February 2026 news
Annual General Meeting: February 24
Our annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 24 at 6:45 pm Atlantic Time, online at our regular Zoom link (passcode = vow). We’ll review our activities from the past year and present our strategic plan for the next three years.
We’ll also be filling 3 vacancies on the board by acclamation, since there were 3 people who expressed interest in joining. The three new board members are Joshua Edward, Kevin Togan Rivera, and Jeffrey Roy.
You can read the statements from each new board member, explaining why they’re interested in joining, and what they bring to the table. And many thanks to our 3 outgoing board members: Camille Teishin Gajria, Dave Murphy, and Phil Toshin Wilson.
Become a member (or renew) for 2026
Our bylaws require us to collect a list of general members each year. If you’d like to become a member, or renew your existing membership, we ask that you complete the membership form before Friday, February 20.
Membership doesn’t automatically renew from year to year, so you’ll need to complete the form even if you were a member in 2025.
Members have voting rights at the Annual General Meeting and other members' meetings. Membership is open to anyone who participates in the practice and activities of Thousand Harbours Zen, and supports and upholds our purpose, ideals and values.
There's no fee for membership, but we expect that members are making a monthly contribution to THZ, whether that's a financial donation of any amount, or by volunteering their time and skills.
One-day retreat: March 21
We're hosting a one-day retreat on Saturday, March 21, from 9 am to 4:30 pm Atlantic Time. You can join us in person in Halifax at the Atlantic Buddhist Meditation Centre, 817 Herring Cove Road, or online at our regular Zoom link (passcode = vow). We hope to see you there!
If you're planning to attend in person, please sign up by Wednesday, March 18, so we know how many to expect.
A simple lunch will be served. When you sign up, please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions. We're also looking for volunteers to bring soup, bread and cookies, and for online participants who can help out by ringing bells.
Seeking volunteer bell ringers
We’re looking for some help ringing bells for 6:30 am zazen from February 26 to March 7. If you’re interested, you can sign up for the days that work for you.
2026 precepts
We’re considering holding a precepts ceremony this year. If you’re interested in sewing a rakusu and formally receiving the bodhisattva precepts, email [email protected] for more information.
Governance and strategic planning updates
We recently hosted community discussions to get feedback on THZ governance and out strategic plan for the next few years. You can read summaries of the feedback we collected in those sessions.
Study groups
Friday reading group: new book
The Friday reading group is starting in on some new material. First, they’re reading Flannery O’Connor’s short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and then starting Being-Time: A Practitioner's Guide to Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō Uji by Shinshu Roberts.
No need to buy any books—we read aloud together and then discuss. The group meets on Zoom at 10:15 am Atlantic (9:15 Eastern) every Friday. Anyone can join at any time.
An invitation from Sanshinji
Hoko Karnegis, the guest teacher who gave a dharma talk last week, has invited the THZ sangha to join the weekly study group at her temple, Sanshinji. The group meets online on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm Eastern time (that’s 7:30 Atlantic!), starting March 4. They’ll be discussing Kosho Uchiyama’s The Roots of Goodness. Learn more on Sashinji’s site.
Nagarjuna and emptiness study group
Matt MacDonald started a study group on Zoom on Saturday afternoons at 2pm, discussing Nagarjuna’s teachings on emptiness. He expects the group will continue through March 14.
If you have any questions, you can email Matt at [email protected]. You may also want to check out this presentation from the first session.