Saskatchewan anglican
The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • May 2013
Sharing personal stories in Biggar By Cindy Hoppe BIGGAR (S’toon) – On March 11, PALS (Presbyterians, Anglicans and Lutherans in Service) hosted an information meeting at New Horizons Hall Elder Ray in Biggar, with Sanderson special guests Lyndon Linklater from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner’s Speakers’ Bureau in Saskatoon and Elder Ray Sanderson from the James Smith First Nation. There is always more to learn about the complex issues surrounding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) process; sharing personal stories helps to create the beginnings of relationship, understanding and healing. After the powerful experience of the TRC’s national event in Saskatoon last June, the question arose: where do we go from here? How do we share some of the TRC experience with those who did not make it to Saskatoon for the event? In our experience, we made contact with Jennifer Heimbecker at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and she set up the rest. The presentations were eye-, ear- and heart-opening and we had people attend whose experiences with the foster system helped expand the conversation. We set up the hall, put on some coffee and let the stories lead. Lyndon Linklater spoke first and with his engaging personality, reminded us of our oral traditions through songs and customs that immediately give us our culture. Lyndon effectively put us in the place First Nations peoples were in over a century-and-a-half ago, when they negotiated for the future of their people with a race with which they had little common ground. By using simple analogies, Lyndon put us in our treaty partners’ shoes in a far more effective way than showering us with history dates and names. He (Continued on page 6)
Former managing editor Fred Stephens dies Staff
Four-year-old Graeme Irvine paints garden row markers, during a Seedy Saturday event at St. Mary’s in Regina. The event attracted a large crowd to learn about gardening and to buy or trade heritage seeds. Photo – Sharon Pratchler
Growing together during Seedy Saturday By Sharon Pratchler “Then God said, ‘I will give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole Earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food’” (Genesis 1:29). REGINA – On a beautifully warm day in early March, St. Mary’s Anglican Church hosted the third annual Seedy Saturday in Regina. The event itself, Seedy Saturday, is one of a series of events held across Canada, under the general umbrella of Seeds of Diversity, a non-profit organization whose mandate is to preserve heritage seeds. This was the first year the event was sponsored by the church rather than simply providing a location for the event. As a result, a theological component was added to the event, with a short Service of Blessing of the Seeds, Earth, Water and Gardeners, by rector
Rev. Claude Schroeder. The crowd also joined in on a rendition of The Garden Song: “Inch by inch, row by row, someone bless these seeds I sow.” A number of talks were offered: The Benefits of Gardening, with Rod McDonald of The Garden Report, and Unusual Garden Crops: A Visual Talk, with Jim Ternier of Prairie Garden Seeds. A final addition this year was a Children’s Corner, where the children could plant seeds, make crafts such as tissue daffodils and paint rocks for garden row markers. Information and resources were also available for parents about gardening with children and learning how to start a garden for their families. A “Do Touch” table allowed children to explore the textures of pussy willows, onion skins, wheatgrass, corn and bean seeds which had been sprouted. Between 60 to 80 children participated in the Children’s
Corner, but an exact count was difficult given the traffic volume. Throughout the day, there was a constant buzz of conversation, as people gained information on permaculture and gardening from the information displays, participated in the seed exchange or purchased seeds from the heritage and prairie seed vendors in attendance. Sixteen booths offered information and seeds. It was a lovely precursor to spring and many in attendance commented on the wonderful expression of community which the event generated. St. Mary’s looks forward to hosting the event again next year, as there is a huge interest in Regina in gardening and sustainability through seed saving of heritage seed. Families are particularly interested in reconnecting with the Earth and teaching their children the cultural heritage of gardening and growing, which is Saskatchewan.
WEYBURN (Qu’A) – Fred Stephens, who was managing editor of the Saskatchewan Anglican from 2006 to 2011, died on April 6 after a brief illness. Besides his work on the tridiocesan newspaper, Fred was active in his parish of All Saints Weyburn, serving as warden, synod delegate and in other roles. He generously shared his gifts and talents with others and will be missed by his church family. In the wider community, he served on the boards of the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Community Low Income Centre and was an active member of the Masons. He is survived by his wife, Carmen, and their children: Philip, Lorinda, Derril, Roland, Karen and Craig, and their children. The funeral was held in the church Fred loved, All Saints Weyburn, with Rev. Catherine Harper officiating. A full obituary will be carried in the next issue of the Saskatchewan Anglican.
No Saskatchewan Anglican in June There will be no June edition of the Anglican Journal or Saskatchewan Anglican. With the Anglican Church of Canada having its General Synod in July, both papers will instead publish in August. This will allow the Journal to report on the event in a timely manner. We will have General Synod coverage in September’s edition.