Upcoming Events

Westport United Church

EcoFest; Sat May 23rd 2026

Westport Ontario.

The 4th Annual Celebration: Regenerate · Reciprocate · Inspire

EcoFest returns to Westport with new energy and partnerships to celebrate, inspire and advocate for the natural world, honor all living beings, and showcase those who call us toward sustainability, reciprocity, regeneration, and connection. We feature local speakers, stewards, presenters, artists, makers and innovators.

🌎 We’re Moving Downtown

The Cove Inn: A hub for music and community in Westport, and new home to EcoFest 2026. Together, we’ll bring events to the Cove’s indoor and surrounding outdoor spaces.

Dark Skies Initiative: With the Perth-to-Chaffey’s Locks region moving toward Dark Sky Preserve designation, EcoFest joins in celebrating this commitment to protecting the night for all living beings.

Displays, workshops, play spaces, and performances will be hosted at the Cove, throughout the Village, and at the Waterfront

Highlights include

• Nepean Panharmonic Steel Band

• Tour the first Westport Pocket Forest, installed at the Cove.

• A star-gazing pad for Dark Sky viewing at the Cove.

• Voyageur canoe tours offering educational journeys around the lake.

🎶 We’re Celebrating

EcoFest 2026 will feature noted authors, dancers, musicians, artists and poets. Together, we’ll ally with creativity and ideas to celebrate the natural world and those who inspire us to steward it.

✨ We’re Extending

Events begin in the afternoon and continue into the evening, with Dark Sky viewing, dancing, and community connection under the stars

Orange Shirt/ Truth and Reconciliation

Sept. 30th 2026

1-3pm

Lockwood Park, Westport Ontario

Orange Shirt Day was inspired by Phyllis Webstad, a residential school survivor, whose new orange shirt was taken away on her first day of residential school. This story has become a powerful symbol of the experience of many indigenous children.

September 30 we will gather in Lockwood Part and remember the children who died in the Residential School System run by Canadian churches and government. We honor the survivors who still heal from the trauma and inspire us all with their courage.

We are excited to announce that to highlight celebration, revival, courage, and resilience, Makhena Performance; Valerie Fenske hoop dancer and her brother Caleb DJ will be performing and sharing with local students on that day. Our circle will open with greetings and thoughts from our Community helper Mireille LaPointe. We are grateful to the Village of Westport for covering the costs of the artists.

Ongoing Events

BTC has joined The Canadian Library (TCL) Project https://www.thecanadianlibrary.ca/ to honour and bring attention to Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and TwoSpirit (MMIWG2S). This national project, launched in 2021, consists of communities creating an art installation together as a memorial to the 8000 murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and 2S. The TCL project supports the building of micro galleries of books bound in Indigenous-designed textiles, with the names of those lost in gold on the spines of the bound books. Some books will remain nameless to represent those who may never have a chance to tell their story. The project, guided by Indigenous elders, reflects our shared commitment as Canadians to teach the truth about our history and move towards healing. The names that will be placed on the books have been shared by elders and families with the desire to have the stories told and the lives honoured. Our micro galleries will be displayed publicly and locally until all the micro galleries come together in a prominent place for permanent exhibition.

We invite you to sponsor the purchase of fabric, at $30/m

We invite you to host a bookbinding event and or a microgallery in your public place to honour and raise concern for those missing or murdered. We can provide posters that support the exhibition.

Please contact us to sponsor, register or host at bettertogethercircle@gmail.com