The Early History

by Don R. McDiarmid
(with input from Jean M. Ahmed)
March 17, 2006

The enterprise known as the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ottawa (UUFO) began many years ago as a dream of Ottawa Unitarians. When the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, in a congregational meeting on April 7, 1964, decided to sell the church buildings on Elgin Street and move to a new site, it did so conditional on an obligation “to support the establishment of a second church when the need arises.” The present Cleary Avenue site was approved on May 6, 1964 and a continuing Site Committee was “instructed to pursue enquiries as to a second site in the eastern part of greater Ottawa Area.” Later a recommendation was made to the Board to purchase 2.4 acres near the present intersection of Ogilvie and Blair Roads. Approval was subsequently given to the Board to proceed with the purchase up to a maximum of $18,000. But this purchase was deferred owing to the large expenses incurred in the development of the Cleary Avenue site. Nevertheless, at a congregational meeting on January 29, 1967, it was decided that “an item be added to the Capital Budget for the purchase of an eastern site ($20,000 estimated).” The amount was later reduced by the Board in a budget to $4,000.

The more immediate initiating action leading to our creation was Rev. Brian Kopke’s formal proposal to the Board of the First Congregation of Ottawa in August 1994 that it strike a committee to explore the creation of a new congregation. At its September 14, 1994 meeting, the Board approved the following motion:

“The Board of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa establish a New Congregation Committee. The purpose of the committee is to provide a vehicle for concerned persons to test the waters, over time, and to coordinate all efforts toward establishing a new Unitarian congregation in the Ottawa area.”

In the end, two groups formed, one to explore a new congregation in the east end and the other to do the same in either of the far west or southwest regions. Fred Cappuccino led the former group and was very successful in pulling together a group of ‘concerned persons’ (see the appendix) who, prior to the initiation of regular Sunday services on March 17, 1996, met biweekly for the most part. This group, which gradually grew in size, built elements of religious centering, planning and fellowship into their meetings. Material from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was obtained, examined and acted upon. Subcommittees were formed to carry out various tasks. But more than planning was accomplished at these meetings; as mentioned above, fellowship and religious centering were also experienced. This mix was responsible in no small measure for the success of this Planning Group. This group consisted of everyone interested in creating a new congregation. We called ourselves the Ottawa Carleton East Unitarians. The Planning Group was chaired on a rotation basis from among its membership and Fred added his enthusiastic encouragement throughout. It is not too much to say that if Fred hadn’t taken on this challenge, our Fellowship would not likely exist.

On December 12, 1995, the Planning Group adopted a Consensus Vision, specifically

“To develop or obtain, in the following order of importance:

• A community of seekers having regular services, with an effective religious education program, initially constrained toward children, and
   
• Ministerial leadership, and
   
• Property for a building.

We desire to have regular Sunday services for families. An effective religious education program is therefore important. These services should be of the full service or religious type, that is to say, the services should stimulate an appropriate combination of our emotion and intellect. While the resources to have weekly services might take a while to develop, a regular cycle should be established from the beginning, i.e. fortnightly. Professional ministerial leadership is desired but will have to await the growth of the fellowship to a size sufficient to afford it. Finally rental accommodation can be used indefinitely, if necessary, until the resources to purchase property become available.

We very much treasure the fortnightly meetings of our group and some will find it difficult to attend Sunday morning services. Consequently we desire to maintain some form of mid-week program for them and any others interested.

We desire for Sunday services an ambiance conducive to religious stimulation, that is to say, an environment sufficiently attractive to nurture an emotional as well as an intellectual response.

Above all, we wish to begin our journey with a realistic but challenging level of activity and to build and evolve upon its success.”

On January 10, 1996 a presentation was made to the Board of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. This presentation was well received and ‘Ottawa First’ made a financial gift to the Fellowship in each of its 1996 and 1997 fiscal years.

On January 23, 1996 the Planning Group decided to create a more formal structure via the establishment of a Steering Committee consisting of Mark Seebaran, Catherine Devito, Vernon Lang, Fred and Bonnie Cappuccino, and Don McDiarmid with Mark Seebaran as the Chair. About this time it was decided to begin Sunday services on March 17, 1996 (St Patrick’s Day). The very successful first service, with an attendance of about 90, was followed by an effective program every Sunday until the summer break. This program included a religious education component coordinated by Audrey O’Callaghan.

On May 25, 1996 a congregational visioning workshop facilitated by George Buchanan was held. It produced a number of goals for the Fellowship and reaffirmed the main points of the Consensus Vision of December 1995, the priority order in particular. At the same time, the Steering Committee began the process leading to the election of our first Board in September 1996.

Since that September, the Fellowship has operated on a level which was only dreamed of earlier. The Canadian Unitarian Council and others marvelled at our success. Fred Cappuccino was soon called as minister, although he could serve only on a very part-time basis and there was money for only minuscule remuneration. We gradually obtained incorporation (May, 1997), recognition as a full-fledged congregation by the CUC (Oct 1997) and the UUA (Jan 1998), and charitable status.

In 1999, Fred asked to be released from his ministerial duties in order to have adequate time for his other responsibilities. A search committee was struck which, in time, recommended Bonnie Lee. Bonnie was installed as our half-time minister in September 2000. She had a productive 5 years with us until May 2005 when she left to take up a faculty position at the University of Lethbridge. Our Fellowship is now in search of its third minister and is hopefully on the brink of another interval of dynamic development.

Postscript: This historical outline concentrates on the time before the first service. Jean M. Ahmed has written a more extensive history of our existence up to 2005.

Those who attended one or more of the Planning Group meetings prior to March 17, 1996: