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Humanist Happenings News, Views & Events
February 2026
We Asked "Why Humanism Now?" and You Showed Up.
Our 2025 campaign titled Why Humanism Now? invited people to participate in whatever way felt right: by making a gift, sharing a message, or simply adding their voice to the movement.
And you delivered.
Together, we raised $20,867 from 75 supporters through 96 gifts - that is 51% more in total donations than last year’s campaign. Thank you for ending the year with such a powerful show of confidence in Humanist Canada’s work.
Just as meaningful were the responses to our question, “Why is Humanism so important now?” We heard themes of protecting human rights, standing up to misinformation, and creating common ground rooted in empathy and reason.
Here are a few highlights:
“The world needs Humanists. There’s too much intolerance and too little reason. Humanism gives us a way forward, grounded in compassion, guided by evidence, and inspired by hope.” — Pat
“As a trans woman, I know the trans community especially is under attack in the US and the UK, and I don't want this to happen in Canada.” — River
“As our world becomes more connected, people of many cultures and beliefs need common ground. Humanism offers that space, where shared values like empathy, justice, and compassion can bring us together to solve problems collectively.” — Jay
Real people. Real voices. Real momentum. Thank you for being part of it.
šļø Stanley’s Story: Compassionate care and real choice
This month on Choice Chat’s Personal Stories, Kori shares “Stanley’s Story”, a deeply personal account of a very wanted pregnancy that changed after a 20-week scan raised concerns, and a fetal echocardiogram confirmed severe congenital heart anomalies. Kori describes hearing the words “incompatible with life,” meeting with specialists, and facing the realities of what survival could look like for their baby.
With care and clarity, she explains why she chose to end the pregnancy as an act of love and compassionate parenting, and what it meant to be able to access timely abortion care.
Content note: This episode includes discussion of prenatal diagnosis, termination for medical reasons (TFMR), pregnancy loss, grief, and mental health impacts.
š§ Listen to the whole episode on Spotify or on our Website and share to engage a conversation.
Humanist Canada Members: We’re looking for a Choice Chat Podcast Host
Choice Chat is seeking a confident, engaging host from the Humanist Canada membership to help bring important conversations to life. If you enjoy thoughtful dialogue and can guide interviews with warmth, clarity, and strong listening skills, this role may be for you.
The producer sources guests and builds the episode map. As host, you will review the map, prep key questions, and lead the on-air conversation—keeping it clear and succinct, creating space for guests to speak, and pivoting smoothly when new insights emerge.
What you’ll need: • Strong interviewing or facilitation instincts (podcast/radio/panel experience is an asset, not required) • A calm, professional on-mic presence • A crisp, clean recording setup (good microphone, headphones, quiet space, reliable internet)
Interested? Send a short note about your experience and why you’re interested, plus a brief audio sample if you have one to Morgentaler.committee@humanistcanada.ca.
Join us on the mic and help shape a national conversation—amplifying evidence, lived experience, and the values of compassion and autonomy. If you’ve ever thought, “I could do that,” this is your invitation.
New Brunswick Chapter Gathering Rassemblement du chapitre du Nouveau-Brunswick
Joignez-vous à nous le samedi 21 février à 17 h à Moncton pour un rassemblement du chapitre du Nouveau-Brunswick d’Humaniste Canada !
Ce sera une soirée de partage de talents : musique, sport, photos, poésie ou plats préférés — venez montrer ce qui vous passionne.
Si vous n’apportez pas de plat, une contribution de 10 à 20 $ est suggérée pour couvrir les frais de nourriture.
Invitez un·e ami·e et venez partager un moment convivial avec d’autres humanistes.
Transport disponible depuis Fredericton sur demande.
L’adresse exacte du lieu vous sera transmise après inscription.
Join us on Saturday, February 21 at 5 p.m. in Moncton for a gathering of the Humanist Canada – New Brunswick Chapter! It will be an evening of talent sharing — music, sports, photography, poetry, or your favorite dishes — come show what you love to do.
If you’re not bringing a dish to share, a $10–20 contribution is suggested to help cover food costs. Feel free to bring a friend and enjoy a warm, engaging evening with fellow humanists.
Transportation from Fredericton is available upon request.
The exact location will be shared once you register.
Petition in Support of Trans Rights
Humanist Canada invites its members and supporters to add their voices to a petition initiated by Concerned Allies of Transgender Canadians (Petition eā7027). This petition calls on the federal government to use its constitutional powers to annul or repeal provincial legislation in Alberta and Saskatchewan that restricts the rights of transgender and gender-diverse people, shields these laws from Charter scrutiny through the use of the notwithstanding clause, and to affirm the federal government’s responsibility to uphold Charter rights across Canada.
As humanists, we affirm that respecting the dignity, autonomy, and equality of every person is central to our values, and we stand in solidarity with transgender and gender-diverse communities in defending their fundamental rights.
New Year, New Will Giveaway – Winners Announced š
As part of our New Year, New Will – Epilogue Wills Giveaway, we invited members to enter a draw for one of four free online wills. Thank you to everyone who participated and took a step toward planning for the future with intention and care.
Congratulations to all four winners. Each has been contacted directly with details on how to redeem their free Epilogue Will.
For those who did not win this time, a reminder that Humanist Canada members receive discounted access to Epilogue Wills year-round, making it easier to create a Will that reflects your values and priorities.
Thank you for being part of our thoughtful, values-driven community, and here’s to a prepared and purposeful year ahead.
Interview with Trevor Lehmann, Chaplain
Humanist Canada Chaplain Trevor Lehmann was recently featured on CBC’s The Weekend Morning Show (Manitoba) with Nadia Kidwai, where he spoke about “Grief from an atheist’s perspective” and shared insights into humanist chaplaincy and the work of Humanist Canada.
Various Nuclear Reactor Types with Dr. Matt Memmott
Date & time: February 9, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. (America/Toronto)
Centre for Inquiry Canada - West invites you to an upcoming online talk with Dr. Matthew Memmott, associate professor of chemical engineering at Brigham Young University, specialized in advanced nuclear reactor design, nuclear safety, and system modeling. He has led reactor design work at Westinghouse and is a strong proponent of thorium reactors as a safer, more economical nuclear option.
In this talk, Dr. Memmott will briefly review major reactor types—light water reactors (PWRs and BWRs), pressurized heavy water reactors (including Canada’s CANDU), high-temperature gas reactors, fast spectrum and breeder reactors, and heat pipe reactors. He will then focus on molten salt microreactors, including the design his company, Alpha Tech Research Corp, plans to build and deploy.
Nous sommes heureux d’annoncer le lancement de « Connection humaniste - Rencontres hebdomadaires » !
š Rejoignez-nous en ligne pour : ā Connecter en français avec d’autres humanistes ā Rester au courant des dernières nouvelles ā Partager vos préoccupations et vos accomplissements ā Ou simplement nous dire à quoi vous pensez ces temps-ci
š Nos discussions ont lieu chaque mardi, de 19h00 à 20h00 HNE.
š Cet événement s'adresse aux membres d'Humanist Canada seulement.
For just $50 a year, you can become a Humanist Canada member and unlock all the events, perks, and warm fuzzy feelings of supporting humanist values across the country.
Keep track of all our upcoming events and meeting times in one convenient place. There’s always something exciting happening—be sure to stay in the loop!
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