The Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets (British Columbia) is excited to invite you to be part of a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Priesting of Women in the Anglican Church of Canada. Come and join us as we give thanks for the many ways women have contributed to the life of the Church as presbyters and look to the future to examine the challenges that lay ahead for women in the Church and Canadian society.
We look forward to welcoming you to Vancouver Island later this year!
Dates: November 23-26, 2026 (travel dates inclusive)
Location: Baumann Centre which is next to St John the Divine Anglican Church at 1611 Quadra St, Victoria.
Registration
Registration will begin on June 1, 2026.
There is no longer a cap on the number of registrants. We look forward to welcoming anyone who would like to be a part of this exciting event.
We expect the registration fee to be approximately $200.00. Participants are responsible for making all their own travel and hotel arrangements. This includes transportation into Victoria from the airport. We will create a Facebook page where people can connect to arrange carpooling.
Program
The event will officially begin at 8:30am on Tuesday, November 24 at the Baumann Centre.
It will officially end with the celebratory Eucharist at Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesday, November 25. The service will start at 4pm and will be livestreamed.
More details about the program and the service will be shared soon.
Bursaries and funding
There is money for bursaries that has generously been made available through grants from the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Foundation of Canada. An application for bursaries will be posted when registration opens. Successful bursary applicants will be notified by August 1, 2026.
Please note that we aim to have participation from across Canada which means travel costs will vary considerably. We respectfully ask that you take advantage of any continuing education funds or other sources of financial assistance so that we can use bursary funds to assist people coming from further afield as much as possible.
Accommodation
We have negotiated corporate rates with three hotels in the city. Please note that these rates may change before the event. Please call and let the hotel know that you want the corporate rate negotiated by the Diocese of British Columbia for the nights associated with the event (23, 24, 25 November 2026). The hotels are:
- Inn at Laurel Point: $199/night+tax. The Inn is on Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour. It is approx. a half hour walk to the conference venue. (www.laurelpoint.com)
- Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza Hotel: starting at $155/night+taxes and fees. The BW is in downtown Victoria. Approx. 10-minute walk to the venue. (www.bestwesterncarltonplazahotel.com). Please note: if you want to book the Best Western, you must use THIS LINK. The front desk staff will not have this information! They have offered a variety of rooms including a suite with a kitchenette. The link will work until October 23, 2026.
- Quality Inn Downtown Inner Harbour: $140/night+tax. The Quality Inn is in downtown Victoria and approx. a 15-minute walk to the venue. (www.choicehotels.com/en-uk/british-columbia/victoria/quality-inn-hotels/cn376)
Volunteering
Interested in helping with the event? Contact The Rev. Canon Jeannine Friesen at jfriesen@bc.anglican.ca.
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A poster is provided below should you wish to post something at your parish.
A Facebook Group has been started for this event. Join us at: Let's celebrate 50 yrs of the Priesting of Women in the ACC!
The organizers gratefully acknowledge a grant from the Anglican Foundation of Canada in support of this event.
