USC Sundays

USC often joins Unitarian congregations across the country for speaking engagements, sharing information about our programs. Look for us this spring. All are welcome.

• March 14 – Unitarian Congregation of Saskatoon (Saskatoon, SK)
• March 14 – Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Congregation (Beaconsfield, QC)
• March 14 – Huronia Unitarian Fellowship (Barrie, ON)
• March 21 – Unitarian Fellowship of London (London, ON)
• March 28 – Universalist Unitarian Church (Halifax, NS)
• April 11 – Kingston Unitarian Fellowship (Kingston, ON)
• April 25 – Unitarian Congregation of Niagara (St. Catharines, ON)

Seedy Saturdays

Every spring, there are more than 40 Seedy Saturdays across Canada to exchange seeds, learn about sustainable agriculture, and celebrate biodiversity. USC will attend many of them to share our commitment to food sovereignty. Find out more details about these and other Seedy Saturday events at Seeds of Diversity Canada.

• March 13 – Saskatoon, SK (Princess Alexandra School, 12pm-4:30pm)
• March 13 London, ON (Siloam United Church, 10am-3:30pm)
• March 14 – SUNDAY! Gatineau, QC (Maison de Citoyen, 10am-3pm)
• March 20 – Lindsay, ON (Queen St. United Church Hall, 9am-1pm)

James Keelaghan In Concert

Award-winning singer and songwriter James Keelaghan has been a huge and outspoken supporter of USC, making every effort to shine a spotlight on our work with farmers. He has frequently done benefit concerts for our Seeds of Survival work and is continuing to promote USC as he tours throughout 2010. Make certain not to miss him when he’s in your community. We’ll be at his concerts in the following cities, but visit www.keelaghan.com for his full tour schedule.

• March 13 – Greenbank, ON
• March 19 – Brampton, ON

Seeds, Survival & Climate Change

The International studies group of the Canadian Federation of University Women is hosting an evening of discussion at Library and Archives Canada (395 Wellington Street, Ottawa). USC Canada will be the there to present slides and a short video on our work in India, and to discuss our work on the issues of seeds, survival, and climate change. This is a free event, open to the public. The event starts at 7pm.

Spring Screenings

Ottawa’s film series dedicated to food is coming back for another year. The Reel Food Film Festival (RFFF) will screen films on March 18th and March 25th. Each night will include a feature documentary as well as some beautiful shorts on a variety of food-related topics.

Thursday, March 18

• Alpenblick Farm: An Organic Tradition (Ben Walker & Lynda Hall, Ottawa, 5 min)
• Chez Schwartz takes us inside a year in the life of Schwartz’s Deli – the unique 75-year-old landmark on Montreal’s historic Main. (Richard Elson & Barry Lazar, Montreal, 83 min)

Thursday, March 25

• The Story of the Food is an short, animated film that will get you thinking about our broken food system and what we can do to rebuild it. (USC Canada, Ottawa, 5 min)
• Indigenous Plant Diva reveals the remarkable healing powers of plants growing among the sprawling urban streets of Vancouver – from the secret curl of a fiddlehead to the blood-red streaks of frog leaf. (Selwyn Jacob – NFB Canada, 9 min)
• Dirt! The Movie, tells the amazing and little known story of the relationship between humans and living dirt. (By Common Ground Media, Inc, USA, 86 min)

Screenings take place at the Ottawa Public Library, main branch (120 Metcalfe St.) in the auditorium. Doors open at 6pm. Films start at 6:30pm. Admission is free, but a donation of $5 is appreciated to help cover our costs.

Dust From Our Eyes

A writer and journalist, USC Board member Joan Baxter splits her time between Nova Scotia and West Africa. She has written four books about Africa. Joan will be in Ottawa on April 8 to offer a reading from her latest book, Dust from Our Eyes, about the impact of Western policies in Africa. The reading will take place in the auditorium of the Ottawa Public Library Main branch (120 Metcalfe Street) from 7-9pm. This event is jointly organized by USC and Octopus Books.