Celebrate the Jubilee Year on the Halifax Harbourfront with Catholic school trustees and administrators from across Canada…

CCSTA is delighted to be heading to Halifax, Nova Scotia for the 2025 AGM & Conference. We’re looking forward to gathering members from across Canada to join with the world-wide Church in exploring the 2025 Jubilee Theme: Pilgrims of Hope. 

Nestled in the heart of downtown on the gorgeous Halifax harbourfront, our 2025 conference features top-notch conference speakers, unique presentations about unfunded Catholic education in our Atlantic provinces and lots of time for exploring the beautiful coastal city. 

Because of the lack of funding in Atlantic Canadian Catholic schools, hosting a national AGM is quite a challenge. This unique conference has been made possible by a concerted effort of organizers from across Canada who are rallying together and exemplifying an incredible, unified spirit of Canadian Catholic education. 

The idea to host the conference in Halifax came out of the February board meeting where it was discussed as an excellent location to not only feature our non-funded schools, but raise the profile of Toonies For Tuition. With no local host board in place, Melinda Chartrand, CCSTA’s AFOCSC representative, set out to put things in motion. After a committee was secured, possible accommodations were assessed and a thorough plan of action set up, the CCSTA Board of Directors officially approved the location and the announcement was made!

We can’t think of a more beautiful way to celebrate the Jubilee year than by inviting our members to this unique conference for three full days of hope, encouragement, restoration and connection on the beautiful waterfront of downtown Halifax.

About the Conference

Accommodations

Participants will enjoy the waterfront views of downtown Halifax from the gorgeous Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. Since the hotel is situated on the picturesque boardwalk, you’ll experience the heart of Halifax culture with cafes, museums, restaurants, lookouts and shops all just steps away from the conference.

Elevate your experience in Nova Scotia’s bustling capital city with a stay at our newly renovated Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. Situated along the scenic Halifax waterfront, we offer easy access to the shops and restaurants along the boardwalk as well as the Historic Properties. Fuel up for a busy day in downtown Halifax with a cup of coffee at Balancing Rock Coffeehouse, enjoy the harbor views from our seasonal outdoor Stone’s Throw Patio, or join us at Harbourstone for seasonal dishes sourced from here in Nova Scotia. Additional hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool and a fully equipped gym. Those in Halifax to host an event can take advantage of our expansive venue spaces, including the largest pillarless hotel ballroom in the city. Thanks to our convenient downtown location, our Halifax waterfront hotel is perfectly placed for exploring Scotiabank Centre, Casino Nova Scotia, Citadel Hill, and more.

– Halifax Marriott Website

Speakers & Presentations
We’re excited to be featuring many Atlantic Canadian speakers this year as well as welcoming student participation from Sacred Heart School – Halifax’s only Catholic school. While the full lineup and program will be published soon, a few highlights include well-known Catholic speaker and author David Wells from the UK, Bishop Christian Riesbeck from the Saint John Diocese and a panel of Atlantic Canadian school founders and supporters who will share their stories of hope.

Friday Night Off-Site Event

Be prepared for a unique and historical night out at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21! The museum`s rich history, breathtaking harbour views and unique dining space collects, shares and pays tribute to the Canadian immigration story.

Guests will have the opportunity to explore a permanent museum exhibit that pays tribute to over one million immigrants who first landed on Canadian soil, with the option of a guided tour with a heritage interpreter! For dinner, we’ll have the pleasure of feasting Atlantic-style with the Ultimate Lobster Supper overlooking the unbeatable harbour view.  (Of course, to accommodate all guests, we’ll ensure the option of allergy-friendly and vegan selections!)

Unique Planning Committee

While typically the local school board hosts the AGM, this year’s planning committee has been set up uniquely, with members from across Canada. As you can imagine, resources are limited in the non-funded provinces and the school year is extremely busy for all involved in Catholic schools. This year, we’re depending on the support and assistance of the “Canadian Catholic school family” to help make our Halifax AGM a reality. 

2025 Halifax AGM & Conference Planning Committee:
Myriam Dobbelsteyn, RCISA Director and AGM Planning Committee Chair
Rose Burton Spohn, CCSTA Executive Director
Michelle Collett, CCSTA Executive Assistant
Melinda Chartrand, AFOCSC Director
Catherine Burnham, CCSTA Communications Officer
Judy Burnham, Former Principal of Divine Mercy Catholic School,Saint John, NB
Marie Reyes, Director of Admissions at Sacred Heart School, Halifax, NS

2025 Conference Theme: Jubilee Year of Hope

The conference theme fell into place seamlessly, as we were granted permission from the Jubilee office to share in this special theme and use the official Jubilee logo.

We’re cherishing this opportunity to join in the global pilgrimage of hope. We’re striving to create a conference that connects this timely theme with the daily work of Catholic school trustees and sparks hope in participants as we look to the future of our mission.

Jubilee Website

A Chance to Highlight the Unfunded Region of Canada

Where better to celebrate this perfect theme of hope than in Atlantic Canada, where the faith in Catholic schools runs deep, the commitment to Catholic education is unshakeable and where communities truly rally together to make these schools possible? 

One of the biggest factors in choosing an east coast location was that we wanted to highlight the incredible work of the schools in Atlantic provinces, which brings tremendous hope to the rest of Canada. We’re hoping this conference will capture the dedication, faithfulness and sacrifice exhibited by those working in Catholic schools in Atlantic Canada and will spark hope and inspiration for trustees across the country.

We’re thrilled to highlight this work through a keynote presentation featuring Bonaventure Fagan, RCISA founder, and Judy Burnham and Carolyn Barry, founders and principals of small Catholic schools, to walk us through their inspiring stories of preserving Catholic education despite having lost public funding. We’ll also hear from Bishop Christian Riesbeck, Bishop of the Saint John Diocese, whose unwavering support of Catholic education gives us a window into just how vital community support is. 

The Unfolding Details

Our new website will be launched in January, where you’ll find access to a list of confirmed speakers, biographies, presentation descriptions, a curated guide to exploring Halifax, conference details and developing updates.

Registration will be open by the end of January. This year, CCSTA will be hosting the AGM website and linking to the registration site. As soon as registration opens, we’ll notify our members by email and social media.

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Dear friends in Catholic education, we believe this conference will be a unique and unforgettable experience for participants. We’re excited to welcome you to Halifax and together, against the backdrop of this gorgeous coastal city, explore the hope and vitality of Catholic education in Canada.

We can’t wait to see you on the Halifax harbourfront!