We would ask Friends who plan to attend, and especially those coming in person, to register as soon as possible, so that we can get an idea of how many Friends are coming and from where. We’d especially love to get an idea of how many children are attending. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact the registrar at: whymregistrar@gmail.com
This year we will be offering Meeting for Worship with attention to Business hybrid, as well as an online Worship Sharing Group. If you wish to participate in an online Worship Sharing group, please email: whym-clerk@quaker.ca with “Fall online Worship Sharing” in the subject line.
A link for online participation in Meeting for Worship for Business will be shared closer to the gathering. Please see the Minutes from Fall 2025 (attached to this message).
Thanks, and look forward to seeing you on the golden shores of Sylvan Lake, Rachel
—
Rachel Singleton-Polster Clerk, Western Half Yearly Meeting
Location
Camp Kannawin is a Presbyterian camp located on the north shore of Sylvan Lake, just north of the town of Sylvan Lake, in the heart of Central Alberta. It is almost exactly halfway between Edmonton and Calgary: 161 km from Edmonton and 173 km from Calgary. It is 1118 km from Vancouver with a gorgeous drive halfway up the Ice Fields Parkway and through the Foothills as the ending and beginning of your trip. (more info on Transportation below)
Program begins on Friday evening with supper and an intergenerational event to get to know one another, coordinated by Ministry & Counsel.
Saturday and Sunday daytime will include time for worship (including Worship Sharing, which is an intimate style of worship in which sharing from the silence is encouraged), Meeting for Worship for Business, Special Interest Groups* and plenty of free time for wandering, chatting, knitting, playing, and whatever you dream up. Children’s Program will be led by the community, with many fun activities both indoors and outdoors. This is a link to CYM’s Safe Nurture for Vulnerable Persons in Our Care Policy to which WHYM currently follows.
* (Also known by their acronym “SIGs”, these are workshops or discussion groups led by someone who has a special knowledge or interest in a topic. For example, past SIGs have included topics such as Reconciliation, Meditation, Wikipedia, Stem Cell Research, Nuclear Power and more. The possible list is as expansive as the interests and expertise of those attending – and all are welcome to lead one!)
On Saturday evening we hope for a special presentation, more information coming soon!
Sunday evening will be Family Night, a fantastic opportunity to share talents and artistry together.
WHYM ends Monday morning and we are responsible for cleaning up after ourselves at this time.
The full schedule can be seen here, though it is likely to be somewhat fluid.
Accommodation
Camp Kannawin has a few different options for sleeping. Although the rooms and cabins are set up to be shared, we will endeavour to have all families/couples/singles have their own rooms/cabins. If the number of registrants make this impossible, the registrar will be in touch to make sure all needs are accommodated. **Please note that the accomodation options may get updated as we learn more about availability!**
1) Cabins (9). The cabins are basic and very cozy. Each is equipped with electricity and a furnace for winter camping. Each Cabin has 6, 8, or 12 beds in each, and lots of room for storing luggage and group activities before bed. There are also areas for tenting on site. There is a heated wash house a few steps away with showers and toilets for both males and females. There are 4 showers for each gender, which means there should be no waiting lines.
2) Shared Trailer (4 bedrooms). The “staff trailer” has 4 bedrooms with 2 sets of bunks per room, totalling 16 beds. There are also washrooms and a common area in the trailer.
3) Tenting. October can be cold in Alberta, so keep this in mind if you choose to tent.
4) Sleeping Off Site. There are multiple hotel, Airbnb, and BnB options within driving distance. If you require this option, it will be an additional cost to you, but the registrar can help you find a suitable location. Please make contact ASAP if you need help arranging this.
Cost
We encourage Friends to pay fees through e-transfer. Information will be updated shortly to provide instructions, or you may email the registrar to get this information. Fees will also be accepted on site through cash or cheque.
Please note that fees have increased this year in accordance with Camp Kannawin’s fees. The organizing committee for the fall gathering feels it is appropriate for adult fees to cover the estimated cost of holding the gathering. This will allow donations and any surplus revenue to go towards discounted fees for Young Friends, travel assistance for Friends in need, and overall WHYM overhead. Thank you for understanding.
If you need travel or registration assistance funds, first, request assistance from your monthly meeting and then, if you still need assistance, notify the Clerk at whym-clerk@quaker.ca as early as possible. Decisions regarding travel assistance will be made during the WHYM weekend gathering. Transportation
To get the camp by car from either Edmonton or Calgary, travel 15 km West from Red Deer on Highway 11 and turn North on Highway 20. Continue through the Sylvan Lake Roundabout towards Bentley for 3 km and turn West on Township Road 392. The camp is the 4th driveway in on the left, just at the bottom of the hill.
There is no registration deadline to attend online. The registration deadline to join a worship sharing group online was Tuesday, May 12th. The registration deadline for Friends attending in person was Friday, April 24th.
Dear Friends,
We are so excited that you have chosen to attend Spring Western Half Yearly Meeting, whether in person in Sorrento or On-line.
This email is to let you know some details about the gathering.
First, our Clerk, Rachel Singleton-Polster, has asked me to Clerk the Gathering, with Ruth Walmsley stepping in as Recording Clerk, due to the passing of our good Friend and her father, David Polster. We hold the Singleton-Polster family in the Light.
Second, information about the Gathering will continue to be hosted at www.viquakers.ca/whym. We are in the process of making some last minute updates, and we draw your attention to:
Gathering Schedule. The Saturday evening gathering will now be a film screening of the documentary, The Third Harmony, about non-violence, followed by a group discussion led by Sandra Wiens of Canadian Friends Service Committee.
Meeting for Worship for Business Agenda. Please let us know if you have items to add to the agenda, or if you have information (such as births, deaths, marriages and memberships) that could be added to the agenda in advance of the meeting.
Spring 2025 Minutes. It appears that this final version of the Spring 2025 Meeting for Worship for Business Minutes were not circulated after the last gathering, so please read them in advance.
Special Interest Groups List. We have only a small number of special interest groups offered so far – so please reflect on whether you can propose and host an opportunity to share on a subject.
Again, we look forward to spending time with all of you at the Gathering. In Peace, Andrew Gage, Acting Clerk
Hello Friends,
It’s the time of year when the thoughts of Friends in Western Canada and beyond turn to that most magical of gatherings, Western Half Yearly Meeting. We are excited to be holding our Spring gathering at Sorrento, BC, on beautiful Shuswap Lake, and on-line, on the coming May long-weekend, Friday, May 15th to Monday, May 18th.
To Friends and attenders who have not been to our gathering, this is a unique opportunity to meet Friends from BC to Saskatchewan, and sometimes beyond, and to worship with, and learn from, one another. If you are able to make the trip, or to join us on-line, we’d love to show you why so many Friends come back year after year.
I’d like to invite Friends who have been before to take a moment to think about a Friend that you think would enjoy WHYM and talk to them about the gathering and why they should attend.
What you’ll find at WHYM
As usual, we’ll have time for worship, both in small and as a large group, intergenerational activities, and times to learn together. Singing and balancing (group gymnastics) and our childrens’ and teens’ programs provide fellowship for kids and youth, while freeing parents to participate in the broader gathering. Here’s the draft schedule. Please take a look, and feel free to email if you have questions.
In reading the Schedule, please keep in mind that all times are in Pacific Time, consistent with the time zone for Friends gathering in Sorrento.
If you’re joining us in person, the Sorrento Centre is a beautiful space, with a waterfront area on Shuswap Lake, accommodation ranging from private rooms to cabins to a bed in a shared cabana.
This year, Sorrento Centre is changing it’s meal policy in the cafeteria to an all-or-nothing style, please note:
Meals
Sorrento is implementing an all-inclusive meal package that will include breakfast, lunch and dinner or a no meal package
Meal package starts with dinner on arrival and ends with breakfast on departure
The cost of a full meal plan is $60.00 per adult/$30.00 per child (Ages 3-10) per day
Friends who are attending on-line are asked to pay a suggested $15-20 (or more!) per person attending, reflecting the costs to hold a hybrid event. Friends seeking to participate in on-line Worship Sharing will need to register by Tuesday, May 12th (see below if you are not familiar with this term). Otherwise registration for the on-line Gathering may occur until the start of Meeting.
The deadline for Friends attending in person isFriday, April 24th.
Friends are invited, in registering, to propose one or more Special Interest Groups (see below if you’re not familiar with this term). Special Interest Groups are an opportunity to share or invite discussion on topics of interest. No training is necessary – just an excitement to explore a topic. Those present at Sorrento should think about whether and how Friends joining on-line can be included.
We recognize that coming in person to Sorrento can be a major undertaking, both in terms of time and financially. If cost is a barrier to your participating, please note:
There is financial support available to Friends who would otherwise have difficulty travelling or attending. If at all possible, please ask your Monthly Meeting for support (talk to your Clerk) and for a letter asking Western Half Yearly Meeting for support.
Tenting, booking a single bed in a shared cabana or arranging to share a cabana with other Friends are all cost effective choices for accommodation. Carpooling with Friends coming from your Meeting or Worship group may also be helpful.
If you are coming from Saskatchewan or further east, Friends often stay with Calgary Friends en route. If you don’t know anyone in Calgary to ask, feel free to email or post on social media, and Friends will help connect you with Calgary Friends who may be willing to host.
If you find yourself with symptoms before WHYM, please do not come if you are sick or if you suspect you have a communicable disease. We instead encourage your participation in the online gathering. Mask usage is at the discretion of individual Friends.
If there is anything else we can do to help you feel welcome or to take the risk of making this trip, please feel free to email me.
A special welcome to new (or newish) WHYM attenders
Coming to a long-standing gathering can be intimidating, but we hope that you will give this gathering a try. There are few opportunities in Western Canada to meet Friends outside our own Meetings, and WHYM is a unique opportunity to worship, learn, play and share together. We aim to be a loving community to people of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual identities. You are more than welcome to join us on-line to see what it’s about, and if you’re ready to come to Sorrento, we look forward to meeting you in person at our gorgeous location.
A note about a couple of terms used in the schedule, above:
Worship Sharing or Fellowship – Worship sharing is a “contemplative spiritual practice” in which a small group of 4-8 people settle into a worshipful silence, and share together, “speak[ing] from their own experience with thoughtful pauses.”
Special Interest Groups (SIG) – Any person attending WHYM may propose a Special Interest Groups as a space for Friends to explore an issue, activity or concern as a group. Sometimes the Friend hosting a SIG will offer instruction or initial thoughts, but often the Friend is merely identifying a topic for discussion or discernment. Friends self-select which SIG they will attend.
If you have any questions or concerns about the gathering, feel free to reach out to me at whym-clerk@quaker.ca. *Please note, I am away and out of service from April 2-12 and may not be able to respond right away! Thanks for your patience. Our incredible registrars may be able to help you in the interim: In-person: whymregistrar@gmail.com or Online: whym.online@gmail.com and the Quaker Western Half Yearly Meeting Facebook page is also a great place to get answers.
A final request:
Please extend this invitation to any Friend(s) or attenders you think might be interested in attending Western Half Yearly Meeting, along with a few words about why you think that they should consider joining us.
Sincerely, Rachel
Rachel Singleton-Polster (she/her) Clerk Western Half Yearly Meeting
Registration for Fall Western Half-Yearly Meeting (WHYM) Gathering from October 10-12th at Camp Kannawin, AB, is now open and available here for the in-person gathering. Please register as soon as possible! If you have questions regarding registration, please contact the registrar at: whymregistrar@gmail.com
It’s the time of year when the thoughts of Friends in Western Canada and beyond turn to that most magical of gatherings, Western Half Yearly Meeting. We are excited to be holding our Spring gathering at Sorrento, BC, on beautiful Shuswap Lake, and on-line, on the coming May Day long-weekend, Friday, May 16th to Monday, May 19th.
To Friends and attenders who have not been to our gathering, this is a unique opportunity to meet Friends from BC to Saskatchewan, and sometimes beyond, and to worship with, and learn from, one another. If you are able to make the trip, or to join us on-line, we’d love to show you why so many Friends come back year after year.
I’d like to invite Friends who have been before to take a moment to think about a Friend that you think would enjoy WHYM and talk to them about the gathering and why they should attend.
What you’ll find at WHYM
As usual, we’ll have time for worship, both in small and as a large group, intergenerational activities, and times to learn together. Singing and balancing (group gymnastics) and our childrens’ and teens’ programs provide fellowship for kids and youth, while freeing parents to participate in the broader gathering. Here’s the draft schedule. Please take a look, and feel free to email if you have questions.
In reading the Schedule, please keep in mind that all times are in Pacific Time, consistent with the time zone for Friends gathering in Sorrento.
If you’re joining us in person, the Sorrento Centre is a beautiful space, with a waterfront area on Shuswap Lake, accommodation ranging from private rooms to cabins to a bed in a shared cabana.
Friends who are attending on-line are asked to pay a suggested $15-20 per person attending, reflecting the costs to hold a hybrid event. Friends seeking to participate in on-line Worship Sharing will need to register by Tuesday, May 13th (see below if you are not familiar with this term). Otherwise registration for the on-line Gathering may occur until the start of Meeting.
The deadline for Friends attending in person is Friday, April 25th.
Friends are invited, in registering, to propose one or more Special Interest Groups (see below if you’re not familiar with this term). Special Interest Groups are an opportunity to share or invite discussion on topics of interest. No training is necessary – just an excitement to explore a topic. Those present at Sorrento should think about whether and how Friends joining on-line can be included.
We recognize that coming in person to Sorrento can be a major undertaking, both in terms of time and financially. If cost is a barrier to your participating, please note:
Tenting, booking a single bed in a shared cabana or arranging to share a cabana with other Friends are all cost effective choices for accommodation. Carpooling with Friends coming from your Meeting or Worship group may also be helpful.
There is financial support available to Friends who would otherwise have difficulty travelling or attending. If at all possible, please ask your Monthly Meeting for support (talk to your Clerk) and for a letter asking Western Half Yearly Meeting for support.
If you are coming from Saskatchewan or further east, Friends often stay with Calgary Friends en route. If you don’t know anyone in Calgary to ask, feel free to email me, and I’ll put you in touch with Calgary Friends who may be willing to host.
As in recent years, we ask Friends attending in person to test for COVID before coming, and not to come if you test positive. Friends attending in person will be asked to mask during indoor portions of the Gathering.
If there is anything else we can do to help you feel welcome or to take the risk of making this trip, please feel free to email me.
A special welcome to new (or newish) WHYM attenders
Coming to a long-standing gathering can be intimidating, but we hope that you will give this gathering a try. There are few opportunities in Western Canada to meet Friends outside our own Meetings, and WHYM is a unique opportunity to worship, learn, play and share together. We aim to be a loving community to people of all ages, backgrounds, races and sexual identities. You are more than welcome to join us on-line to see what it’s about, and if you’re ready to come to Sorrento, we look forward to meeting you in person at our gorgeous location.
A note about a couple of terms used in the schedule, above:
Worship Sharing or Fellowship – Worship sharing is a “contemplative spiritual practice” in which a small group of 4-8 people settle into a worshipful silence, and share together, “speak[ing] from their own experience with thoughtful pauses.”
Special Interest Groups (SIG) – Any person attending WHYM may propose a Special Interest Groups as a space for Friends to explore an issue, activity or concern as a group. Sometimes the Friend hosting a SIG will offer instruction or initial thoughts, but often the Friend is merely identifying a topic for discussion or discernment. Friends self-select which SIG they will attend.
If you have any questions or concerns about the gathering, feel free to reach out to me at whym-clerk@quaker.ca.
A final request:
Please extend this invitation to any Friend(s) or attenders you think might be interested in attending Western Half Yearly Meeting, along with a few words about why you think that they should consider joining us.
To support the work of the Friends Women’s Association in Burundi:
Canadian Monthly Meetings MAY SOON be able to get tax receipts for furthering the work of Friends Women’s Association Burundi by contributing to the shipping costs of a container of medical supplies to be sent to Burundi by Compassionate Resources Warehouse (an NGO charity out of Victoria, BC): https://www.crwarehouse.ca/
Friends Peace Teams: https://friendspeaceteams.org/donate/ You can choose to direct your donation to the FWA’s work in Burundi. Please note CFSC is not a current financial partner of FWA
Page updated on Thursday September 26th. This update contains information about Fall 2024 WHYM
Please note: in-person registration closes Tuesday October 1st. To participate in online Worship Sharing please register by Saturday October 4th. Apologies from the web team for late posting.
Dear Friends,
With Fall in the air, can Thanksgiving and Western Half-Yearly Meeting (WHYM) be far off!? It’s time to make your plans to join in the richness of Quaker community.
This WHYM will again have 3 components: online, in person, and hybrid (online access to in person sessions). The hybrid portion may not be as stellar as last year as we no longer have our super tech.
WHYM is Friday evening October 11 to Monday morning October 14, 2024 (Thanksgiving weekend)
In Person:
Here is the information for the in person gathering taking place at Camp Kannawin on Sylvan Lake, near Red Deer Alberta. This is where we met last fall. Please read this information sheet carefully.
Here is theregistration form to attend in-person – Note: in-person registration closes October 1st if you want to eat, sleep, or be in Worship-Sharing groups.
