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This Christmas Season and Stories of Christmases Past

For many of us in Canada and around the world, this holiday season will look a little different from past years. As we prepare to celebrate apart from our loved ones and many of our traditions are put on hold, we look forward to Christmases in the future where we can again gather safely. Many of the early Quakers in Canada also faced challenging Christmas seasons. Bad weather, illness, and long distances kept families and friends apart. A glimpse into some of these challenges can Read more

By Sydney Harker, ago

Founders and Builders Series: Peter Brock

In this month’s Founders and Builders Series, we introduce you to Peter Brock, a gracious supporter of the CFHA and later honorary chairman. His legacy is remembered here by Jane Zavitz-Bond. Peter Brock: World Peace Historian 1920-2006 By Jane Zavitz-Bond Peter de Beauvoir Brock spent his life in the study, writing and teaching of the history of peace in the world. All his endeavours were interlinked as all aspects of peace, his focus and goal, are tied to one another. Peter understood that education was key Read more

By CFHA, ago

Remembering and Understanding Pacifism and Non-violence on Remembrance Day

November 11 in Canada and other nations of the British Commonwealth is Remembrance Day. This is a day set aside to remember and honour military service people who have lost their lives in war, especially the First and Second World Wars. Many wear a red poppy as a sign of remembrance. An effort initially spearheaded by the Peace Pledge Union in Britain, and now seen in Canada, is the tradition of wearing a white poppy, or a peace poppy, to honour all lives lost to Read more

By Robynne Rogers Healey, ago

Coldstream Series: The Marsh Store

This guest post was graciously contributed by Dave Zavitz. For generations the Marsh Store site has been the nucleus of activity in the Coldstream area. Its history began when John Moor Marsh and his wife, Sarah Zavitz, purchased the land in 1839 with encouragement from his brother-in-law Benjamin Cutler. Benjamin had already built a house and mill on the adjoining lot to the east.  After purchasing the property, John and Sarah built a home identical to a house plan they saw in London, and went Read more

By CFHA, ago

November Co-Chair Update

This month’s update is contributed by Donna Moore on behalf of Gord Thompson and Jeff Dudiak. AGM, Sept. 26, 2020 It is just a little over a month since our AGM, and it is good to reflect on the highlights. Holding the meeting via Zoom allowed for more attendees from a distance to participate, and it was very helpful to have this wider group review and discuss our activities. There was lots of interest in our keynote speakers, Ben Pink Dandelion and Stephen Angell, with Read more

By Donna Moore, ago

Using Ancestry Quaker Records

You may be aware that a few years ago the Records committee made an agreement with Ancestry.com to make available the microfilm of Canadian meeting books, registers, and other records that were microfilmed in 1974. A full list of these holdings was published in Newsletter #13 in 1975 and is available as a pdf on the CFHA website. Of course, Ancestry requires one to have a paid-up membership account and that prevents many people from accessing these microfilms. In Toronto, the Public Library has for Read more

By Randy Saylor, ago

Coldstream Meeting in the Fall

Peaceful. If I had one word to describe the setting of the Coldstream Meeting House, it would be peaceful. Coldstream is a small village about twenty-five minutes west of London. The Meeting House, on Quaker Lane, is beside a conservation area and the Quaker burying ground. The setting is very picturesque. On a table inside the meetinghouse, you’ll find a flyer about Quakers and the Coldstream Meeting specifically. It tells the reader that the first settlers, John Harris, Benjamin Cutler, John Marsh, and Daniel Zavitz, Read more

By Donna Moore, ago

Friendly Friday Session on October 30th

The Friendly Friday sessions are held via Zoom starting at 1:30 PM, every other Friday. The next session will be held on Friday, October 30th. Subsequent sessions will be held on Friday November 13th and 27th, and Friday December 11th. For each session the appropriate passages of the Nickalls edition of the Journal of George Fox are provided to session participants on-screen. The passages are marked to identify short individual paragraphs or portions which individual members volunteer to read aloud. Comment, question, and discussion follow each Read more

By CFHA, ago

Founders and Builders Series: Fred Haslam

In this month’s Founders and Builders Series, we introduce you to an influential Friend and early contributor to the CFHA. Our fourth essay features Fred Haslam and is written by Dorothy Trimble. Dorothy passed in 2014 at the age of 91 but remembers the life of Fred Haslam here in her 2012 essay written for the 40th anniversary of the CFHA. Remembering Fred Haslam 1897-1979 By Dorothy Trimble Fred was a vital part of the Toronto Meeting where my family found its spiritual home. We Read more

By CFHA, ago

Join us for ‘Friendly Friday’ on October 16th

Please join the Canadian Friends Historical Association in a “Friendly Friday” discussion of George Fox’s journal. This Zoom session will run on Fri. Oct. 16, from 1:30-3 pm. In the course of a little more than an hour, our group covered the first 8 pages of the Journal. We will pick up where we left off this coming Friday, and new participants are welcome to join us. Sessions will continue every other Friday through to December. It is really easy to register–just submit your name Read more

By CFHA, ago