Alert Bay at Sacred Circle 2025
The 12th Sacred Circle took place Aug. 4-10, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. There were six attendees from Alert Bay (‘Yalis), as well as Rev. Sheila Cook. Sheila shared the following photo and quote from Yvon Gesinghaus, ‘Yalis:
“At Sacred Circle, each time we gather, we plant a tree and we bring waters from our home villages from all across Canada, to pour on [the] tree as we first plant it. We asked Janet to pour the water in memory of her father Sam and her mother Pootsa. Thank you, Uncle Sam and Auntie Pootsa for all you have done for us.”
St. Luke’s celebrates 165th anniversary
On Sunday, Oct. 19 (the day after the feast day of our patron saint, St. Luke) St. Luke’s parishioners and community partners celebrated the 165th anniversary of the parish of St. Luke. The first congregation at Cedar Hill met in the Irvine family farmhouse in September 1860.
Community members attending this 165th celebration included representatives from the Shelbourne Community Kitchen, the Dawson Housing Society, St. Luke’s Players and South Island Counselling Centre. Bishop Anna presided and preached at this special service. Oct. 19 was also St. Luke’s Stewardship Sunday when they thank their many volunteers and ask parishioners to consider their pledges for 2026.
After the service, parishioners and friends enjoyed a catered lunch (from Fig Deli) and two birthday cakes, and took in a historical display showing St. Luke’s through the years. It was a joyful celebration to mark St. Luke’s 165th anniversary.
St. Luke’s honours 196 veterans in St. Luke’s cemetery
St. Luke’s held a service of remembrance on Nov. 9 to honour the 196 veterans buried or commemorated in St. Luke’s cemetery. At the Fantastic Friday (messy, creative church for all ages held on the first Friday of the month) gathering on Nov. 7, children and adults made poppy banners to hang in the church and assembled remembrance pots to put on the veterans’ graves.
Youth and adults added rosemary, a Canadian flag and a poppy cross to the pots. Partway through the service of remembrance, attendees moved from inside the church to the cemetery where they recognized the 196 veterans resting in St. Luke’s cemetery by reading their names and placing remembrance pots on their graves.
The weather for the service was bright and sunny and St. Luke’s was grateful to be able to recognize their veterans in this way.
