2026 Bishop's Fund Dinner

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 Bishop's Fund Dinner a success! The sold-out event raised funds to support clergy in the Diocese of Edmonton with extraordinary needs, such as family emergencies, travel for funerals, and unexpected medical costs.

Over the past six decades, the Bishop’s Fund Committee has invited visionary leaders to share insights and experience from their professional vocations. This year's keynote speaker was Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross, a History Professor from the University of Victoria. Dr. Stanger-Ross is also the Director of Past Wrongs, Future Choices, an international initiative committed to telling the history of the incarceration and deportation of people of Japanese descent during the Second World War and its aftermath so that we can learn from past events and forge new paths forward.

Dr. Stanger-Ross told the story of the Japanese Canadian Internment, during which the Canadian government detained more than 90 percent of Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia. Driven by rage, racism, and fear of an invasion, the government seized and later liquidated homes and businesses. Even though many were Canadian citizens, they were moved to prison camps and held in deplorable conditions. Many were threatened with separation from their families and forced into exile in wartorn Japan. 

In his book, Challenging Exile: Japanese Canadians and the Wartime Constitution, Dr. Stanger-Ross and co-author Eric M. Adams explore the legal decisions, historic events, and social trends that defined this dark chapter in Canadian history. Their book is available for purchase.

"This history is an analogy for our times. National security concerns continue to interweave with racism. The human and civil rights of some still count more than others. We must learn from history as we combat racism and to strive for more just societies."

- Past Wrongs, Future Choices

The Bishop's Fund Dinner was made possible through the hard work of the Bishop's Fund Committee: Bill Shores, KC (chair); David Jones, KC; Robert Reynolds, KC; and the Hon. Donna Valgardson, and the skilled administration of Sarah Kemp and Carmen Kohlman. Their dedication allowed this important initiative to return after several years' absence during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To contribute to the Bishop's Fund, visit our donation page and designate your donation to "The Bishop's Fund".