August 2021

Volume 11, Issue 11

I hope these summer months are full with opportunities to reconnect with families and friends and to enjoy the beauty of nature. We are always astounded by the transformation of our Centre’s landscape over the summer months as the energy of young summer staff, gardeners and the farm team creates abundance. Our Loyola House guests are outdoors most days enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the gardens and walking trails.

My enjoyment of these summer blessings is complemented by gratitude to three women whose lives were so touched by the beauty and peace of this retreat centre that they planned for generous bequests to sustain this place.

Marita Sedlak was a former Loyola House retreat director who worked, throughout her many leadership roles, for justice and peace. Margaret Mullin worked with and for the less privileged in our society in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and London in a career that spanned over 40 years and a life of 104 years. Helen Benninger worked with Forsythe’s shirt factory for close to 50 years. She and her husband were active supporters of many community causes and faithful supporters of their local parish.

We are humbled that these three women, who worked with so many people and supported so many organizations, chose to make a legacy gift to our Centre as a way to continue to impact social justice and peace.

Next month, together with charities across Canada, we will join in launching WillPower, a national movement to raise awareness amongst Canadians on the power they have to make a difference through their wills. These two women could not have foreseen the challenges of this global pandemic, yet their foresight in planning legacy gifts is so profoundly significant now.

Blessings,

Executive Director, Ignatius Jesuit Centre

In the meantime we’re going to ‘unlock’ the doors at the Loyola House business entrances starting September 7 from 9am-3pm weekdays.

Ignatius Jesuit Centre is a registered charity and can accept donations of stocks, bonds or mutual fund units through CanadaHelps.

Considering a legacy gift and have some questions? Email development@ignatiusguelph.ca or phone 519-824-1250 Ext 257 to speak with Vanessa or Leanne.

See EFAO.ca/Ignatius-new-farmer-training for more information.

This program is made possible through collaboration between Ignatius Farm, Everdale, and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario.

In June, our volunteers were hard at work clearing space in the meadow for native dry meadow flowers, courtesy of Origin Nursery. We cleared out Goldenrod and Queen Anne’s lace to create nucleation circles. The blue and pink flags in the meadow outline the planting sites and create better conditions for the newly planted seedlings to flourish. The month ended with a few inclement weather days thanks to the heat of the summer and some sporadic torrential storms. When we were able to gather, our volunteers were hard at work pulling out buckthorn saplings in the meadow off Highway 6 and examining the success of buckthorn bags that were started over two years ago. Seeing the progress is a great reminder of the ongoing collaborative project. We are on a constant journey of positive progress.

July introduced exciting new projects in Marden Creek. Volunteers hopped in chest waders and got straight to work collecting branches and boughs, moving heavy cedar trunks for log vanes, digging trenches, and threading cedar to catch sediment that is washed downstream. We are hoping to create a better habitat for brook trout and assist the natural flow of water by installing two locations of log vanes. The goal is for the bank stabilization to occur over time, particularly following high flows where snow melts, water deposits the rocks and silt, and eventually, plants begin to root. Although the stream narrowing will take a couple years, positive change is already visible and our volunteers have loved working right in the water during these hot summer afternoons.

Finally, our month is ending with another change of scenery – the marsh! Our volunteers always show up with positive attitudes and great stamina. We are checking the success of past Phragmites solarization in the marsh and expanding the project area to clear more of this most invasive species. Silage tarp is heavy, mucky work, but just like all the other projects underway this summer, many hands make light work when it comes to restoration.