WALKING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMMUNITY OF DAVENPORT PERTH
Who We Are
We are a Community Ministry of the Shining Waters Region of the United Church of Canada. We are a ministry of presence, walking in solidarity with the culturally diverse, low income community of Davenport Perth.
We cover the neighbourhoods of Weston-Pelham Park, Corso Italia-Davenport, and Dovercourt-Wallace Emerson-Junction. Reverend Maria Christina Conlon is our current Community Minister.
What We Do
Our role is to provide support for community development and organizing, offer pastoral care, and be engaged in advocacy.
We work with the community to identify needs and help work towards solutions. We strive to invigorate people to take their agency to help themselves and become involved in community actions.
DPCM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS & INITIATIVES
BREAD &
BRICKS
Bread and Bricks is a social justice group that meets weekly to discuss issues such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, climate justice, and other similar issues.
BEYOND
TABLE 91
Beyond Table 91 is a continuation of the City of Toronto’s monthly meet up, Table 91. The group meets monthly to discuss issues in the community, and what actions can be taken to address them.
COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
We are currently building a Community Land Trust project with the CLT network, responding to this community’s identified needs of housing, access to food and recreation.
Campaign FOR GUARANTEED LIVABLE INCOME
The campaign for Guaranteed Livable Income is where community members join the United Church national campaign for guaranteed livable income.
FAMILY
CAMP
DPCM organizes an annual family camp for members of the Davenport Perth community to get away from the city, and experience nature.
TRACING
GETE-ONIGAMING ROUTES
Tracing Gete-Onigaming Routes is a video project that captures some of the many stories of people from the Davenport Perth Community.
PASTORAL CARE
Open to people of all faiths, cultures, and orientations, the Davenport Perth Community Minister provides care through personal visits, listening, discussion, and prayers. These connections have led to deeper engagement in small groups, bible study, advocacy, and preaching.
The community minister also serves in the wider ecumenical, and inter-faith activities addressing racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and promoting/mediating peace.
Image credit: Reverend Richard Choe
ABOUT REV. MA
CHRISTINA CONLON
Rev. Ma Christina Conlon, or Tina Conlon, is the Davenport Perth Community Minister for the Shining Waters Region of the United Church of Canada in Toronto. She came from the Philippines in 1972 and has been actively engaged as a community organizer in the communities where she has lived in Canada. As she serves both locally and internationally in community organizing, development and advocacy, she recognizes the need for discerning the unseen. Click here to visit her blog.
ABOUT Shining Waters Regional Council
Shining Waters Regional Council (SWRC) is one of 16 administrative groupings in The United Church of Canada, replacing former conferences and presbyteries. SWRC is a decision-making body responsible to serve and support Communities of Faith within its bounds as well as to provide necessary oversight. SWRC is composed of all ministry personnel within its geographic bounds; ministers of denominations within mutual recognition agreements while under appointment or call; and lay members elected by the Communities of Faith, respecting the balance of lay and ministry personnel where possible. Click here to learn more about Shining Waters Regional Council.
INDIGENOUS CULTURE AT DPCM
At DPCM we acknowledge the land we are on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
The Davenport Perth neighbourhood is located along one of Toronto’s oldest roads. Before it was known as Davenport Road, it was part of a Indigenous trail called Gete-Onigaming, meaning “at the old portage”. It ran along what used to be the shore of Lake Ontario (then Lake Iroquois) and was used as a trade and travel route for thousands of years by indigenous communities.
At DPCM, we deeply value and respect the profound contributions of Indigenous Peoples, their rich cultural heritage, and timeless wisdom. Guided by principles of inclusivity and reverence for Indigenous knowledge, we strive to collaborate with Indigenous communities to honour and integrate their traditions into our practices, and amplify their voices in shaping our shared future.
