Voices From the Crowd

Launched on Canada's Sesquicentennial Anniversary to capture Canada's stories of faith from coast to coast, the Voices from the Crowd initiative serves as a powerful collection of unique narrative. We continue to collect stories that reveal the depth and diversity of Canada's unique landscape of faith. Do you have a story to share? Add your voice to the collection today!

Bill Blaikie

Nigel Hannaford

January 27, 2017

The Hon. William (Bill) Alexander Blaikie (born 1951) is a former federal Member of Parliament and Manitoba provincial conservation minister, now occasionally teaching a course on faith and politics at the University of Winnipeg. One of the leading exponents of late-twentieth century Canadian Christian socialism, Blaikie was in opposition during his entire twenty-nine and a half year career in federal politics.

Blaikie recognizes this alternate emphasis as the important distinction between two important streams of Canadian Christianity, with conservatively inclined Christians focusing on man’s personal relationship with God, and those on the left seemingly more engaged on issues of social justice However, ...

Façades and Values

Gideon Strauss

January 27, 2017

This week author Gideon Strauss brings us an alternate perspective on the ongoing conversation occurring in Outremont over the borough referendum campaign supporting a ban on new places of worship on Bernard Avenue.

Living just a few steps away from Bernard Avenue, Murdock is one of my neighbours in Outremont, and she cares passionately about the borough In the fifth of his regular dispatches from from Montreal’s faith-rich Outremont district, Gideon Strauss brings us an alternate perspective on the ongoing con...

Hasidic Joy in Outremont

Gideon Strauss

January 18, 2017

Each week Gideon Strauss brings fresh perspective as he explores the unique intersections of faith and tradition in his new neighbourhood of Outremont, Montreal.

The study of the Jewish scriptures and their interpretation is not only of intellectual or ethical value to the Hasidic Jews of Outremont They are drawn to the renowned warmth of the Montreal Hasidic community: a warmth that Weiss ascribes in part to the reality that Montreal has the coldest weather...

David Toycen

Nigel Hannaford

January 13, 2017

Over his 42-year career with World Vision Canada, David Toycen led the organization to raise more than $4 billion to assist some of the world’s most vulnerable children, families and communities.

In 1994 Toycen was named Executive Vice President and in 1996, when Don Scott, then President and CEO of World Vision Canada, announced his retirement, Toycen, after a selection process, gladly stepped into the role Upon graduating from Fuller, Toycen entered full time service with World Vision U.S....

Bridging and Building Communities

Dennis Ouellette

January 12, 2017

Dennis Ouellette shares highlights from his time as a pilot, visiting remote communities in northern Canada.

“A further special moment was spending time talking with the pastor of one of the churches in Norway House, Manitoba where LAMP holds a VBS “It is only by your continued financial and prayer support that these special moments continue in communities all over northern Canada, reaching and touching th...

Frank C. Peters

David Ewert

January 6, 2017

Frank C. Peters became president of Waterloo Lutheran University (which would later be renamed Wilfred Laurier University) used his leadership and relational skills to help that institution move from the private faith-based sector into the public sphere.

After retiring from the university and after the children had grown up, Frank and Melita returned to Winnipeg to pastor the Portage Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church In 1944, he married Lena Hamm, including 25 years at Mennonite Brethren Bible College in Winnipeg (now a part of Canadian Mennonite Uni...

Across Our Backyard Fences

Gideon Strauss

December 21, 2016

In the third of his regular dispatches from from Montreal’s faith-rich Outremont district, Gideon Strauss meets a 27-year-old borough councilor. She, a Hasidic Jew, decided to run for councilor in order to take advantage of the opportunity to make a difference in her community.

Mindy Pollak is a 27-year-old borough councilor in Outremont and a Hasidic Jewish woman I first met Mindy Pollak on Sunday, November 20, the day on which the borough of Outremont conducted a referendum on this question: “Do you agree with By-law AO-320-B, which prohibits places of religion and worsh...

Janette Oke

Violet Nesdoly

December 16, 2016

Janette Oke, herself the daughter of Canadian pioneers, has kept the pioneering spirit of courage, resourcefulness, integrity, faith, and romance alive in the body of fiction and non-fiction she has written. Her contribution to Christian fiction in Canada and the U.S. is near-legendary. She is, indeed, one of Canada’s most beloved storytellers.

Oke has written 75 books and counting—the historical prairie romances (described as “real life, honest love, and lasting values”) for which she is most famous, many children’s books, and other standalone stories and devotionals Janette Oke, herself the daughter of Canadian pioneers, has kept the pio...

Sharing a Long Obedience

Gideon Strauss

December 14, 2016

In the second of his regular dispatches from from Montreal’s faith-rich Outremont district, Gideon Strauss meets a Baptist pastor who came to Canada from Greece as a young man and set up a radio repair shop a few steps from the church he has made central to his life for 56 years.

Noteworthy Viola Desmond

Peter Stockland

December 13, 2016

Having Viola Desmond grace Canada’s $10 bill is unquestionably a good thing. It will become a great thing, however, only if it helps us overcome the grave thing it reveals.

For many Canadians, the grave thing to be overcome is the systemic racism that Desmond fought against with such courage ...