Wesley-Knox Bulletin

United Church Church E-ssentials Newsletter

Red Dress Day 2026

held every May 5th, is a National Day of remembrance and activism honouring the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited People (MMIWG2S+). It began with the REDress Project, created by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2010. On this day, red dresses will be draped in trees, hanging from windows, pinned to jackets, worn as earrings and red hands painted across faces, people will be partaking in rally’s and ceremonies to honour their loved ones, participating as ally’s and fighting for justice.

Why Red Dress Day Matters

Disproportionate Victimization

Indigenous women and girls make up less than 5% of the Canadian population but represent approximately 24% of all homicide victims. They are 12x more likely to be murdered. Over 60% of Indigenous women experience physical

or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Intimate Partner Violence

A statistics Canada report showed that 56% of Indigenous women experience intimate partner violence, more than double the rate for non-Indigenous people.

Overrepresentation in Incarceration

Indigenous women constitute 41.4% of the federally incarcerated female population, despite representing just over 4% of the Canadian female population.

To the Moms Who Are

To the Moms who are struggling, to those filled with incandescent joy.

To the Moms who are remembering children who have died, and pregnancies that miscarried.

To the Moms who decided other parents were the best choice for their babies, to the Moms who adopted those kids and loved them fierce.

To those experiencing frustration or desperation in infertility.

To those who knew they never wanted kids, and the ways they have contributed to our shared world.

To those who mothered colleagues, mentees, neighborhood kids, and anyone who needed it.

To those remembering Moms no longer with us.

To those moving forward from Moms who did not show love, or hurt those they should have cared for.

Today is a day to honor the unyielding love and care for others we call 'Motherhood,' wherever we have found it and in whatever ways we have found to cultivate it within ourselves.

- Hannah Kardon, Pastor at Elston Avenue United Methodist Church

Why isn't Victoria Day on the 24th?

It seems strange that each year we look forward to a holiday coined May 2-4, that rarely occurs on the 24th. It’s never late, but always early and this got me wondering….WHY? Time for bit of a Her-story Lesson.

This holiday is properly known as Victoria Day (not May 2-4) and is in celebration of the British queen Victoria who was born on May 24, 1819. She was a reigning monarch for 63 years, seven months and two days. It is NOT in anyway related to that first 24 case of beer cracked open to enjoy during a backyard BBQ. Not that we’re against that!

Being such a long-standing monarch the Canadian government decided Victoria should have her own holiday and Victoria Day was declared a Canadian holiday by the government in 1845. At that time, it was celebrated with picnics, parades, sporting tournaments, fireworks and cannon salutes. When Queen Victoria died in 1901, Canada’s parliament decided it should become a statutory holiday and thus the first long weekend of Spring was born.

Now about that date. It was decided that the day would be celebrated on May 24th each year (or on May 25th if the 24th fell on a Sunday). For example this year the 24th is a Friday, which means we get the holiday 4 days early on Monday the 20th. Thus, the moving holiday mystery is solved. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to go to work on Mondays, so we think it’s better that way. Happy Victoria Day! 



Resource: https://ridgeviewgardencentre.com/why-is-may-24-not-on-the-24th/?v=05c7c5a71e52

London's Climate Action Newsletter

London Chamber of Commerce presents a keynote address by Blair Feltmate, Head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, who will share insights on climate risk and adaptation strategies. A panel discussion will follow discussing real-world applications, local leadership, and actionable takeaways for businesses of all sizes. May 26, 2026 Register (free)

Volunteers Needed: Native Plant Sale pick-up day on Sat May 23. No experience necessary. Helping biodiversity in our own backyard.

Know any students moving out? Collective Exchange Network will pick up furniture and household items for redistribution. free

Thurs May 7, 7pm Kickoff: Less Lawn More Life Challenge, featuring Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Sat May 9, 9am-3pm Emergency Preparedness Day at Fanshawe College, Lot 6 & Forwell Hall. Lots of activities and a tree giveaway.

• Explore inside emergency vehicles, chat with first responders, spray a fire hose
• Learn from community organizations about emergency preparedness and recovery

Plant Exchanges at your local library on Saturdays in May; 10am-12pm.

• May 16: Pond Mills, Sherwood, Landon May 23: Byron, East London, Jalna
• May 31: Beacock, Bostwick

Sun May 17, 1-3pm Komoka Provincial Park. FREE guided forest walk with Larry Cornelis. Get outside, learn something new, and connect with fellow nature lovers Spaces are limited. Reserve by emailing: pollinatorteam@mail.com (note: this is not a typo)

London-Middlesex Children’s Water Festival - May 12th -15th

This is a 4-day event that will give over 3,500 students in grades 2 to 5 a hands on opportunity to learn about water in their community. Over 45 activity stations. Approx 150 volunteers are needed each day! Sign up here to volunteer.

Climate Action: Clean up leaves in the street/gutters.

Did you know? Water quality is affected by leaves because when they decompose in water bodies, they release nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. While these nutrients are beneficial for plants and soil, an excess of them in water can lead to algae blooms, deplete oxygen, and harm aquatic life. Leaves can also carry pollutants and sediments into waterways. 

Pastoral Care



Prayers for our church families enduring grief, loss, or loneliness.

If you or a loved one is dealing with a difficult time, such as illness,hospitalization, loneliness, or any of life’s challenges, our Pastoral Care team is available for support.

Please call the Church office and you will be contacted

by a member of our team: Rev Dr. Rob, Margo Bettger-Hahn, Linda Olson, Sandra Fox, Helen Humphreys, Liz Dunlop, and Paul Stewart

On evenings and weekends, you may reach us through Facebook Messenger (you do not need a Facebook account to message.)

You are not alone!

May 10th - May 23rd, 2026



Upcoming Events at Wesley-Knox



May 10 - Men's Breakfast Angel's Restaurant 8:30 am

May 13 - Docapella WK Sanctuary doors open at 6:30 pm

May 24 - Wesley-Knox Golf Day Hickory Ridge Golf & Country Club 2:10 pm

May 30 - Logic Games and Lasagna Social Hall 5:30 pm



Resources:



We are part of the United Church of Canada

Our Region falls within the

Antler-River Watershed, Region #7

Link located at the bottom of this email

Access daily devotionals here, provided by “The Upper Room”

https://www.upperroom.org/devotionals

Liturgical Calendar Resources

for worship planning:

Link located at the bottom of this email

Handbooks and Guidelines for Staff, Council, Committees, and Volunteers:

https://united-church.ca/handbooks-and-guidelines

Anyone wishing to place flowers in the sanctuary

for a special occasion or in memory of a loved one, is encouraged to do so.

It brightens our worship, and, by adding a message in the bulletin,

it connects us as a congregation.

If you wish to place flowers, please call or email Liz Dunlop.

She will give you the information you need and confirm the date, and make sure the office has the information for the bulletin. Thank you!

Liz Dunlop, Sanctuary Flower Coordinator

(519) 668-2507

E-mail:

ldunlop@rogers.com