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Humanist Happenings News, Views & Events
Actualités humanistes
Actualités, opinions et événements
April 1, 2026
🌸 Dear Humanist family,
This is your April 2026 edition of Humanist Happenings. We bring you the best Humanist events, of Humanist Canada and other like-minded partners around the country, and suggest a mix of Humanist views, Webinars and Position Statements.
Critical events like our Annual General Meeting and important publications like our Position Statement on Alberta Legislation Affecting MAiD and Gender-Affirming Care might particularly interest you.
Apart from that, we work more and more on local and provincial levels to keep you engaged and connected.
Enjoy the start of the Spring with compassion, love and pursuit of truth.
The Humanist Canada Team
🌸 Chers et chères membres dela famille humaniste,
Voici l’édition d'avril 2026 des Actualités humanistes. Nous vous invitons à découvrir nos événements et ceux de nos partenaires tout autour du pays, et nous vous proposons une gamme de contenu intellectuel comme des opinions, des webinaires ou des déclarations de positionnement.
Des événements très importants comme notre Assemblée générale annuelle ainsi que notre Prise de position sur la législation de l'Alberta concernant l'aide médicale à mourir et les soins d'affirmation de genre peuvent vous être d'un intérêt particulier.
Nous travaillons de plus en plus sur l’engagement local et provincial pour que vous restiez toujours connecté.e.s.
Bon début du printemps et nous vous souhaitons plein d'amour et de joie
L’équipe de Humaniste Canada
Message from the Executive Director
What does it mean to be a member of Humanist Canada?
Humanist Canada Executive Director, Janalee Morris, shares with us what she sees as the meaning of being a member of our Humanist Canada. As she says, “Our members are the heartbeat of our organization.” ❤️
Janalee presents what is most important to us, from advocacy through which we defend our value, going through events connecting us to education on secularism and launching our new initiatives. Read More.
Position Statement on Alberta Legislation Affecting MAiD and Gender-Affirming Care
On March 27, 2026, Humanist Canada issued a Position Statement on Alberta's legislation affecting Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and gender-affirming care, which not only substitutes medical evidence and expertise with political whims, but also harms individuals’ integrity, freedom of choice, dignity and access to such important healthcare services.
Alberta's legislation not only harms those needing MAiD and gender-affirming care but also affects the universality of healthcare by creating an underprotective legal framework for Albertans.
Humanist Canada Events
HC April Webinar
📆April 8 🕑8pmET 📍 Online
Title: Secularism in Canada: A Means for Maximum Freedom
Join our April's webinar with Leslie Rosenblood! He will discuss secularism in Canada: what it is, what it isn't, and why it's the means to maximal freedom for all. He will cover the history of secularism in Canada: where we were, where we are, and where we are going. He will compare Canada with the United States, provide an assessment of where Canada currently adheres to secular principles, and how it can improve in the future.
Leslie is a Secular Humanist and supporter of evidence-based decision making (especially for public policy). Leslie is a Humanist Officiant, the Secular Chair the Centre for Inquiry Canada, and the Host of Podcast for Inquiry. He writes about secularism, religion, philosophy, free speech, vaccines, and other topics at Opinions and Questions. He has four children, has run two marathons, and lives in Toronto.
On Sunday, May 3, 2026, Humanist Canada will host our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Zoom. We'll be using a meeting format so we can see and connect face-to-face. As in previous years, we’ve included a Town Hall segment to allow more time for open dialogue and meaningful interaction.
If you’re unable to attend virtually, we encourage you to complete the Proxy Form to ensure your voice is represented and to help us meet quorum requirements.
The 2025 Annual Report, along with the AGM Package and Financial Statements, will be available in the coming weeks for you to look over.
We look forward to your participation as we reflect on the past year and look ahead together.
You are invited to join us for the next New Brunswick Chapter gathering. We will meet at noon on Saturday April 25th at the Dickson Falls Trailhead in the Fundy National Park. The trail is an easy 1.5 km loop (about 30 minutes) near Alma. Bring a lunch and, if you have one, your copy of Humanism: Canadian Perspectives and we can share some of our favourite excerpts while we eat at the falls. This would be a great event to invite a friend to join us. We're looking forward to sharing company and conversation with other humanists.
Please RSVP to Conditionally Accredited Humanist Chaplain and New Brunswick Humanist Canada Chapter Lead aspen apGaia at nbchapter@humanistcanada.ca
(In case of rain, alternative plans will be shared by email on the evening of April 24, so be sure to RSVP to stay informed.)
Transport available from Fredericton.
Vous êtes invité.e.s à vous joindre à nous pour la prochaine rencontre du chapitre du Nouveau-Brunswick. Nous nous retrouverons à midi le samedi 25 avril au point de départ du sentier Dickson Falls dans le parc national Fundy. Le sentier est une boucle facile de 1,5 km (environ 30 minutes) près d’Alma.
Apportez votre lunch et, si vous en avez un, votre exemplaire de Humanisme : Perspectives canadiennes, nous pourrons partager certains de nos passages préférés pendant que nous mangerons près des chutes. Ce sera une excellente occasion d’inviter un(e) ami(e) à se joindre à nous. Nous avons hâte de partager ce moment et ces échanges entre humanistes.
Veuillez confirmer votre présence (RSVP) auprès de l’aumônier humaniste accrédité conditionnellement et responsable du chapitre du Nouveau-Brunswick d’Humaniste Canada, aspen apGaia, à l’adresse suivante : nbchapter@humanistcanada.ca (En cas de pluie, un plan alternatif sera communiqué par courriel dans la soirée du 24 avril, assurez-vous donc de confirmer votre présence pour rester informé.e.) Transport disponible de Fredericton.
Newfoundland Chapter
📆Sunday, April 26th | 🕖 1 to 3 PM NST |📍St. John’s/Zooms
😉 The Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of HC (four to seven participants) has been meeting monthly since November 2025. Together they enjoyed coffee, some cookies, and engaged in meaningful conversations about a variety of themes from a Humanist perspective.
Their next chapter meeting will be on April 26, 1-3pm (NST) in St. John’s. If there is interest from Humanists in NL beyond the St. John’s area, they'd love to include you via Zoom for a hybrid meeting (bring your own coffee and pastry).
Location details / Zoom link will be announced via their existing email list. If you haven’t participated previously, for directions and more details please reach out to nlchapter@humanistcanada.ca.
Central Ontario Chapter
📆April 28 | 🕖 7 - 9 PM ET |📍 Barrie, ON
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence: what we do and do not yet know
Join us at this event where Paul Bassett will explain what we do and do not yet know about AI. Paul Bassett is a software engineer, author and entrepreneur who taught computer science and whose research in to AI led to the invention of automated software manufacturing.
Location: Murdoch Travel · 28 Currie St Unit 5 · Barrie, ON
We meet before meeting at a local restaurant. For details see our meeting schedule or contact info@cohumanists.ca.
Windsor Chapter
📆April 26 🕑12:15pm ET 📍 Essex, ON
Family and Community: Navigating Diverse Perspectives Together
Steve Ghikadis will be doing a Jane’s Talk at John R. Park Homestead in Essex, ON on Sunday, April 26th at 12:15pm. This immersive session teaches participants how to turn disagreement into meaningful connection by focusing on relationship over “winning” and using respectful, Socratic-based questioning to explore beliefs with curiosity and care.
We are a friendly Zoom meeting group, originally Humanists Online Vancouver (HOV), now a western chapter of Humanist Canada. We meet several times per month, always at this Zoom link
Every Sunday, 10am PT. All are welcome; current topics are voted in by attending members. One of those topics is discussed that day and the other scheduled for the next Sunday, advertised in advance online. Near the end of our meetings, our "organic" mode allows many topics.
Every Wednesday, 7pm PT. A more informal Gab-Fest, Attendees enjoy camaraderie and bouncing topics.
This month only - Second Tuesday of the Month (APril 14), 7pm PT. Book Club. Values: Building a Better World for All - Mark Carney critiques modern economics, and advocates for a values-based approach to address societal issues like inequality and climate change.
Want to join a local chapter? Interested in starting a new chapter? Find more information on our website.
Never Miss a Moment!
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!
The evening features Dan Barker, former preacher now atheist, and Abdu Murray, former Muslim now Christian, in a structured conversation exploring truth, morality, belief, and human purpose. There will also be a live audience Q&A, giving attendees the chance to engage directly with both speakers.
The goal is thoughtful, respectful dialogue around questions that matter deeply to both religious and non-religious people. We believe conversations like this are worth having in public, especially at a time when many people are wrestling with questions around meaning, ethics, and worldview, but often without spaces that encourage real engagement across disagreement.
Full event details and registration are available here: purposedebate.com
50% off for Humanist Canada members. Use this code: humanist
Western Canadian Reason (WeCanReason) Conference
📆May 1-3 📍Calgary, AB.
Humanist Canada is a proud sponsor of the Western Canadian Reason (WeCanReason) conference in Calgary, Alberta, May 1-3, 2026.
Featuring Seth Andrews (The Thinking Atheist), Phil Zuckerman, Dr. Christopher Labos, YouTuber Sheng Tsai, and more!
Join us in the heart of Calgary, Alberta, for an unforgettable conference dedicated to science, critical thinking, and rational inquiry. Whether you’re a seasoned skeptic, a curious newcomer, or just looking to hone your logical skills, WeCanReason is the place to connect with like-minded individuals, engage with leading experts, and dive deep into topics ranging from medical misinformation and conspiracy theories to the latest in scientific discovery.
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