By Nan Hudson

This past June, ICA Canada held its AGM, and formally began the year-long celebration of 35 years of incorporation in Canada. Many old friends gathered for that event, some seeing each other for the first time in years.

We were heartened and grateful for the greetings that we received from ICAs and colleagues all around the world, and took time to read them at our table groups as well as to the whole assembly. It is always a rare moment to be given a glimpse of how others see you, and through those greetings we had the opportunity to step back and hear words of gratitude and encouragement that touched us very deeply. To those of you who took the time to write, Thank you for your encouraging and thoughtful words!

In addition to the normal business of an AGM, we took the occasion to thank and pay tribute to Duncan Holmes, who stepped down from the Board after 22 years of service to ICA as either a staff or board member.

But we are also an organization on the move, and the second half of our AGM was devoted to hearing a presentation from ICA Canada staff member Miriam Patterson, who talked about the new language reclamation and childhood educational work that is beginning with First Nation’s communities here. We were grateful for the presence of two senior staff from our First Nation’s partner organization, Marilyn Junnila and Connie Harvikson of Ka:nen, and excited to share the new work we are beginning.

We will continue to celebrate our 35th Anniversary throughout this year and plan work that we trust will carry ICA Canada far into an unfolding future. Some of us hope to be able to attend the upcoming General Assembly next year in Kathmandu, and look forward to seeing many of you there!


All the best.