- People and Stuff at 473 – January 2025 (9 January 2025)
The excitement starts now! I’m back from a visit to 473 Oakwood and a lot has progressed since just before Christmas.
- UU Midwinter Retreat Jan 31 – Feb 2 (27 December 2024)
Early bird registration ends Monday, December 30 and the deadline for all registrations is Monday, January 13. The theme is “Welcoming the Second Quarter of the 21st Century” with FirstU’s Dallas Bergen as keynote speaker. Program highlights include: Rev. Linda Thomson doing a two part workshop entitled “Where to from here” Anne Dahmer running an art workshop Lauren Renzetti doing an art workshop Colin Read offering a workshop on End of Life planning Colin Read and Rosemarie Harris creating the Sunday Service Penny Blake running the Cabaret on Saturday night This will be the 34th midwinter retreat, and it is back at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre, just north of ...
- Our Theme for January is “Story” (26 December 2024)
Our monthly themes and Journey Groups are small reflection circles that enable us to go deeper into our monthly theme by sharing our thoughts with a small gathering of people.
- Revising our Mission Statement (20 December 2024)
- FirstU’s Financial Situation (10 November 2024)
Statement from Tanya Cothran and Chris Lee, Co-Presidents of the Board of Directors at FirstU;Presented at the Congregation’s Annual Fall Meeting on 27 October, 2024
Presentation of First U’s financial situation
In a few minutes we will be asked to vote on a budget for the remainder of this fiscal year. Before that I’d like to share a few updates on FirstU’s current financial situation and what it means going forward.
First, Where are we now?
We’ve heard some positive news: We’ve run a clean audit again. This speaks to the incredible work of our volunteer financial team, and about the combination of systems ...
- Annual Report – July 2023 – June 2024 (25 October 2024)
Read the Annual Report
Letter from Tanya Cothran, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors
Living in transition is unsettling! This year, I was continually impressed with how the congregation stuck together as we faced each new unknown. As we said goodbye to Rev. Lynn, welcomed the interim ministry team, and switched back and forth from online to hybrid services, we continued to journey together in a community of care and respect.
In the past year, we experienced many meaningful moments, such as the Solstice Service and guest speakers from Black Urbanism TO and Thunder Woman Healing Lodge. We also had joyful occasions, like ...
- Stuff at 473 – Video – October 2024 (24 October 2024)
I’m at our site at 473 Oakwood. I’m standing in the long hallway that heads from the east side of the building, behind me, to the west on Oakwood Avenue. But what’s exciting is that now, I can walk out this back door, and start to see our new east hall taking shape.
- September 2024 Reno Update (27 September 2024)
Two big holes at 473 Oakwood show the progress of heavy construction this month: all of the west second floor windows facing Oakwood Ave. have been removed, making room to install our floor-to-ceiling windows and our stained glass panels; plus we now have a hole where our new lobby stairwell will take shape.
- Our New Transition Team (5 September 2024)
- Stuff at 473 – Video – August 2024 – Buzzing From Top To Bottom (22 August 2024)
473 is buzzing from top to bottom this month, with a new roof covering going on, and new foundations being prepared, plus a staircase taking shape between floors.
- First video message from RevJ (10 August 2024)
This video was included in the August 9, 2024 edition of First Light.
- July 2024 Reno Update – Opening Up at 473 (10 July 2024)
Two big holes at 473 Oakwood show the progress of heavy construction this month: all of the west second floor windows facing Oakwood Ave. have been removed, making room to install our floor-to-ceiling windows and our stained glass panels; plus we now have a hole where our new lobby stairwell will take shape.
- May 2024 Reno Update (26 May 2024)
Presentation from Karen Dunk-Green at our Annual Spring Meeting, covering Timeline Milestones, Schedule Risks, Construction Risk, Financial Status, and Next Steps.
- Meet Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Our Interim Minister (19 May 2024)
The Board and the Interim Minister Search Committee are very pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kūpono Kwong (he/they) has accepted our offer to join FirstU as Lead Minister for the 2024-2025 year, starting August 6.
- Meet Reilly Yeo, Our Summer Minister (18 May 2024)
Reilly Yeo will be our online summer minister from June 23 to August 25, 2024.
While Reilly lives in Victoria with her two children and partner Jamie Biggar, FirstU is her home congregation and we were privileged to be her sponsor for ministerial candidacy with the UUA. Prior to entering seminary, Reilly was the director of communications and public engagement at the David Suzuki Foundation. She is also a co-founder of My Climate Plan.
Reilly’s first service will be Sunday, July 7.
- Stuff at 473 – Video – May 2024 – Framing (7 May 2024)
Read other posts about our renovation
A note from Karen Dunk-Green, Chair of the Renovation Task Force, recorded May 7, 2024 Watch the video.
Karen shows the progress on the second floor and the ground floor. The spaces are being defined by the framing and soon they’ll be covered in drywall to create all of the new rooms.
We’ve moved from pouring over hard-to-imagine floor plans to standing in actual defined spaces – hooray! Come the fall, we’ll be able to invite more people into the building for tours, wearing our handy slip-on foot protectors and hard hats. Stay tuned.
- March 2024 Reno Update 2 – We Have the Work Permit (27 March 2024)
This report includes discussion of the scope of the project, its finances and architects renderings of the main spaces. Construction documents for tendering are now complete and the four-week tendering process has begun. We are waiting for some permits from the city.
- March 2024 Reno Update 1 – Moving Ahead at 473 Oakwood (18 March 2024)
This report includes discussion of the scope of the project, its finances and architects renderings of the main spaces. Construction documents for tendering are now complete and the four-week tendering process has begun. We are waiting for some permits from the city.
- Our Stained Glass Panels: Radiance, Reflection, Revelation (9 July 2022)
Our Stained Glass Tower at 175 St Clair Ave West was dismantled in June 2022. The panels will be displayed in our new home at 473 Oakwood Ave.
The tower was magnificent, and the individual panels are stunning. See the panels.
The tower, designed by Sarah Hall, was installed in 1995.
Sarah Hall and her delegate, John Wilcox, are working with our team on designing an approach and installing our panels at 473 Oakwood.
- Building a Better World – 34 Minute Video (11 June 2021)
