Fifty years ago, Jean Vanier, son of famous politician Georges Vanier, whom one of the Metro stops in Montreal where the Bell Centre where the Montreal Canadians play hockey, is named after, was touched by 2 things: the biblical story of Noah’s Ark and Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
Arriving at the concert in Saint John.
This inspired Vanier to open his first L’Arche home by welcoming two disabled people to live with and have meals with him. Back in the day, this historical figure had a show called Jean Vanier in Conversation, shot at his L’Arche house in Trosly, France, with video clips of his core members and assistants, shown on Vision TV, home of Daily Mass and Murder, She Wrote, and old shows that do not play there anymore, Touched by an Angel, 7th Heaven, and Doc, starring country star Billy Ray Cyrus, known for Achy Breaky Heart and his daughter, Miley Cyrus AKA Hannah Montana.
Since the opening of his first home, lots of communities have opened with residences, apartments, and day programs across the world, including Canada.
In Atlantic Canada, there are communities in Cape Breton, Wolfville, Antigonish, Halifax, and Saint John, and projects to open a house in Fredericton and Newfoundland.
L’Arche Cape Breton’s community has day programs The Ark, the Angels’ Loft, and The Hope Chest. It also has houses and apartments. Along with these L’Arche Cape Breton also has a chapel where they hold multi-faith services. L’Arche Cape Breton’s core members and people have starred in videos I Am and We Are.
L’Arche Antogonish has houses and day programs. Their day programs are Horizons, formerly LEAP and an art place.
L’Arche Wolfville, also known as Homefires, has houses and a day program called Applewicks, known for homemade fancy and beautiful candles, used for prayer services, which we, L’Arche Saint John, for meals and Advent candles.
Now, it is safe to say that Halifax now has a L’Arche duplex, as this house is 2 houses connected to each other, but this community does not have a day program.
And finally, L’Arche Saint John, has only one house to date, but we, as L’Arche Saint John, hope to open a second house and/or a day program to expand our community.
When L’Arche turned 50 a series of celebrations came up.
For the Atlantic Community, the first of two 50 Fest celebrations came up. This was held in Halifax, with lots of friends from all over L’Arche Atlantic in attendance, with a speech and a concert at Citadel High School’s Spatz Theatre, a Pub Crawl with a karaoke party, a breakfast and church service at a local Anglican Church, and, thanks to me who came up with this neat idea, two nights at the Best Western Chocolate Lake Hotel with a swim in the pool and Jacuzzi and LG flat screen TVs in each room and a continental breakfast.
The second and final celebration of 50 Fest was, in fact, held in Saint John. This was a concert at Imperial Theatre with lots of people, including friends from L’Arche Atlantic and my Mom in attendance, called A Few of our Favorite Show Tunes, involving musical numbers by people, including selected samples of the upcoming musical The Sound of Music and ending with Gray and me singing I’d Do Anything from Oliver, honoring my new nephew, and then McKim House, and later the whole ensemble singing The Lion King’s Hakuna Matata.
