PAGE 3 PAGES 7-11 PAGE 13 Sleeping out Synod celebrates Trent-Durham for refugees new and old hosts fundraiser TheTHE NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF TORONTO A A SECTION OF THE ANGnLICAN JOURNAL g l www.tiorontoc.anglican.ca n JANUARY 2016 Home for Christmas Diocese’s gift gives family a new start BY MARTHA HOLMEN A mother and her three children were welcomed home for Christ - mas on Dec. 9, thanks to Habitat for Humanity GTA and the Dio - cese of Toronto. In total, nine families invited sponsors, volunteers and repre - sentatives from Habitat GTA to their homes for a dedication and key ceremony. The families met their sponsor organizations and were presented with the keys to their new homes, as drivers on Brimley Road honked in support of the event. The diocese made a $100,000 gift to Habitat GTA last January to support the building of afford - able housing in the Brimley Road and Lawrence Avenue area of Toronto. The gift was a tithe from the diocese’s Ministry Allocation Fund and is the largest single do - nation from a religious organiza - tion in Habitat GTA’s history. Marianne Romain with two of her children, Scyrilson and Toyan, in the kitchen of their new home. Ms. Romain is holding the flag of Dominica. For Marianne Romain and her PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON three children, who have moved into the diocese-sponsored house, the day marked a moment of transformation in their lives. “I have so much to say. I still can’t believe it,” she said. Ms. Romain immigrated to Canada from Dominica, an island nation in the Caribbean, in 1989. Since then, she and her children have moved frequently from home to home, most recently liv - ing in a rodent-infested building in an unsafe neighbourhood. “I’ve struggled, going from house to house, apartment to Bishop Patrick Yu gives the keys to the new house to the Romain family. The new homes on Brimley Road. apartment,” she said. “I work, but the money never seems to be cent of the total family income. “It wasn’t easy, doing the volun - enough as a single parent.” Ms. Romain and her children, teering, but it’s worth it today,” different religions. Romain family with a Bible, at Now the family has its own two- Scyrilson, Toyan and Tricia, said Ms. Romain. “I come in here “In my experience, I do not their request. storey, 1,300-square-foot, semi-de - worked together to accomplish and I think, Wow, I can’t believe I know of one religion that does not As she and her children get set - tached house with three bed - their 500 hours of labour for Habi - have a house.” say we need to do justice and love tled in their safe, comfortable rooms and underground parking. tat GTA, in lieu of a cash down Bishop Patrick Yu, area bishop our neighbours,” he said. “We are home, Ms. Romain said she looks “I never gave up hope. I always payment. They volunteered on for York-Scarborough, was invit - here together from all faiths be - forward to cooking some of her had faith, I always prayed,” Ms. the construction of their own ed to give a devotion at the begin - cause we cherish this common favourite Dominica dishes in the Romain said. Under the arrange - home and for a variety of other ning of the dedication ceremony. humanity. It is why we build new kitchen she helped to build. ment with Habitat GTA, families Habitat projects, while also at - Acknowledging the presence of homes for people, no matter what “There is no amount of words I receive 20-year, interest-free tending training courses in areas many faith groups among the their traditions are.” can use to say thank you from the mortgages, with monthly pay - such as personal finance, mort - families and volunteers, he spoke In addition to the keys to their bottom of my heart,” she said. “I ments that never exceed 30 per gages and insurance. about the commonalities between home, Bishop Yu presented the have a home.” A NIGHT FOR THE WEST INDIES - SEE PAGE 14 2 The Anglican N E W S January 2016 The Rev. John Stephenson sprinkles holy water on a newly installed traf - fic light outside St. Timothy, Agincourt as members of the congregation look on. The church has been seeking traffic lights at the busy corner for the past three years. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON Church wins long battle to install traffic lights BY STUART MANN Avenue East and Lamont Avenue. church,” said Mr. Stephenson. the street with no lights to get to traffic department’s decision and There, the Rev. John Stephenson, “We wanted to bless the lights, so our children’s centre,” said Mr. recommended to Toronto City YOU could say it was a blessing incumbent, blessed the corner’s that people can come safely in and Stephenson. Council that the lights be put in. that was years in the making. newly installed traffic lights, one out of the church, and to the busi - He said the underpass has hurt The city agreed. After the Sunday morning serv - after another. nesses and homes around us.” the church in other ways as well. “It’s almost miraculous that the ice on Dec. 6, the congregation of “So many people have been in - The church’s troubles started “Up until then, we had experi - lights were approved, and even St. Timothy, Agincourt processed vested in this over the past three several years ago when an under - enced modest growth over a peri - then it has taken almost two years out of the church and over to the years, it was a major moment of pass was built in front of the od of years,” he said. “Since the to get them installed,” said Mr. nearby intersection of Sheppard thanksgiving in the life of the church on Sheppard Avenue East. underpass was completed, we Stephenson. Traffic from the underpass made have had decline in numbers and He said the fight to get the getting in and out of Lamont Av - givings. It was so dangerous to try lights installed has brought the enue difficult and often danger - to get out onto Sheppard Avenue church into close contact with its -ARY''RIFlTH"! -"! *$ ous. Lamont Avenue is a side - that people simply stopped com - neighbours. “It became a tool for -ACLAREN #ORLETT,,0 street that provides access to the ing. It became a major problem.” community action, something we "ARRISTER3OLICITOR/NTARIO "LOOR3TREET%AST church parking lot and local busi - Toronto’s traffic department could all work together on. It was !TTORNEY#OUNSELOR AT ,AW.EW9ORK 3UITE 3OUTH4OWER nesses and residences. did not want to install traffic really neat to have everybody in - 4ORONTO /.-72 Since the underpass opened in lights, so Mr. Stephenson and volved. It was a missional thing, 2012, there have been traffic acci - members of the congregation and because we joined with our neigh - 7ILLS 4RUSTS%STATES "USINESS 2EAL%STATE 4EL &AX dents, and a pedestrian was hit a local businesses made a presenta - bours in seeking to get this done couple of months ago. “We had tion to Scarborough Community for the safety of all those around WWWMACLARENCORLETTCOM% MAILMGRIFlTH MACORLAWCOM moms with infants trying to cross Council. Council overruled the us.” ȱ 6W-2+1·6&(0(7(5< $QJOLFDQ3DULVKRI6W-2+1·6&+85&+(DVW2UDQJHYLOOH ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱdzȱ ȱȱȱ ¢ȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱ ȱȱŗŞŗŘǰȱǯȱ Ȃȱȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱǰȱǰȱȱȱ ȱȱǯȱ )25,1)250$7,213/($6(&217$&77+(&+85&+ +,*+:$<&$/('2121/.* &!8 ANGLICAN BELLNETCAWWWSTJOHNSORANGEVILLECA ȱ ȱ 6W-RKQ·V'L[LH(%!$' "+" 6W-DPHV·(# ' 6W(-%R!K$Q'·V1%R&*UZ,D\ &H P H#W H(U \&, & &UH P#(%&")#DWRULXP & HP #H WH( U&, &\ &U H#(%&")#PDWRULXP & H P#H W(H U&, &\ &U H#(%&")#PDWRULXP .(,-+'XQGDV6WUH H W-,-(DVW +&$'3DUOLDPH Q(--+W6WUH H W- $(",-)().LQJVWRQ5RDG 0LVVLVVDXJD21/<%$,,$,,." 7)RU+R)Q(W-R)210;5 7)R+U)R(Q-W)R210/6 3KRQH#)( 3#)(KRQH #)(3KRQH Z0Z0Z0V,W-M%R)K#Q(V,GL[$1LH$ FRP)' 0Z0Z0Z,V-%WMD'P H,VFDW-#KH GU+DO&R)Q(FD ZZ0Z0V0WMR,K-%Q)V#Q(R,UZ()D+\0FHP2H)W+H"U\FD &&)!).+*+)* +-$ ,)!! + &)("0$-#-# !)&&)0$(", +/$ , January 2016 N E W S The Anglican 3 Clockwise from top left: Syrian and Afghani refugees from Adam 8FTQFDJBMJ[FJO/VSTFT House serve dinner to guests at the Church of the Resurrection; a BOE$BSFHJWFSTGPSIPNFT boy runs through the tents JOTUJUVUJPOBMGBDJMJUJFTQSPWJEJOH pitched outside the church; Canon Duke Vipperman, watched QQSJWBUFOVSTJOHQFSTPOBMDBSFSJWBUFOVSTJOHQFSTPOBMDBSF by Jeremy Davies, shows why he is helping refugees. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON t0WFSMBOHVBHFTTQPLFO t4FSWJDFTBWBJMBCMF Sleepover at church t"GGPSEBCMFSBUFT raises funds for refugees ZZZQKLKHDOWKFDUHFRP BY STUART MANN sleepers committed to raise at ty groups. least $250. “That’s the missional challenge: #SJOHJOH)FBMUI$BSF)PNF JEREMY Davies remembers when The sleepover, which included not simply to respond to a specific the feeling of being a refugee re - several families from the Resur - need out of our largesse, but to be ally set in. He was sleeping in a rection, raised more than $12,000 steadily involved in the life of the tent with his young son on the to help the Danforth East Commu - whole community,” he said. grounds of the Church of the Res - nity Association and Neighbour - By the end of November, 52 urrection in Toronto when some hood Link bring at least two fami - churches across the diocese were noise outside woke him up in the lies to Canada. The meal inside the involved in or had expressed an middle of the night.