Woody debris cleared from site of Canada’s future House of Worship

This summer, a father and son and two other youth, all from Quebec, worked to tidy the forested area that comprises the Temple site.

Since the announcement of Canada’s first House of Worship, there has been a feeling of profound connection to this endeavour from communities throughout this vast land. This was exemplified by the efforts of a group from eastern Quebec, who drove 10 hours to undertake volunteer work at the Temple site in Markham, Ont. Their task was to clear “deadfall”—trees and branches that have fallen, usually due to severe weather conditions—from the area where the central edifice of the Temple will be constructed.

After hearing about a need to clean up the site, Soheil Bourdages, a 16-year-old youth from Kamouraska, Que. asked his father, David Bourdages, if they could take on this act of service. They soon made the appropriate arrangements and rallied two friends, which allowed for an increase of the scope of their efforts. Mr. Bourdages, being professionally trained in forestry, guided the team and ensured the youths’ safety as well as the protection of existing growth.

The team worked for three days. Mr. Bourdages operated a chainsaw to cut the larger debris so that it could be carried and made into piles. This wood was later transported using a lawn tractor trailer to an open area where it will be shredded into woodchips, to be used on the same grounds. The youth learned practical skills on the job, for example how to prepare wood for chipping by cutting it down in size and removing all “Y” sections.

The youth were grateful for the opportunity to serve on the site of the future House of Worship, which linked them to both past and future generations. Alie Gagnon-Dahl, from Levis, Que. said, “It’s a really important thing for me that there’s going to be a House of Worship in Canada…And to be able to be part of the process is such a great privilege. I’ll be able to tell my children that I came here.”

The spiritual significance of the work helped the team forget the difficulty of the manual labour carried out in the heat, often above 30°C. “It doesn’t feel like work at all,” commented Isaac Lamorie, from Quebec City, describing the joyful spirit with which the friends approached their service.

As a result of their efforts, the site has been beautified for visitors, who have been gathering to pray and meditate, increasing its sense of peace and of the sacred. “It already looks so much better,” reflected Mr. Lamorie.