The impact of the May 14, 2022 racially motivated targeted shootings of Black shoppers in Buffalo, NY was deeply felt in Shining Waters Regional Council. As a community, we grieve for the families of those killed and wounded in Buffalo. We hold in prayer all in God’s family who cannot shop, walk the street or live their lives without fear or hypervigilance. As this year’s Asian Heritage Month comes to a close we acknowledge that anti-Asian racism and hate in North America are intrinsic to...
Category: Statement
Shining Waters Regional Council stands with Metropolitan United Church (Toronto) against hate-motivated vandalism. As you may have seen in media reports, Metropolitan was targeted on March 7 by an act of vandalism using homophobic and anti-Semitic graffiti that the Toronto police have designated as a hate-motivated incident. A letter of solidarity and support is being sent by Rev. Betty Lou McNabb, President of Shining Waters, on behalf of the region.
Yesterday afternoon, a severe weather event ripped through parts of the City of Barrie. Dozens of homes sustained catastrophic damage when a tornado touched down in the Mapleview neighbourhood shortly before 3:00pm. While damage is extensive, we are grateful that there has been no loss of life.
Shining Waters Regional Council joins with other Regional Councils, the United Church of Canada, people of faith, and many other voices across Canada, in condemning the act of hatred and terrorism that killed three generations of a Muslim family in London, Ontario on Sunday, June 6.
Shining Waters Regional Council was deeply impacted by the recent shooting deaths of six Asian women in Atlanta, Georgia. We condemn racialized misogynistic violence and we pray for the families and the communities of those killed. We also pray for the safety of Asians in North America and globally who have experienced and reported anti-Asian racism, violence, and aggression since the start of the pandemic. We pray for many more who have not reported their experiences of targeted hate incidents and hate crimes.
Recently, the Social and Ecological Justice Commission endorsed a private members motion which urges the Canadian Government to create a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income for all Canadians over the age of 18 years. A letter in support and signed by our Regional Council president, David Layton-Brown, has been sent to the Prime Minister, deputy Prime Minister and leaders of the opposition parties.