In its battle with ANiC over church property, the Diocese of Ottawa acquired St. Alban’s Church and ANiC retained St. George’s. Not inconsiderable sums of money were also exchanged, with the diocese coming out well ahead – not that the diocese is primarily interested in money. Not at all.
The Diocese of Ottawa has no congregation to put into St. Alban’s, so it is moving a shelter for the homeless there instead. The only problem is, the residents who live close to St. Alban’s don’t want to live next door to a homeless shelter.
Archdeacon David Selzer, exhibiting the kind of tact that distinguishes many ACoC priests, made the point that the residents had no basis for complaining by comparing them to Nazis. The Ven. David Selzer doesn’t live in that neighbourhood himself, of course, nor does he plan on moving there – even after the property values plumment.
From here:
OTTAWA – An Ottawa Anglican Diocese official is comparing neighbourhood opposition to the relocation of a downtown homeless centre and comments by those opposing it to “Nazi Germany.”
After a heated meeting with area residents Monday night, archdeacon David Selzer is “appalled” by comments describing the homeless.
“There was a huge degradation of people using Centre 454 as human beings,” said Selzer.
“People were saying we ought to get rid of these people, carted away. It sounded like Nazi Germany.”
Centre 454 — currently at 216 Murray St. — serves 250 people daily and operates during the day.
Many downtown residents are opposing its move to St. Alban’s Church at 454 King Edward Ave — where it operated from 1976 to 1999. In 2000, the centre moved to its current spot, but that lease expires at the end of January 2012.
Coincidentally, Archdeacon David Selzer appears to have no inclination whatsoever to make any comparisons between the North American abortion industry and the Nazi holocaust – even though the comparison is rather apt. That is because he is staunchly pro-abortion – making him, also, staunchly hypocritical.
The Rev. David Selzer, the rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and an outspoken supporter of abortion rights, is leaving Buffalo to start a new ministry in Ottawa.
Selzer, who is 56, will be joined by Pastor Ann Salmon, 51, also of Good Shepherd, to lead a joint congregation of Anglicans and Lutherans in Ottawa, the first of its kind in Canada.
Selzer and Salmon, along with their spouses and children, will be honored Aug. 24 at the church at a special ceremony.
Selzer came to Good Shepherd in November 1995 and became a vocal advocate for abortion rights in Western New York, offering a contrasting viewpoint to local Catholic leaders who are opposed to abortion………
He served as chairman of the board of Planned Parenthood (now Planned Parenthood of WNY) and was the moderator for the WNY Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
I lived in that neighbourhood for years. Property values are not going to plummet – the condos in question are being built in a neighbourhood that has always been dogdgey. It is not an upscale neighbourhood, it is a gentrifying neighbourhood. I really don’t have a lot of sympathy for people who buy a condo two blocks away from the Union Mission for Men and then get upset because a drop in centre is moving in one block closer.
That having been said – I don’t think that the Diocese of Ottawa has the best interest of the clients of 454 at heart. They just want to justify their insistence that they need our building. As such, I am not at all unhappy that the Dio. of Ottawa is being given a hard time.
I think the article hits the right notes. It is quite a nasty thing to do to people who live next to a church, to turn it into a drunk-tank.
And to try to intimidate opposition by calling them Nazi’s — Hitler would be proud!
What nasty people the church administrators are.
Roger, I don’t know if you’re being tongue in cheek or not. I lived in the neighbourhood from 2005 to 2007 and walked the streets past St Alban’s and where the new condos have been built hundreds of times. I doubt that Centre 454 will make a noticeable difference to the sort of people you see on the street (although if you removed the LCBO outlet, beer store and tatoo parlours that are also in the immediate area it might make a difference). I saw drunks sleeping in St Alban’s courtyard more than a few time without the centre being there. The response of condo owners is ironic (and a little funny) given the actions of the Diocese, but I really have no sympathy for their “concerns”.
Well, it’s not St. Alban’s parish, actually, it is the Diocese of Ottawa.
Hey Warren,
The condos are presently just a big hole in the ground. The block the Grey Nuns were living in has been completely torn down – you can see the Ottawa Little Theatre from the church garden. I am hoping the condos will be high enough that I can’t see the church when we park in the OLT parking lot in July….
how can you call ann salmon a pastor? she doesn’t deserve that title–more like a dogcatcher!! to hell with her!!!!