Throughout September, parishes and dioceses in the Anglican Church of Canada have been marking the Season of Creation and, for the first time, trialling the new liturgy for the Feast of the Creator. This article shares highlights from the dioceses of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, New Westminster and Ottawa, in a country facing high levels of climate-related crises.

This year's Season of Creation theme ‘Living Water’ draws on the prophet Ezekiel's vision of God’s life-giving water flowing from the temple of God. During this season, Christians are invited to consider how every act of care for creation becomes part of a global stream of hope.

The Feast of the Creator (also known as the Feast of Creation in Christ or the Festival of Creation) was approved by the Anglican Church of Canada Synod in June 2026 for trial use. The province has encouraged churches to celebrate the feast on September 1 or a transferred Sunday, encouraging reflection on the Trinity’s role in creation and the Fifth Mark of Mission, which focuses on ecological stewardship.

The environmental crisis in Canada

In recent years, Canada, the second-largest country in the world and home to over a quarter of the world’s boreal forests, has been experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand. The last three years have been among the ten worst wildfire seasons on record. The Climate Institute of Canada says ‘fire season is starting earlier, is lasting longer and is harder to contain’.

Ken Gray, Secretary of the Anglican Environment Network, has shared his experience of climate-induced displacement, as he fled Canadian wildfires along with thousands of others. Ken wrote on August 9 about ‘long lines and raw tension at evacuation centres’, sharing that approximately 12,000 were evacuated from his hometown, joining the 8,000 already displaced in the region.

Many dioceses have also been impacted by significant increases in the frequency and intensity of flood events, thought to be connected to climate change. The Climate Institute of Canada relays, ‘Warmer air, caused by increasing concentrations of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, holds more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall and more intense storms. This, combined with melting snowpacks, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns, has created the conditions for more severe and unpredictable flooding’.

How Canadian dioceses are observing the Season of Creation

The dioceses of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, New Westminster and Ottawa are observing the Season of Creation in a variety of ways, including through community projects, outdoor events, pilgrimages and nature-inspired services.

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

In the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, communities have experienced flood-related disruption and emergency after a storm. The Revd Darlene Jewers, from the Parish of Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton Island, said that ‘Roads are washed out, people cut off, [it’s] a real mess… Water has wreaked havoc here and clean-up and healing is the focus for the next while here. I invite the Communion to hold us in prayer.’

Despite the current challenges, the parish is hoping to mark the Season of Creation with an ecumenical service and a blessing for animals in October.

The Revd Dr Kate Heichler from All Saints Cathedral, Halifax, shared that their plans began with a picnic in a local park. ‘I preached last Sunday about what taking up your cross might mean from an environmental standpoint,’ Revd Kate shared. She spoke about ‘losing your lifestyle for the sake of the planet’. The cathedral’s Music Director is also using liturgy from the Season of Creation resources. 

All Saints Cathedral, Halifax, invites thoughtful reflection on the theme of the Season of Creation, Living Water, with a water feature.

St Luke’s Church, Dartmouth, is engaging in fundraising for local food banks with a charity bike ride, while the Parish of Port Dufferin is working to tackle food insecurity and insufficiency by growing small crops in their communities. Port Dufferin parish also plans to mark the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi (October 4 - the final day of the Season of Creation), with an outdoor service.

The Revd Cherry Workman, Rector of the Parish of St Martin’s, Western Shore, has been highlighting the connection between the theme for the Season of Creation and the significance of baptism, drawing attention to the baptismal vow to protect and restore creation.

Grace Anglican Church has recently opened a community well in response to climate change. Revd Cherry said that ‘because of drought issues occurring so often due to extreme weather conditions,’ she worked to establish a dialogue with the Municipality of Chester to partner with the church to establish the well. After more than two years of talks, the well is finished and will be open for the next dry season. She described this practical resilience project as ‘a great outreach to the community’ during ecologically uncertain times.

The Revd Shirley Cole, Rector of the Parish of New London, plans to choose hymns and sermons to reflect the theme, as well as using the prescribed readings and outlining what the bible teaches about creation care. She said, ‘This is the third year I've done this intentionally, because the year before, when I spoke about Season of Creation, I got a little pushback about it not being appropriate for church’.

Some argued that global warming was not real and that carbon emissions in Western cultures were not the cause of problems in other places. ‘I accepted the challenge to gently and purposefully educate and encourage’. Revd Shirley reports that many now look forward to the liturgy and ‘most everyone participates’.

In several beach locations across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Diocesan Environment Network has collaborated with the civil group Eastern Shore Citizen Science Coastal Monitoring Network to hold ‘Dune Defender’ workshops. These help people to identify different types of beach vegetation and learn how to protect them. The Diocesan Environment Network are also encouraging small dietary changes to protect water in the food production system by suggesting plant-based food swaps.

The Anglican Parishes of Aylesford and Berwick have hosted a ‘pilgrimage to a pond’ event at a local park to get people outdoors while encouraging fellowship and reflection on the theme.

New Westminster

The Most Revd John Stephens, Archbishop of New Westminster, released a video message for the first day of the Season of Creation, which encouraged Anglicans to ‘rediscover’ a ‘sense of wonder’ in the miracle of creation. He said, ‘We believe that we are called to be defenders of this world, not to hold dominion… With all that is taking place in the world, with wars in too many places, trade disputes, more emphasis on the oil and gas industries, uncertainty about the future, forest fires, flooding, fear of the stranger, disregard for human dignity,’ he says these things are ‘thieves of the beauty all around us.’

At St George’s, Fort Langley, parishioners were encouraged to bring ‘living water’ from places special to them and reflect on how to find God in more than the human world. Salal + Cedar (a Watershed Discipleship Group that meets regularly for outdoor worship, education and action) and the diocesan Creation Care and Climate Emergency team have been preparing workshops to help parishes identify and work towards climate response goals.

Ottawa

The Ven Monique Stone, Incumbent at Christ Church Bells Corners and Archdeacon of West Ottawa, shared that they marked the Feast of the Creator on September 1 with an evening Forest Church service. Describing the service, Ven Monique said, ‘It was a wonderful celebration that will become an annual tradition for sure.’ 

Christ Church Bells Corner in Ottawa celebrates the Feast of the Creator at an outdoor Eucharist. Credit: Revd Maria Nightingale

Speaking about the church’s regular Forest Church services, Ven Monique also told the Anglican Journal: ‘People do find a sacredness in the outdoors… The forest is a natural cathedral, a natural sacred space… by doing a church service outdoors, we are able to connect people to God’s creation.'

More information

See the Anglican Church of Canada’s trial liturgy and resources for the Feast of the Creator.

See an article from the Anglican Journal about the increasing engagement with the Forest Church initiative.

See a short video of the priest of Salal + Cedar church’s perspectives on living water and the responsibility of the church to respond to climate change.

Learn more about the Anglican Environment Network or the Season of Creation.

Learn more about the rising prevalence of wildfires and flooding in Canada.