Letter to the Congregration 1 - regarding Special Meeting of Members
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October 8, 2026
Dear Members of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Latvian Church of Toronto,
I write today to remind you of the upcoming Special Meeting of Members on Sunday, October 18th. The purpose of the meeting is to complete the vote on a resolution to list Saulaine for sale. The materials providing background to the resolution and details about the voting process were mailed to you in early September. The Board strongly recommends a vote for the resolution. We encourage all members to vote.
Over the past few weeks, you may have received communications from parties interested in preserving Saulaine and encouraging you to vote against the resolution. Unfortunately, these materials contain inaccuracies, question the integrity of the Strategic Review Process and operation of the Board, and personal insults to Board members. The Board comprises ten members, only one of whom has a personal interest in the Saulaine property. We serve on a voluntary basis. The Board is mandated and entrusted to make decisions in the best interests of the whole Congregation and its future. We do so guided by Christian values and a professional code of conduct. The purpose of the Strategic Review process was to address our growing financial crisis. The purpose was not to sell Saulaine, although, unfortunately, that is its conclusion.
Over the past two years we have appealed to the Congregation for input and alternative proposals for how to address our financial crisis. Nothing has come forward. Any documents you may have seen from others are not proposals; they offer ideas with no analysis.
The decision before you is about the future of the Congregation and the Church. Saulaine is a significant drain on our limited resources and its retention would significantly affect our future. The decision is not about saving the environment; Saulaine’s lands are already protected by law. The decision is not about protecting Latvian culture: staging two events per year, attended mainly by people with limited connection to the church and who provide minimal financial support to its operations do not justify Saulaine’s retention. Ideas about severance, even if feasible, would result in the property likely not realizing its full value. Ideas about partnerships require significant capital resources and a long term commitment. All of these ideas, even if feasible, would would likely benefit only members of Saules Kalns Association at the expense of the broader church.
Please critically review the materials provided in our previous communications. The Board sees no plausible alternative to selling Saulaine in helping to ensure survival of the Congregation. The threshold to move forward required by our By-laws is two-thirds of those voting so your vote matters. Please vote on Oct 18th to approve the resolution to list the Saulaine property for sale.
Anda Kuksis Kalvins
Council Chair
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