Join us for community events!
National Indigenous Day
June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous peoples.
Easter Egg Hunt 2023
When: Join our Easter Egg Hunt, on April 8th at 11am.
Where: Robert Porter Park, 1350 Fairfield Rd. School parking lot off of Thurlow Ave.
Hippity hoppity down for our annual Easter Egg Hunt Robert Porter Park. We will sing a few songs, hunt for some eggs in age-appropriate groups and retrieve some candy!!! Caregiver supervision is required for all children. Siblings under 1 of a registered child are free. Please bring your own Easter basket.
We will also be collecting donations for Our Place, suggested donation (free) $5.00 per child, $10.00 per family.
Fairfield United & Oak Bay United Church are creating this inclusive, fun, community event! Whoop!!!
NOTE: Rain or Shine this hunt will happen. If it’s raining miserably we will have the hunt inside the Garry Oak Room and area.
WE are looking for a few volunteers to assist with Set up, so if you know anyone who can assist - Hide Easter Eggs, take registration etc.
Please contact Annalise annalisemolony9@gmail.com or Beth bethoflife@fairfieldunitedchurch.com
Good Friday
Join us this week for Good Friday Vesper Gathering. We meet at Oak Bay United Church for a service of Gathering
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday | April 6th, 2023 | 7:00 PM | Vesper Gathering we meet at Oak Bay United Church for a service of Music, Communion and the Labyrinth.
Palm Sunday
Join us this week for Palm Sunday. We gather in the Garry Oak Room at 10AM. All you need to bring is yourself. All are welcome.
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Join us this week for the Fourth Sunday in lent. We gather in the Garry Oak Room at 10AM. All you need to bring is yourself. All are welcome.
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Join us this week for the Fourth Sunday in lent. We gather in the Garry Oak Room at 10AM. All you need to bring is yourself. All are welcome.
Third Sunday of Lent
Join us this week for the Third Sunday in lent. We gather in the Garry Oak Room at 10AM. All you need to bring is yourself. All are welcome.
Second Sunday of Lent
Join us this week for the second Sunday in lent. We gather in the Garry Oak Room at 10AM. All you need to bring is yourself. All are welcome.
First Sunday of Lent
Join us this week for the first Sunday in lent. We gather in the Garry Oak Room at 10AM. All you need to bring is yourself. All are welcome.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday | February 22, 2023 | 7:00 PM | Vesper Gathering we meet at Oak Bay United Church for a service of Music, Ashes, and Communion.
NMMIWG Walk
Solidarity walk to bring awareness to the vast number of cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous Women, a grossly under-publicized epidemic.
Orange Shirt Day: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Orange Shirt Day events were designed to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness and honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families, and to commit to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Chief Justice Murray Sinclair challenged all of the participants to keep the reconciliation process alive, as a result of the realization that every former student had similar stories.
We're on Sabbatical!
Our sabbatical is (everything is shut down) from August 15th to August 29th (except for Mount St Mary worship), so there is NO worship on August 21st or 28th. Rebecca will be off the August 1st to 31st. We will be monitoring our phones and email.
Campfire Family Event
Join us for a campfire, guitar singing and marshmallows. 7 - 8:30PM, in Porter Park. The evening will include fireside singing, storytelling and marshmallows. Bring your own lawn chairs, marshmallow roasters and marshmallows.
Campfire Family Event
Join us for a campfire, guitar singing and marshmallows. 7 - 8:30PM, in Porter Park. The evening will include fireside singing, storytelling and marshmallows. Bring your own lawn chairs, marshmallow roasters and marshmallows.
Victoria Pride
We are Joining With Other United Churches to Create a Show of Support! The long-awaited information about the PRIDE Parade is HERE!
We gather at 9:45 am for Song and a Blessing (song sheets will be provided), and we will be ready to be on the move at 10:30.
WE meet along Kitma Road near Spinnakers Brew Pub.
We gather for Song, and a Blessing at 9:45 am
The Parade will start moving at 10:30 am.
3km walk, remember to bring water, dress for the weather.
Fairfield Artists Studio Tour Sunday
The Fairfield Artists Studio Tour is an annual self-guided tour that provides art-lovers an opportunity to meet local artists, tour their studios and view their work while exploring the beautiful neighbourhoods of Fairfield, Rockland and Gonzales in Victoria BC.
This free community event is a celebration of the rich variety of art being created in Victoria. Established and emerging artists open their studio doors to the public to display their fine art including painting, pottery, glass, jewellery, textiles and photography.
More info here: https://www.fairfieldartistsstudiotour.com/
Fairfield Artists Studio Tour Saturday
The Fairfield Artists Studio Tour is an annual self-guided tour that provides art-lovers an opportunity to meet local artists, tour their studios and view their work while exploring the beautiful neighbourhoods of Fairfield, Rockland and Gonzales in Victoria BC.
This free community event is a celebration of the rich variety of art being created in Victoria. Established and emerging artists open their studio doors to the public to display their fine art including painting, pottery, glass, jewellery, textiles and photography.
More info here: https://www.fairfieldartistsstudiotour.com/
Gardening & Labyrinth Project
Do you love gardening, the outdoors or the community? Do you wonder how to connect with the earth and the stories of this landscape? Join us for some spring fun!
A walking labyrinth where you can bring clippings from your garden and lay them down as you walk and meditate. There will be a Labyrinth table where you can learn about the Labyrinth and how to make one or walk one. They are amazing and fun activities.
Self-guided tour of the Food Forest with prizes for kids.
Seed swap table supported by Victoria Seed Swap. Bring any extra seeds you have to trade/donate or just pick up some free seeds for your garden this year.
There are three indigenous story times at the story tent where kids can hear a spring-related story from an indigenous storyteller. 12:15pm, 12:45pm, 1:15pm
A kids table, where kids can plant native seeds to grow for their garden and colouring pages for creative expression.
Non-profit organizations include gardening and food security like the Compost Education Center, CR Fair, and Abkhazi Garden.
A plant sale fundraiser to raise funds for finishing the deer fencing at the Food Forest. Bring any plants that you feel like donating.
Book Study - Reading Rilke in Our Time
Fairfield United Church is hosting a book study centred on 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke, led by Cornelia van Voorst and Rev Beth Walker.
We will explore, letters to a Young Poet discusses God, life, love, suffering and grief in a way that is surprisingly relevant for our time. Many of us over the last two years of uncertainty have felt a sense of loss and grief. We wonder how to move forward with hope and faith. Listening to a poetic voice might bring a fresh perspective.
"Live the questions now. Perhaps you then may gradually, without noticing, one day in the future, live into the answers. Perhaps you bear within yourself the capacity to imagine and shape a sacred way of life." – Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy
As an introduction here is an interview with the authors of a new translation which might encourage you to engage with Rilke's wisdom.
The book study will be offered by Rev Beth Zoom on :
Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm beginning January 26 to February 23
Please register by email here!
Copies by various publishers and translators are available locally at Russell Books (4), Munros Books (3) Online Abe books has various used copies available. On Kindle copies are available immediately. Audible has a number of version available
Greater Victoria Public Library has five copies including the new translation but all but one copy is on hold.
Book Study - Reading Rilke in Our Time
Fairfield United Church is hosting a book study centred on 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke, led by Cornelia van Voorst and Rev Beth Walker.
We will explore, letters to a Young Poet discusses God, life, love, suffering and grief in a way that is surprisingly relevant for our time. Many of us over the last two years of uncertainty have felt a sense of loss and grief. We wonder how to move forward with hope and faith. Listening to a poetic voice might bring a fresh perspective.
"Live the questions now. Perhaps you then may gradually, without noticing, one day in the future, live into the answers. Perhaps you bear within yourself the capacity to imagine and shape a sacred way of life." – Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy
As an introduction here is an interview with the authors of a new translation which might encourage you to engage with Rilke's wisdom.
The book study will be offered by Rev Beth Zoom on :
Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm beginning January 26 to February 23
Please register by email here!
Copies by various publishers and translators are available locally at Russell Books (4), Munros Books (3) Online Abe books has various used copies available. On Kindle copies are available immediately. Audible has a number of version available
Greater Victoria Public Library has five copies including the new translation but all but one copy is on hold.
Book Study - Reading Rilke in Our Time
Fairfield United Church is hosting a book study centred on 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke.
We will explore, letters to a Young Poet discusses God, life, love, suffering and grief in a way that is surprisingly relevant for our time. Many of us over the last two years of uncertainty have felt a sense of loss and grief. We wonder how to move forward with hope and faith. Listening to a poetic voice might bring a fresh perspective.
"Live the questions now. Perhaps you then may gradually, without noticing, one day in the future, live into the answers. Perhaps you bear within yourself the capacity to imagine and shape a sacred way of life." – Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy
As an introduction here is an interview with the authors of a new translation which might encourage you to engage with Rilke's wisdom.
The book study will be offered by Rev Beth Zoom on :
Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm beginning January 26 to February 23
Please register by email here!
Copies by various publishers and translators are available locally at Russell Books (4), Munros Books (3) Online Abe books has various used copies available. On Kindle copies are available immediately. Audible has a number of version available
Greater Victoria Public Library has five copies including the new translation but all but one copy is on hold.
Book Study - Reading Rilke in Our Time
Fairfield United Church is hosting a book study centred on 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke.
We will explore, letters to a Young Poet discusses God, life, love, suffering and grief in a way that is surprisingly relevant for our time. Many of us over the last two years of uncertainty have felt a sense of loss and grief. We wonder how to move forward with hope and faith. Listening to a poetic voice might bring a fresh perspective.
"Live the questions now. Perhaps you then may gradually, without noticing, one day in the future, live into the answers. Perhaps you bear within yourself the capacity to imagine and shape a sacred way of life." – Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy
As an introduction here is an interview with the authors of a new translation which might encourage you to engage with Rilke's wisdom.
The book study will be offered by Rev Beth Zoom on :
Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm beginning January 26 to February 23
Please register by email here!
Copies by various publishers and translators are available locally at Russell Books (4), Munros Books (3) Online Abe books has various used copies available. On Kindle copies are available immediately. Audible has a number of version available
Greater Victoria Public Library has five copies including the new translation but all but one copy is on hold.
Book Study - Reading Rilke in Our Time
Fairfield United Church is hosting a book study centred on 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke.
We will explore, letters to a Young Poet discusses God, life, love, suffering and grief in a way that is surprisingly relevant for our time. Many of us over the last two years of uncertainty have felt a sense of loss and grief. We wonder how to move forward with hope and faith. Listening to a poetic voice might bring a fresh perspective.
"Live the questions now. Perhaps you then may gradually, without noticing, one day in the future, live into the answers. Perhaps you bear within yourself the capacity to imagine and shape a sacred way of life." – Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy
As an introduction here is an interview with the authors of a new translation which might encourage you to engage with Rilke's wisdom.
The book study will be offered by Rev Beth Zoom on :
Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm beginning January 26 to February 23
Please register by email here!
Copies by various publishers and translators are available locally at Russell Books (4), Munros Books (3) Online Abe books has various used copies available. On Kindle copies are available immediately. Audible has a number of version available
Greater Victoria Public Library has five copies including the new translation but all but one copy is on hold.
Fall Fairfield
We will be HOSTING a storytelling tent between 12-4PM! You will find us in the ‘Activity Alley’. We will feature:
Katherine Lacerte: 12-1 PM - Metis storyteller and Moosehide Campaign organizer
Beth Walker 1-2 PM - Exploring Creativity through Story! Dot - What does a Caterpillar do? by David McArthur
Stephanie Rabbers - 2-3 PM, author of ‘The Mudhole’, a children’s book about making friends.
The Mudhole
When a friendly hippo spends his day hanging out in his favorite mud hole by the river, who would suspect that other animals from the Savannah might join him and learn that the hippo’s special spot was a wonderfully relaxing place to hang out after all! Hendriks is a confident young hippo who is hoping to make new friends, while Malachite, the Malachite Kingfisher bird, keeps an eye on the animals from all sorts of surprising places. Look to see if you can spot him!
Maggie Reidy - 3-4pm, author of The Great Global Pause, a book for children of all ages tools and wisdom that will help to make the world a better place for the earth, the creatures, and the humans
The Great Global Pause: Inspired By Life On Earth In 2020
A young child is swimming in the ocean when a giant Sea Turtle swims by. The Grandmother Turtle, named Keola, takes the child on an underwater adventure, showing an abundance of healthy ocean life that began to flourish after the COVID-19 pandemic. The child shares their own perspective of what life was like during the restrictions and changes. They share tools and wisdom that will help to make the world a better place for the earth, the creatures, and the humans. This book is well-suited for children of all ages (and the older people who read it to them.)
PROGRAMMING
Main Stage:
12-12:05 pm – welcome and general event information
12:05-12:35 pm – Lekwungen Dancers
12:40-1:10 pm – Emily Stewart & Robert Wood
1:20-2:05 pm – Dead Deer in a Ditch
2:20-3:05 pm – Lelolai
3:20-4:05pm – Bucan Bucan
4:05 pm – quick closing, thank you & good bye
Activity Alley:
*Pop-up Pollinator Workshop w/ Yarrow Collective
*Harvest Hat Creations
*Scarecrow Craft w/Tanya
*Zumba Demonstration w/Isabel
*Story Time Corner w/ The Fairfield United Church
*Pie Walk
Community Engagement:
-Live mural painting w/ Cassia & Carlee
-Nature Mandalas w/Alifia
-Giant Bubbles
-Photo booth
-Storybook Walk
Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/2tyGanVBX
Instagram: @fairfieldcommunity
Us & Them
On Tuesday, June 15th, the FGCA will be co-hosting a virtual screening of a film called "Us and Them", following several people in their journey out of the street. The goal of this event is to understand why we are so divided about homelessness in our society. Guided by panelists, together we will explore the realities of people with lived experience of homelessness, listen to each other, and find potential solutions to alleviate stress on all sides. After registering through Eventbrite, you will receive a link to watch the movie from the comfort of your home. Then, at 7pm, join our Zoom meeting to discuss the movie and topic!
For the Love of Trees
Join us for an informative conversation about old growth forests, treasured for their historical, as well as their environmental significance. In this era of climate catastrophe, these forests are essential to control flooding, to minimize habitat loss and to reduce species extinction. Polling by the Sierra Club indicates that 92% of British Colombians support government action to protect these ancient trees. They need us to speak for them.
Please join the zoom meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4969423617
Here is the report on Old Forests which the government approved as policy, which their Fairy Creek decisions are contradicting. The cover letter (p.2) puts it in the larger context of the collective response to the climate crisis. The executive summary (only 3 pages: 14-16) gives the broad context and priorities (of which the preservation of existing old growth is very high). Please view the document here.
Our presenters are Jane Welton and Elizabeth Noble!
About Jane Welton
Jane Welton had the good fortune to be born in BC, the most biodiverse province in Canada, into an outdoorsy family. As a child, she got to know trees intimately because she loved to climb them. Now she works to protect them as leader of the Forestry SubCommittee of the Climate Action Research Team of Greater Victoria Acting Together.
Jane began her activism as a young teen on a junior high student council that changed the rules so that girls no longer had to wear dresses to public school! (That’s how old she is!) Her favorite form of activism is through music. She has sung with Aya, Musaic and Resistance Rising, groups formed to sing the world into change. She also put a lot of effort into raising the next generation of activists and is proud to say: “Mission accomplished.”
Jane has worked for women’s rights, peace, the environment, labor rights, indigenous rights, LGBTQ2S+ rights and more. She is grateful for the vision of people like Naomi Klein who have woven all these issues together as climate justice.
Jane is a reader and highly recommends 2 books to save the planet from climate change—Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth and A Good War by Seth Klein.
Jane is a Co-Lead with GVAT’s Climate Action Research Team.
Letter Template for Fairy Creek Situation To Be Sent from Individuals and Organizations “We write on behalf of (name of your member organization) to express our concern about the increasingly racialized violence directed towards Indigenous people in the Walbran/Fairy Creek encampments. To our knowledge these encampments are not blockades and should not be subject to any Court injunctions. Click here for a link for the template and addresses.
Our Land Acknowledgement Kathryn Lacerte is the Director of Education for the Moose Hide Campaign. The Moose Hide Campaign is a grassroots, Indigenous organization calling on men and boys, along with all Canadians, to stand up against violence towards women and children, especially Indigenous women and children. This is a local initiative that has gone national and is now in its tenth year. They have distributed over 2.5 million moose hide pins across Canada with the intention of starting conversations and shining a light into the shadows of this prevalent issue.
Moose Hide Campaign Day
Join us on February 11th as we come together online for a day of action, inspiration, ceremony and fasting.
The Moose Hide Campaign is a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards women and children.
Wearing this moose hide signifies your commitment to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in your life and to work together to end violence against women and children.
Anti-Racism Book Club
Save the date - Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm! Since September, a small group of Fairfield members have been meeting monthly to discuss books on anti-racism issues On January 21, 2021, from 7-8pm (on Zoom), we will be discussing the book, 21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act, by Bob Joseph (Indigenous Relations Press, 2018). Bruce Lemire-Elmore will be leading the evening’s discussion.