Yearly Archives: 2020

Pilgrimage Week 6

Week Ending

Current Week:  1393 km

Pilgrimage Goal: 7292 km

Total Participants: 58

 

July 11, 2020

Total To Date: 9385 km

Amount Over Goal:  2113 km

Total Pods: 8

Question of the Week?

What is the name of Canada's Northernmost community?

Pictures!

Our Call this week for Pilgrimage pictures was a huge success. Lots from the Trinity Trotters from Amherst:

I am a member of the Trinity Trotters from Amherst NS. I have pictures that I took when I went to Northport Park and beach on the Northumberland Strait on July 9th.

Some pictures with the large sandbars were taken about 4 hours into low tide. There are two pictures of jellyfish which were very plentiful.

Teresa

The “My friend the old tree” was submitted by Jean Smith.  The photo was taken during her walk near Amherst this week.  The other 3 photos are some of the places Kathy and I pass by during our bike rides throughout the Amherst Shore/Linden area. (Beach/Farming/Fishing country)  In all 3 photos you can see the Northumberland Strait. Lots of beautiful scenery to enjoy.  (But it doesn’t make the hills any easier!!) Have a great week.

Ian

Word for the Coming Week: BEAUTY

We will use this word to reflect on as we walk, run or roll through our week.

Some words may inspire you with exciting new insights while others may disturb your thinking or challenge your beliefs. Sometimes you will love or take comfort in what you are hearing, while other times you may feel discomfort or resistance. Pay attention to all as this is part of your journey.

Are We There Yet?

Since arriving at our destination last week, we have turned NORTH to travel up the BC interior on our way to the Yukon.  We did not quite make it to Whitehorse, but we are enjoying the trip so far.

Our route takes us from Victoria up route 97 north. We pass through communities like Hells Gate, Chasm, 100 Mile House, 150 Mile House (interesting names right?). We follow the Fraser River further north to Quesnel, swinging east as 97 moves away from the river up to Prince George.  Then it's West along route 16 past the Seven Sisters Provincial Park and Protected area, passing beautiful mountain ranges, moving north again up route 37.  This takes us all the way to the Yukon boarder, where we pause for the week in the community of  Watson Lake.

This town in Yukon is located at mile 635 on the Alaska Highway close to the British Columbia border. The Canada 2016 Census put the population at 790.

(Click on the links above and read about our pilgrimage destinations).

Some pictures that were sent in this week

Watsons Lake

Time Zone Converter

Since we are displaying services in their Local Time Zone you may want to convert that time to your local area. Here is helpful website to perform this task.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Local Virtual Services for July 4

The United Church of Canada Website has the following local area United Church listings for the Area

Join worship    |    find out more

 

 

POST A COMMENT below if you are on the journey!

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed

Pilgrimage Week 5

Week Ending July 4, 2020

Current Week:  1164 km

Total To Date: 7931 km

Pilgrimage Goal: 7292 km

Amount Over Goal: 639 km

Total Participants: 58

Total Pods: 8

Word for the Coming Week: ISOLATION

We will use this word to reflect on as we walk, run or roll through our week.

Some words may inspire you with exciting new insights while others may disturb your thinking or challenge your beliefs. Sometimes you will love or take comfort in what you are hearing, while other times you may feel discomfort or resistance. Pay attention to all as this is part of your journey.

Question of the Week?

How many points were on the maple leaf of Canada's First Flag?

George Stanley

Pictures!

We need more pictures of our groups.  We did get some more pictures from Shawn's actual trip across Canada which we will continue to share as we travel back through those areas.

Some pictures that were sent in this week

Are We There Yet?

YES! FINALLY!

We arrived this week in Victoria BC mid week (let's say CANADA DAY!).  This has been a fast trip as everyone is putting in lots of KMs for the pilgrimage.  We are on our way NORTH this week toward the Yukon as we work our way East.

Since this week we celebrated Canada Day, Pam Harrison had this note to us:

During the time of Prime Minister Lester Pearson it was very clear that Canada would have a new flag, it would be established to fly during the celebrate year of Canada’s 100th birthday. On Feb 15, 1965 for the first time the beautiful “Canada Flag” flew on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The flag has two red boarders marking the two oceans on either side of our nation. The centre is a white square with four equal side based on equality for all and the red maple leaf had 13 points to note the 10 Provence’s and 3 territories. This has changed to 11 points for design benefits. ( easier to print ).

The flag was designed by Dr George Stanley, Sackville, NB. The town commissioned an sculpture to design a statue of Dr Stanley sitting on a park bench, you can join him for a historic picture (see above)!

The Stanley’s shared the story of the strong emotions around the new flag. You see Canadian soldiers had fought two world wars under the Union Jack and they loved that flag. On the week before the flag raising the Stanley’s received death threats and hate mail. The flag raising occurred without violence however several Legion refused to fly the new Canada Flag for many years.

In 1967, Canada celebrated its 100th birthday and Canada flags were everywhere, people wore flag pins and clothing, the maple leaf was on our money and the Maple Leaf became our international icon. So now check the flag and enjoy knowing ,as we walked past Sackville ,we could have set with Dr George Stanley. The statue is located next to the Post Office, (Atlantic bubble) but be sure to wear your mask.

Time Zone Converter

Since we are displaying services in their Local Time Zone you may want to convert that time to your local area. Here is helpful website to perform this task.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Local Virtual Services for July 4

The United Church of Canada Website has the following local area United Church listings for the Area

 

 

POST A COMMENT below if you are on the journey!

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed

Pilgrimage Week 4

Week Ending June 27, 2020

Current Week: 2476 km

Total To Date: 6767 km

Pilgrimage Goal: 7292 km

Total Participants: 58

Total Pods: 8

Need Something to Read?

Looking for something to read on our Pilgrimage.  Rev Shawn Redden has suggested you pick up a copy of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Get more details about the book on Amazon or WikiPedia.

 

Word for the Coming Week: WONDER

We will use this word to reflect on as we walk, run or roll through our week.

Some words may inspire you with exciting new insights while others may disturb your thinking or challenge your beliefs. Sometimes you will love or take comfort in what you are hearing, while other times you may feel discomfort or resistance. Pay attention to all as this is part of your journey.

Question of the Week?

We have been travelling the modern day Trans-Canada across this vast country.  What was the first "highway" across Canada and when was it completed?

Shawn's Pilgrimage 2019

There was a time where we were allowed to physically travel across our country (just last year).  Our Minister Shawn Redden provided some pictures and a note about this trip last year.

Attached are some pictures of places we were on our Virtual Pilgrimage last week, and some will be for places we will have virtually passed through this week.

  • There is a picture of Pebble Beach from Marathon Ontario.
  • St John's United was one of the churches we highlighted last Sunday, and is where Past Moderator Very Reverend David Giuliano served as minister his entire pastoral ministry. It's also the home church of our current Moderator, The Right Reverend Dr. Richard Bott.
  • Nippising Bridge is just east of Thunder Bay, as well as the Terry Fox Memorial marking the spot where he was forced to end his cross-Canada Marathon of Hope after cancer returned.
  • The Lake Superior watershed is also east of Thunder Bay Kakabecka Falls is just west of Thunder Bay.
  • East of Winnipeg is the Longitudinal halfway point in Canada The Royal Canadian Mint in Winnipeg, as well as the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
  • The Memorial to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is at The Forks.
  • The Bridge to St Bonifiace across the Red River.
  • St Boniface Cathedral - Louis Riel's grave is also on the property.

Shawn

Are we there yet?

We had amazing progress this week on our Journey to Victoria, BC arriving in the beautiful Fraser Valley. Don't worry that our journey will be over soon, as we plan to zig-zag across the North and up and down all of the provinces on the way home.

 

 

Some pictures that were sent in this week

Terry Fox

Most of us know who Terry Fox is and his amazing journey across our country.  This week we began our trip outside of Thunder Bay ON, where Terry's trip was tragically cut short.  His story continues to inspire us. You can read more about it here!

Canadian Human Rights Museum

One of our Vision's folks provided us with some interesting pictures from the Museum when they went there a few years ago.

Louis Riel

Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the Red River and North-West resistances.  Riel led two popular Métis governments, was central in bringing Manitoba into Confederation.  Read more about this Western Canadian political leader.

Local Virtual Services for June 14

The United Church of Canada Website has the following local area United Church listings for the Area

 

Time Zone Converter

Since we are displaying services in their Local Time Zone you may want to convert that time to your local area. Here is helpful website to perform this task.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

POST A COMMENT below if you are on the journey!

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed

Pilgrimage Week 3

Week Ending June 20, 2020

Current Week: 1721 km

Total To Date: 4291 km

Pilgrimage Goal: 7292 km

Total Participants: 58

Total Pods: 8

Pilgrimage Week3

Need Something to Read?

Looking for something to read on our Pilgrimage.  Rev Shawn Redden has suggested you pick up a copy of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry". Get more details about the book on Amazon or WikiPedia.

 

Word for the Coming Week: REST

We will use this word to reflect on as we walk, run or roll through our week.

Some words may inspire you with exciting new insights while others may disturb your thinking or challenge your beliefs. Sometimes you will love or take comfort in what you are hearing, while other times you may feel discomfort or resistance. Pay attention to all as this is part of your journey.

If you wish, keep a journal about your insights, whether challenging, comforting or enlightening. And remember, there is no right or wrong way to travel. This is your journey - you get to decide how you will travel - you need only to begin. Most of all, enjoy the journey knowing that you have many pilgrims who are "virtually" traveling with you!

See you in Victoria!

Question of the Week?

Looking at the Map of Canada you might think we have the most National Parks in the world.  A question for this week is which country does hold that honour?

 

 

Some pictures that were sent in this week

Are we there yet?

This week our Pilgrimage lands us just outside of Thunder Bay Ontario.  I spent some time there working for the Bowater-Abitibi (now Resolute) Mill and enjoyed my time in the remote Northern Ontario town.

Although we are travelling much faster than we first thought, we are already planning a return Trip from BC. We will be using a different route exploring even more of our great country.  In the meantime we are highlighting a few interesting places from this weeks journey.

 

 

Union United Church

In July 1907, a group of Black railway porters and their wives (founding members of the Coloured Women’s Club) convened a meeting. These men and women wished to worship in their own church in their own style with dignity, respect of person and equality of participation, regardless of gender, one’s ethnic origin or faith.  This let to the formation of the Union United Church in Montreal.  Read about their story.

Montmorency Falls , Quebec

This is a picture of Montmorency Falls , Quebec. These historic falls are 30 meters higher than Nigeria Falls. Click on the picture to read about this unique site.

Algonquin Provincial Park, ON

Algonquin, the first provincial park in Ontario, protects a variety of natural, cultural, and recreational features and values. As one of the largest provincial parks, Algonquin is biologically diverse with more than 1,000 vascular plant species and more than 200 vertebrates that breed within its boundaries.

It's over 7700 square kms, so our entire pirgrimage could cover just this park alone.  Canada is so vast.

Local Virtual Services for June 14

The United Church of Canada Website has the following local area United Church listings for the Area

 

Time Zone Converter

Since we are displaying services in their Local Time Zone you may want to convert that time to your local area. Here is helpful website to perform this task.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

POST A COMMENT below if you are on the journey!

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed

Pilgrimage Week 2

Week Ending June 13, 2020

Current Week: 1624 km

Total To Date: 2570 km

Pilgrimage Goal: 7292 km

Total Participants: 51

Total Pods: 8 (includes a DOG POD) 🙂

Word for the Coming Week: ANGER

We will use this word to reflect on as we walk, run or roll through our week.

Some words may inspire you with exciting new insights while others may disturb your thinking or challenge your beliefs. Sometimes you will love or take comfort in what you are hearing, while other times you may feel discomfort or resistance. Pay attention to all as this is part of your journey.

If you wish, keep a journal about your insights, whether challenging, comforting or enlightening. And remember, there is no right or wrong way to travel. This is your journey - you get to decide how you will travel - you need only to begin. Most of all, enjoy the journey knowing that you have many pilgrims who are "virtually" traveling with you!

See you in Victoria!

Some pictures that were sent in this week

Pigrimage Highlights

So far on our pilgrimage we have put in enough km to make it past Hopewell Rocks and down to Fundy Park.  My father grew up in the Hillsborough area and we had many family trips to Hopewell Rocks and Fundy, and I have lots of great memories of visiting extended family in the area.   As kids we would climb the "flower pots" and explore caves when the tide was out.  Relatives owned the campground in the area.  My uncle (and then cousin) owned "Kelly's Bake Shop" so we always stopped there for a few treats before heading home when we were in Alma.  I even biked from Moncton to Alma when I was 14 to camp at Fundy National Park which was a big deal at the time (quite the adventure).

-- Terry MacTavish-Hawkes

Hopewell Rocks, NB

Are we there yet?

We moved through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick so fast and ended up outside of Montreal, Quebec.  However we have decided to highlight some of the great things the Maritimes have to offer before we leave.

https://www.atlanticbusinessmagazine.net/article/water-cooler-atlantic-canada-top-tourism-attractions/

Local Virtual Services for June 14

The United Church of Canada Website has the following local area United Church listings for the Area

 

Time Zone Converter

Since we are displaying services in their Local Time Zone you may want to convert that time to your local area. Here is helpful website to perform this task.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

POST A COMMENT below if you are on the journey!

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed

Visions in the Cloud – June 14

June 14, 2020

The Spirit Gathering Attachment for this week can be found here

 

 

If you have not yet joined our Pandemic Pilgrimage check out the details

Click on the Image below to lauch the Video

Photo © Corinne Redden - Country Road

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POST A COMMENT below if you are new to Visions or if you enjoyed our service

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Giving Hands – Spring 2020

"Open Hands" - In the Spring 2020...

Your Visions Aid Fund at Work

Donation highlights:

  • ReConnect  ($400)
  • Karing Kitchen ($200)
  • Inclusion Advocacy ($200)
  • Crossroads for Women ($400)
  • Camp Ta-Wa-Si Virtual Camp ($500)

In March the Karing Kitchen donations that we received in February were forwarded.  We made a donation to Inclusion Advocacy which works to help those with intellectual disabilities attain full inclusion in community life. In April we gave from our Vision Aid fund to ReConnect  and to Crossroads for Women, organizations that providing safe housing, education and counseling for women and children in crisis. Our May donation went to Camp Ta-Wa-Si to help with the new virtual camp they are setting up for this summer.

Our giving hands haven’t been able to be quite so generous during these times of physical isolation. We are missing the ReConnect jar for your small change, the Recycling dollars and the grocery cards given regularly to Karing Kitchen. Thanks to those who give by PAR we have some funds available to make one or two donations each month.

If you would like to contribute for the summer months please mail in a cheque made out to Visions United Church with a note/memo that it is for "Vision Aid". It will be received with deep gratitude!

 

Visions in the Cloud – June 7

June 07, 2020

The Spirit Gathering Attachment for this week can be found here

 

 

If you have not yet joined our Pandemic Pilgrimage check out the details

Click on the Image below to lauch the Video

Wearing skin, open hands

Photo © Corinne Redden - Wearing skin, open hands

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POST A COMMENT below if you are new to Visions or if you enjoyed our service

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Pilgrimage Week 1

Week Ending June 6, 2020

Weekly Update: 946.3 km

Pilgrimage Goal: 7292 km

Total Participants: 51

Total Pods: 8 (includes a DOG POD) 🙂

Word for the Coming Week: JUSTICE

We will use this word to reflect on as we walk, run or roll through our week.

Some words may inspire you with exciting new insights while others may disturb your thinking or challenge your beliefs. Sometimes you will love or take comfort in what you are hearing, while other times you may feel discomfort or resistance. Pay attention to all as this is part of your journey.

If you wish, keep a journal about your insights, whether challenging, comforting or enlightening. And remember, there is no right or wrong way to travel. This is your journey - you get to decide how you will travel - you need only to begin. Most of all, enjoy the journey knowing that you have many pilgrims who are "virtually" traveling with you!

See you in Victoria!

Some pictures that were sent in this week

Pigrimage Highlights

Greetings from “Pam’s Pilgrims”

The first week was only 5 days and a time to begin our Cross Canada Pandemic Pilgrimage adventure. Our group are friends and family members plus three wonderful dogs. We come from Ottawa, Fredericton, Wood Point, River Hebert and Brookfield. Some walked, others biked and we have a runner. All of us enjoy nature and often capture beautiful picture of very special moments when we are amazed by the beautiful world around us. We hope to share some of those pictures on this web site and I do hope you will do the same.

In the beginning – we did not know who would join our walk, where they would come from, how to record our KM and how to connect to the site. Please understand this is a work in progress by volunteers. We just want to have fun being together on a journey.

At the end of every week we will be somewhere in this beautiful country and can attend a virtual church service with people we have never met but what matters is we are together in spirit.

Pam

Are we there yet?

That had to be the fastest trip across Newfoundland I have ever been on.  This week our accumulated mileage puts us just off the coast of Cape Breton Island.  Read about the history of the area here:

- Cape Breton History

Home of the Cabot Trail

Home of the Cabot Trail

Local Virtual Services for June 7

The United Church of Canada Website has the following local area United Church listings for the Area

 

Time Zone Converter

Since we are displaying services in their Local Time Zone you may want to convert that time to your local area. Here is helpful website to perform this task.

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

POST A COMMENT below if you are on the journey!

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed

Visions in the Cloud – May 31

May 31, 2020

There is no Spirit Gathering Attachment for this week

This Sunday is Pentecost! The fiery, windy festival celebrating the gift of the Spirit.
Rev. Shawn joined with ministers from our Moncton Area United Churches
- apart, but together - to offer a special Pentecost Spirit Gathering.

 

Join Visions Cross Canada Pandemic Pilgrimage

To see what Visions is planning next week, check out our new landing page

 

Click for more details on the Pilgrimage

Click on the Image below to lauch the Video

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POST A COMMENT below if you are new to Visions or if you enjoyed our service

Comments will appear once they have been reviewed