Jubilee momentum builds at Whitehorse United Church
Sending two people to the G7 Jubilee People’s Forum was key to a lively year of activism for one church.
“It really has been a journey,” says KAIROS volunteer, Diane Emond. “Our Social Justice Committee at Whitehorse United Church has been connected to KAIROS for many years. We have been following the Jubilee 2025 Turn Debt Into Hope campaign and have learned a lot from the webinars and promotional activities.”
The Committee’s early recruiting and work to secure church funding paid off. Whitehorse United was able to send Stéphanie Nobécourt and Marie-Alexis Dangréau to Calgary in June for the G7 Jubilee People’s Forum. Not only did Stéphanie and Marie-Alexis attend, but they were able – with help from others in the church – to secure an interview with their local press that resulted in an extensive article in the Yukon News which highlighted many aspects of the Jubilee campaign.
“It’s such a great opportunity to put my values into action, to voice concerns about our society and what should be integrated into our evolving [societal] structure,” said Stéphanie in the article.
In October, a horn blast from the back of the room brought churchgoers to attention as Stéphanie and Marie-Alexis shared for the second time their story and their concerns for debt justice in their home congregation, using Proclaim Jubilee! resources. More signatures were collected. More ideas were sparked.
In a statement Marie-Alexis and Stéphanie wrote: “The G7 Jubilee People’s Forum truly inspired and energized us. Back in Whitehorse, we wanted to keep the movement going by raising awareness and educating our congregation as well as gathering more and more signatures! We recently participated in the Global Village Fair, and it was a perfect reminder to everyone that every voice matters!” Their latest signature count is 125.
“Stéphanie and Marie-Alexis’ participation in the Jubilee Forum in June in Alberta has inspired our congregation and the community to support the KAIROS petition. In addition, it has sparked plans to do a film discussion night on this topic at our church early in 2026 with hopes to draw in the Whitehorse community,” says Diane.
You too can access what Diane calls “Such great materials, information and support from KAIROS.” If you are new to the topic of Jubilee and Turn Debt into Hope, start with the introduction. If you are ready to jump into sharing, check out the many resources in the Animator’s Toolkit.
Note: It’s not too late! Petition collection will continue in 2026 until the presentation of final numbers to Parliament anticipated for late April.
By Shannon Neufeldt, Member Relations and Network Coordinator
