Category: Recent News

The monthly e-newsletter selects about 5 news posts with this category. Priorities are news relevant to a wide number of people and especially of interest to visitors or new folk.

Opening to joy

December 2, 2021 • Rev. Lara Cowtan

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer

It is December. Bringing to close another topsy-turvy, bumpy ride of a year marked by all the uncertainty and concerns wrought by the continuing pandemic. A year as well, like any other, with its growth and losses, celebrations, and sorrows. The UCV community continues to amaze me with its resilience, generosity, and dedicated involvement. UCV, along with the other UU congregations across Canada has been deeply engaged in the process leading up to the Special Meeting on Saturday November 27th, 2021 at which 95% of the congregational delegates voted democratically to approve adding an 8th Principle to the current seven Principles.

“We, the member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council, covenant to affirm and promote:”

Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions”

We celebrate this moment as an act of good faith, an intentional step toward this aspirational future that is affirmed in UCV’s vision statement:

Because we envision a more compassionate world, we seek to deepen our spiritual and religious lives, grow and enrich our congregation, and advocate for love and justice.

UCV has been actively engaged in anti-racism and anti-oppression work, and will continue, renewed in its commitment by this endorsement of this 8^th Principle.

Margaret Wanlin, President of the CUC Board of Trustees said, “We respect and give thanks for the hard and dedicated work of many leaders, over many years, that brought us to this moment. We acknowledge the sacrifices, and losses, experienced by those marginalized persons who became disillusioned with, or left, our faith tradition prior to this vote. And we commit to live fully into the lessons of this work, as we learn how to be partners in accountably dismantling racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion.”

Our theme this month is “Opening to Joy”. We know that this is not as simple as lighting candles for Hannukah, Advent or Solstice, nor is it about unwrapping the perfect Christmas present. Opening to Joy means preparing to receive it.

Our covenants with one another and our aspirations that envision a more just and compassionate world bring us hope and prepare us to receive the joy we dream of. It is hard, often painful work requiring sacrifice, self-awareness and growth or even sacrifice or loss. And, this is the season we light our candles and prepare to receive hope and joy into the world.

Brightest blessings of hope and joy to you all,

Rev. Lara Cowtan

Interim Minister

Vancouver Unitarians

Covenant of Healthy Relations 2021 … at ucv.im/cohr2021

November 27, 2021 • George Atherton

The Covenant of Healthy Relations – along with related procedures – covers three pages of a report approved by the UCV board in 2021. Those three pages are in a PDF file at ucv.im/cohr2021. The text of the covenant is on the first page. You can also read it below.

Covenant of Healthy Relations

This is a covenant to guide how we behave towards each other and to groups and individuals
within the congregation. The objective is to enhance a safe climate that is courteous, friendly,
supportive, respectful of others, open and honest.

Because I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of each person, I will endeavour to:

1. Be compassionate and supportive in my relationships with others, assume their best
intentions and be curious rather than judgmental.
2. Communicate with active listening and consideration. Explain concerns to the person
directly and share differences respectfully. Focus on the current problem – not the person.
3. Balance being open to new ideas with respect for our traditions.
4. Be attentive to our community’s needs, generous with my talents and careful with the
church’s resources.
5. Keep the big picture in mind, be patient with myself and others and stay engaged in the
process of change; participate in the decision-making and respect the decisions that are
made.
6. Discuss conflicts in our church in a way that respects the privacy and dignity of those
involved.
7. Recognize and praise others and myself for the work we do in the church and be
forgiving when we make mistakes.
8. Support, in a constructive way, the work of the minister, staff and congregants.
9. Deepen our connections by getting to know and understand people of all ages and points
of view within the congregation.
10. Nurture my own spiritual needs in this community and support others in their search for
truth and meaning.

Approved on November 27, 2005 by the Annual General Meeting of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver.

Note that you can go to the source of the above – a PDF file at ucv.im/cohr2021 – to check out the related procedures as well.

Covenant of Healthy Relations / site:vancouverunitarians.ca

November 25, 2021 • George Atherton

Enter the title of this post as a search term in Google to get the results you can see here.

At or near the top is a PDF file you can print as a single page. It’s the covenant. And it’s here.

If you missed the service on Sunday, click on the date below:

2021-11-21 Paddling into the future (Rev. Samaya Oakley) / (!*) … see also: video (!*)

The above is a copy-paste from the list at ucv.im/sermons.

Anyhow, the sermon reminded us how important it is to have at hand a copy of the UCV Covenant of Healthy Relations and to look at it often. If you don’t have a copy of the covenant, you can print one now. Or just download the PDF. It’s here.

This UCV covenant is also at ucv.im/healthy.

Pair it with a copy of the recently introduced CUC Responsibility Covenant at ucv.im/responsibility.

PSA: check the list at ucv.im/sermons right after any service to see if the prepared text is already in the literature stall digital archive

The above is a lit stall post first published on November 24, 2021. The date now displayed with this post is the date of its latest material update.

The post shows up in the results of an internal search of this website for “Covenant of Healthy Relations” – as you can see here.

The featured image is a cropped screenshot of a Google search on November 24, 2021.

In the bulleted list below are the three latest posts tagged as lit stall posts.

If you haven’t read it already, please see the post about lit stall posts for more information.

New members at UCV!

November 16, 2021 • admin

Due to the pandemic, it’s been a couple of years since we’ve held a proper welcoming ceremony for new members. This Sunday, we were finally able to be together in the Sanctuary to welcome the most recent members of our congregation. We had 16 participants in our new members’ ceremony as part of Sunday’s service. Each new member received a rose and a warm welcome — and the lucky ones also got freshly baked apple pie made from the harvest from our garden here at UCV.

Now that we’re open again for in-person services, we are looking forward to our next new members’ welcoming ceremony in Spring 2022. If you’d like to be a part of it, there’s a path to membership for you. (Email our membership coordinator at moc@vancouverunitarins.ca if you’d like more information, and if you’re completely new to UCV please fill our new visitor form here.)

A Glimpse of UCV’s 2021 Women’s Gathering

November 9, 2021 • admin

A fourth and even a fifth wave of feminism, you say? Really? Yes. I was surprised to discover this too.

I’ve recently attended UCV’s ‘Women’s Gathering’, and listened to Jo-Anne Elder Gomes present on the first, second, third, and fourth waves of feminism from 1890 and ongoing. These waves have progressed from women’s right to vote, to earn, to dignity, and to a voice. The fifth wave, which is a multi-dimensional movement, recognizes that feminism belongs to us all — regardless of color, religion, age, gender or nationality.

Thirty of us had attended this spectacular Gathering. We were the fortunate ones who squeaked in, due to the Covid’s 30-person limit. We ranged in age from 15 to our 70’s.

Rev Lara set the tone with opening words by Starhawk (an American feminist and author):

“We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power… Someplace where we can be free.”

And, the poem ‘Progress’ by Rupi Kaur an Indian-born Canadian poet.

our work should equip

the next generation of women

to outdo us in every field

this is the legacy we’ll leave behind

We were then treated to three workshops on “The Four Waves of Feminism” (by Jo-Anne Elder Gomes); UCV’s Women’s Groups (presented by Mary Bennett, Shirley Brunke, Jennifer Fell, Carol Knicely Guilbaut, Sheila Resels, Juliet Shenher); and the closing Prose Writing Reading with its general theme of death and remembrance, facilitated by Maggie de Vries with writings by Jane Slemon (read by Katherine Roback), Dianne Dilts, Leta Goldwyn, Paula Vander, Eva Allan and Mary Bennett.

The dinner time break-out groups included Circle Dancing (led by Mairy Beam); and Meena Wong’s Q & A discussion on IBPOC and the 8^th Principle.

This abundance of stimulation left us with immeasurable reflections, ideas, and gratitude.

Emphatic appreciation is illustrated by some of the comments of those who attended:

… I give my heartfelt THANKS to the Team for the huge splash of organizing, bringing community and creating a day to celebrate women.

I loved seeing young women present.

I’ve never participated in a women’s retreat like that before and it was really enjoyable, challenging, supportive, engaging…. I’m not a Unitarian but I am definitely Unitarian Friendly! What a marvellous inclusive place you all have created.

…thanks to Jo-Anne (Elder-Gomes of Canadian UU Women’s Association) for her blessings of the 5^th Wave and reminding us of progress that has been made over the decades by so many brave women.

I enjoyed hearing about the women’s groups from past decades. Quite amazing how many different kinds of groups there are at UCV. http://vancouverunitarians.ca/community/connecting/womens-groups/

…(Jane’s poem) was profoundly moving for me and judging by the energy in the room when Katherine read it, for all of us. Maggie’s presence felt not only supportive but also deepened a sense of our Temenos, our sacred gathering.

I concur with them all.

Sheila Resels

A message from our outgoing UCV President

November 3, 2021 • admin

Dear Vancouver Unitarians,

I have been honoured to serve as President these past two years of change and growth, and also honoured to be asked to stay on as President. I declined the invitation to stay on due to my full time job resuming and other priorities. A UCV President needs a lot of time and energy to focus on their responsibilities, and I am grateful that I had that time and energy.

In my Presidents Report, I would like to begin by thanking each of you for giving me this opportunity to deepen and expand my knowledge of our Unitarian congregation, our faith, and organizational leadership in general. So much has happened…

We all said good-bye to Rev Doctor Steven Epperson at his last (emotional) service, and a celebratory hello to Rev Lara Cowtan. And then we all began this incredible and challenging journey of transition together.

As this was my second time as Board President, I decided to commit myself to a new leadership style that I was introduced to through several books generously loaned to me by Rev Lara Cowtan. Within these books, there is much homage paid to “self-differentiated leadership.” It is a progressive new leadership style that is highly recommended for congregations (and organizations) in transitional periods and times of anxiety. Change goes hand in hand with excitement and anxiety, so this is not a negative judgment; it is simply an honest acknowledgement we have been going through exciting and anxious times.

So I will briefly share with you some ideas around self-differentiated leadership that I have aspired to embody as your President in the hopes that this may provide some clarity and guidance for us to continue to move forward together.

Self-differentiated leaders take a stand, respectfully, in an intense emotional system and they try to be clear about their own personal perspectives, not feigning objectivity, while also remaining genuinely open to listening to other people’s perspectives. Self-differentiated leaders are transparent with their perspectives by defining themselves within the values of the organization, and focus on what is best for the organization, not on being right, and not on trying to make everybody happy. Self-differentiated leaders take maximum responsibility for their own emotional well-being and do not blame others or the context.

And perhaps most importantly – the beauty of this kind of leadership style is that it requires others to self-differentiate, to take responsibility for their own perspectives, and that leads people to dive a little deeper and know themselves a little better, what their values and goals are. It can also raise people’s awareness around why they say and do the things that they say and do, and why they feel the way that they feel in certain situations.

Ultimately, strong trust can be built within this leadership style because everyone is required to take deeper responsibility for their own voice in a self-differentiated system, for their own engagement in the processes, for their own actions, and for their own well-being in the community. The 8th Principle process we undertook at UCV, with small group meetings guided by specific questions and a covenant, is self-differentiated
leadership in action.

This has been an incredible year at UCV. We have completed our first year of transition through a pandemic, and members of our congregation have risen boldly to the occasion.

Huge thanks to our Sunday Morning Tech Team who not only kept us connected and inspired, but managed to engage an even wider audience through their high quality work. I would also like to thank everyone on the Ministerial Transitions Team for their very committed efforts. Special thanks to everyone on our Board of Trustees for their time and contributions this past year; Gordon Gram, Michael O’Neil, Galen Elfert, Carolyn Grant, Jenny Malcolm, Marilyn McVicar, John Boyle, Catherine Ponsford, and Leslie Hill.

Significant progress has been made in deepening our commitment to radical inclusivity and equity with the changes we all decided to make to our Sanctuary. The Sanctuary upgrades were passionately championed by myself and the Board of Trustees to help make our spiritual home more welcoming, inclusive, and reflective of our values, and to be an artistic and spiritual destination within the larger community. We took our inspiration from Rev Steven Epperson’s parting words, and the generosity of a member donor. The Board’s efforts were strongly supported by our active new IBPOC caucus and our youth and young people who are taking a leading role in helping define UCV’s future, keeping us relevant and accessible.

Our hard working Buildings and Grounds committee continues to amaze with how much they get done and how well they do it. From a new heat pump in the admin building (bravo, Hans Elfert!) to our beautiful new chairs in the renovated Sanctuary to the gorgeous grounds we all enjoy, sincere thanks for their ongoing very hard work.

All of our committees and teams continued working through the pandemic. Our Worship Services Committee has experienced an intense year of online services and we are so grateful for their efforts. The Environment, Social Justice and Refugee Teams were as active as they could be, and I am in awe of their ongoing generous work that benefits all of us and the larger community.

I would especially like to thank Rev Lara Cowtan who continues to fearlessly and tirelessly work to help us define and lay our foundation for the future. Her efforts include (I really don’t know how she does it) helping set up and engage with various Teams and Task Forces regarding many aspects of the complex transition work and goal setting, and contributing to the process of creating and implementing our new Organizational Design.

Indeed, this year we as a congregation really invested in ourselves. The New Organizational Design has seen us expand our RE programming for kids and adults significantly with the wonderful Kiersten Moore and Olivia Hall at the helm, and build our administrative and membership/outreach capacity significantly, which has resulted in two amazing new staff people – Derrick O’Keefe and Casey Wallace! Derrick and Casey have really taken on a lot, and are doing amazing work. Huge kudos to them and to Marcus and Gordon – our office and RE staff are stellar, as is our Care Taking Team.

Big, genuine shout-out to Head Caretaker Paul Nash who always works hard, but worked tirelessly on the Sanctuary upgrades. And thank you, too, to our musical staff and choir; you raised our spirits and touched our hearts all year long.

And we have stayed connected beyond Sunday services. There have been many online events – action evenings, Board Forums, coffee hours, committee meetings – so many this year who have stepped up. We organized an All Candidates Meeting during the Federal Election which I moderated and it was live streamed on Youtube, featuring our newly renovated Sanctuary.

I am also happy to have helped organize UCV’s first ever Decolonizing Practices Workshop which was free and open to all members, staff and Board. This was a highlight for me, and has acted as a catalyst for all kinds of anti-oppression programming and follow-up workshops in Anti-Racism and bystander training at UCV.

Our membership’s fulsome engagement is what gives me hope for our UU faith and for our congregation’s future. We do not have a faith without a community that trusts each other enough to engage in honest, respectful dialogue. So let us raise the bar on the conversation. Let us continue to build trust by differentiating ourselves; defining ourselves and our diverse perspectives through our UU values openly with each other, listening actively to each other, and treating each other with respect.

“Judgement is the absence of love” – The Dalai Lama.

Let us define our future together.

In active faith,

Diane Brown, UCV Board President.

The Principles as Covenant

November 2, 2021 • Director RE

“The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.”
—Rev. Barbara Wells ten Hove

“We, the member congregations of the Canadian Unitarian Council, covenant to affirm and promote” is the introductory sentence to our principles. As a religious educator I teach children and youth the importance of covenant, of deciding together how it is important to be and act within a specific group. We stress that a covenant is a living document, within our living tradition—which means it is open to change at any time if we find need to clarify our expectations. If someone is hurt, or the group isn’t functioning well, we turn to the covenant and ask what we need to add or change. How do we need to change our behaviour and understanding in this group?

The purpose of the covenant is to help guide us in creating a space where everyone is able to trust the group with their full, authentic, self. This does not mean that hurtful behaviour or expressions are allowed in the name of free speech. A person who authentically believes that homosexuality is wrong, for example, is out of covenant expressing or acting on such a belief. They are free to be themselves, to be comfortably heterosexual, but they are not free within our covenant to demean another’s identity. That goes against our agreement to respect the inherent worth and dignity of all people.

When I look at the request for us to add an 8th principle that calls us to accountably dismantle racism and oppressions in ourselves and our institutions, what I hear is a portion of our Unitarian members saying that the covenant we have together isn’t working as intended. I hear that we are called to understand that racism, and oppressions that compound it; classism, sexism, transphobia, ableism, are at play within our religious home. That there are people feeling sidelined and marginalized within our community and they are saying “I need you to do this thing, in order for me to trust this community with my full, authentic self.” This call does not come from all IBPOC members or all youth and young adults, no one group is a monolith, but it does not need to be a unanimous call in order to be valid. The question is “can you do this thing to fully include me in the group? At least give it your best shot?”

The thing that the 8th principle asks us to do is to acknowledge that racism has played a role in shaping our reality, our perceptions, our governance, our theology, our world view, and that we need to work to figure that out and change the way we do things in order to live up to our aspiration of radical inclusivity. We are being asked to please, take this on principle. Make this part of our covenant together—to not ignore oppressions within our own selves and within our religion. Change starts at home. We have been very good at looking outwards, trying to make the world a better place. We are very proud of our progressive faith which has been often at the forefront of social change; it is hard to hear we are failing in any area. The truth is, we still have work to do today, in our current time. This principle is not about a social justice issue. It is about working to make our faith better, to include, hear, and see our own members fully. Systemic change has to start from the ground up; our Unitarian and Universalist faith is the ground we stand on. The principles are our covenant with each other, a living document within our living tradition.

Blessed Be,

Kiersten E. Moore

Director of Lifespan Faith Development

Join a Women’s Group

October 27, 2021 • Mary Bennett

There are two UCV women’s groups ready to welcome one or two additional participants. One meets monthly on Tuesday evenings and the other 2 Fridays per month in the afternoon. We now have several women’s writing groups and are about to start another one.

The Women’s Retreat on Saturday, October 23 was very inspiring and energizing.

Here are some of the comments:

A very informative and thought-provoking presentation by Jo-Anne. I enjoyed learning about the latest waves – 4, 5, 6. It put issues into the perspective of an expanding feminism. The small group discussions worked surprisingly well. The questions worked well to make the thrust of the different waves hit home.
I enjoyed hearing about the women’s groups from past decades. Quite amazing how many different kinds of groups there are at UCV.
The evening prose readings was a very moving session. There was a general theme about death and remembrance which, of course, leads to some sadness and/or nostalgia – even anger. However I was very impressed with the writing as well as the interesting content – all different but similar too.
This was my first time attending a retreat like this. Very “Growth-ful”.

Just search our website for “women” and you’ll find other upcoming events and news.

Women’s Groups

Climate emergency: We’re part of a new effort to ramp up climate action in B.C.

October 26, 2021 • admin

In September, the Vancouver Unitarians were proud to join 200+ organizations in signing the following open letter calling on the B.C. government to implement climate action of the scale and urgency required. This coming Thursday, Oct. 28 Seth Klein, one of the initiators of this new climate effort, will kick off a special series we’re hosting on Faith, Spirituality and the Climate Crisis. If you’re interested in getting more involved in climate action here at UCV, consider getting involved in our Environment Team!

We write on behalf of diverse environmental, Indigenous, labour, health, business, local government, academic, youth and faith communities who collectively represent well over one million British Columbians.

We call on the B.C. government to recognize the urgency and alarm that people all over the province are feeling as the climate crisis directly impacts our communities and our health: deadly heat waves, wildfires, drought, floods, crop failure, fisheries collapse and costly evacuations and infrastructure damage. These climate-related impacts are unprecedented and intensifying. Indigenous peoples stand to be disproportionately impacted by climate events despite successfully taking care of the land since time immemorial.

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a “code red” for humanity. The International Energy Agency has called on world governments to immediately stop investments in and approvals of new oil and gas projects. The provincial government’s CleanBC climate action plan is insufficient to limit warming to 1.5 degrees and will not keep British Columbians safe from the worst impacts of climate change.

We therefore urge the B.C. government to develop and implement a transformative climate emergency plan that recognizes interconnected climate, ecological and social crises; embeds equity, anti-racism and social justice at its core; and upholds Indigenous title and rights as well as treaty rights.

To implement the rapid systemic change that is required, we call on the provincial government to demonstrate the leadership necessary to confront the climate emergency, and immediately undertake the following 10 actions:

1. Set binding climate pollution targets based on science and justice.
Reduce B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7.5 per cent per year below 2007 levels. Set binding reduction targets of 15 per cent below 2007 levels by 2023; 30 per cent by 2025; 60 per cent by 2030, and 100 per cent by 2040. Review and update targets regularly as climate science evolves.

2. Invest in a thriving, regenerative, zero-emissions economy.
Invest two per cent of B.C.’s gross domestic product, which is $6 billion per year, to advance a zero-emissions economy and create tens of thousands of good jobs. Spend what it takes to immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create new economic institutions to get the job done. Ensure that the economic component of Aboriginal title is recognized through the sharing of benefits and revenues that result.

3. Rapidly wind down all fossil fuel production and use.
Immediately stop all new fossil fuel infrastructure including fracking, oil and gas pipelines, LNG and fossil fuel-derived hydrogen. Rapidly phase out and decommission all existing fossil fuel production and exports.

4. End fossil fuel subsidies and make polluters pay.
End all fossil fuel subsidies and financial incentives by 2022. Ensure that industries that profit from fossil fuel pollution pay their fair share of the resulting climate damage.

5. Leave no one behind.
Ensure a just transition for fossil fuel workers, resource-dependent communities and Indigenous and remote communities impacted by fossil fuel production. It will be critical to collaborate in true partnership with Indigenous peoples in climate action. Prepare our communities for the impacts of the climate crisis to minimize human suffering and infrastructure damage. Support those most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

6. Protect and restore nature.
Protect 30 per cent of terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030; support and invest in Indigenous-led conservation initiatives; restore natural ecosystems to enhance ecosystem functions and services, preserve biodiversity, increase carbon sequestration, and improve human and ecosystem resilience to climate impacts. Impose an immediate moratorium on the industrial logging of all old-growth forests which are critical carbon sinks.

7. Invest in local, organic, regenerative agriculture and food systems.
Incentivize carbon storage in soil, restore biodiversity and ensure food sovereignty and food security across the province. Increase consumption of plant-based foods and reduce food waste. Support Indigenous communities that wish to maintain traditional food systems and enhance their food security.

8. Accelerate the transition to zero-emission transportation.
Invest in affordable, accessible and convenient public transit within and between all communities. Reallocate infrastructure funds from highway expansion to transit and active transportation (cycling, rolling and walking). Mandate zero emissions for all new light vehicles by 2027 and all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2030.

9. Accelerate the transition to zero-emission buildings.
Ban new natural gas connections to all new and existing buildings by the end of 2022. Create a Crown corporation to mobilize the workforce to retrofit all existing buildings and eliminate fossil fuel heating by 2035, and to build new affordable zero-emissions buildings.

10. Track and report progress on these actions every year.
Embed all of these actions in legislation to ensure accountability, transparency and inclusion. Establish rolling five-year carbon budgets that decline over time towards zero emissions by 2040 or sooner.

Tackling the climate crisis offers an unprecedented opportunity to generate new, vibrant economic and social wealth as we transform where our energy comes from and how it is used. It offers an opportunity to achieve energy security, ensure food security, develop more sustainable local economies and jobs, transform our buildings, redesign transportation, reduce pollution, improve human health and well-being, and enhance our quality of life. The transition from fossil fuels to a zero-emissions economy has clear benefits for people and natural ecosystems, and is an opportunity to create a more prosperous, just and equitable society.

Every person, every business, every industry and every government has a role to play as we co-ordinate individual and collective actions to create a thriving, resilient and regenerative society that respects its interdependence with healthy ecosystems and a safe climate. British Columbia is positioned to become a visionary world leader and demonstrate that innovative and rapid change is possible as we transition to a zero-emissions economy.

We urge you to seize these opportunities and demonstrate to British Columbians that our government is indeed a true climate leader by implementing the 10 climate emergency actions set out in this letter.

We must act now.

Vancouver Unitarians

Vancouver Unitarians

Sunday Services: 11:00 am

Category: Recent News

Covenant of Healthy Relations

White Poppies is an initiative for a more broadly focused Remembrance Day in Canada.