, including children 0 to 13 years old.

Young Fun, the children’s program, will celebrate how what makes us different makes us special.

Learn more about this dynamic in-person program led by Religious Educator Sarah Baxter. 

Registration closes May 1, 2023.

April 4
CanUUdle
May 19 - 22, 2023
First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON 

Youth between the ages of 14 and 19  are invited to gather  in person in Ottawa, Ontario for CanUUdle, the Canadian Unitarian Council’s national youth conference (May 19 to 22).

The conference theme—Bee UUrself—was inspired by hard-working and team-focussed bees, the hopefulness of spring, and the promise of the 8th Principle.

Learn more about CanUUdle.

March 30
YA at the Symposium 

If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, we invite you to participate in Chorus, a series of optional events for young adults attending the 2023 Symposium on Living into the 8th Principal. 

Highlights include half-day “mini-cons” on Friday, May 19 and Monday, May 22; a social gathering on Friday night; and our beloved youth and young adult  Bridging ceremony on Saturday evening.

Registration for the 2023 Symposium closes May 1. Sign up today.

March 28
Volunteering for the Symposium

Are you a Religious Educator, tech savvy, or good with details?  We need volunteers with these skills and more to plan and coordinate the 2023 National Symposium.

There are many opportunities to volunteer for the symposium, online or in person, before or during the event.  If you would like to join the team, let us know how and when  you would like to help. Fill in this form today.

March 23

Post-Symposium: OWL Facilitator Training - In Person

Sunday, May 21, 2:00  pm ET – Tuesday, May 23, 3:00 pm ET

At the 2023 National Symposium, we invite you to live into the 8th Principle. One way to do that is to provide children, youth, or adults with comprehensive sexuality education that dismantles barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions. 

Become a facilitator for Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education. OWL facilitator training provides theoretical and hands-on training to lead the Our Whole Lives programs for children, youth, or adults. We welcome those from outside the Unitarian Universalist tradition who would like to run OWL programs in schools, camps or other settings. This training is a requirement for using OWL curricula and materials.

All three training programs will be held at Algonquin College and First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. They are open to Canadians and Americans. Please check the travel page for directions to and from the college and First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa.