2024 Fall Program - Classes will start on September 4th.

Bring your body and mind together in the rhythm of life!  Zumba®  is a dance-based fitness program that uses Latin and World music.  Slow and fast rhythms help to tone the body and at the same time provide interval training that can boost aerobic fitness.  Experience the joy of movement with Wendy, a licensed Zumba®  instructor with a long background in dance-based activities.

Session 1:  12 Mondays - Sept 9 - Dec 9 (no class on Oct 14 & Nov 11) 

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $108 per session 

Session 2:  12 Wednesdays - Sept 11 - Dec 4 (no class Nov 13)

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $108 per session 

or $192 when registering for both session 1 & 2

Drop-in fee:  $12 per class

Zumba®  will be held  in the upper level Theatre of The Refinery

EMPTY NEST is a significant time of transition.  It can mark an ending, a beginning, or a strange mix of both.  In this workshop, we will each consider our personal experience of Empty Nest in relation to the natural world while holding space for each other, and most importantly, our own hearts. Some things will be recognizable amongst each other, while each nest and the emptiness that is left may have different aspects for everyone.

Nests, as personal labours of love, are built with expectation.  In this workshop you will have an opportunity to physically weave and construct a nest while reflecting on what you’ve built in life and what you want moving forward.

There will be dedicated sharing time at the beginning and the end of the workshop day, as well as an introduction on materials and Nest Building at the start of the morning.

Materials will be provided (natural and weaving fabrics).  You are encouraged to bring a journal or sketchbook, writing or drawing implements, and any special fibres or significant items you would like to weave into your nest (beads, cloth, ribbon, rings, shoelace, flowers).

Monika Kinner is the daughter of a land based artist & refugee who was brought to Canada as a child with her parents. Monika lives and works on Treaty Six Territory and as such, has a deep gratitude for the Prairie which is her home. Not knowing that fibre could be an art medium, Monika pursued Social Work and Human Justice in the early ‘90s, working as a trauma counsellor and client advocate.

As a mother, she was unexpectedly introduced to Fibre Art through the Saskatoon Quilt Guild. Since 2009, Monika has worked full time as a land based Artist, specializing in Embroidery, recreating everything she loves about our beloved Prairie with needle and thread. She has been teaching and lecturing actoss Western Canada since that time. In 2015, she naturally began working in Soft Pastel also, the medium of her late mother.

Monika Kinner's award winning work has been exhibited, published, and commissioned locally, nationally and internationally. The passion she has for her work is twofold: to impress up the public the validity of textile (a traditional medium of Women’s work) as an art form, and to enchant the viewer with the overwhelming love she has for the often undervalued and belittled Prairie landscape. She feels validated in all her callings as they come full circle in support of each other.

Monday, Sept 9

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Please bring a bag lunch.  Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be offered throughout the day.

Class Fee:  $65, including materials 

Empty Nest Workshop will be held  in the lower-level of the Refinery

This six-week course is designed for everyone from those who have little or no experience in watercolor to more experienced painters.  It will focus on getting comfortable with watercolor painting techniques and enjoying the process of painting.  The basics of materials, techniques and "seeing" your subject will be explored.

6 Mondays - Sept 23 - Nov 4 (no class Oct 14)

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $ 110, materials NOT included.  A material list will be sent to participants at time of registration.

Watercolor will be held  in the lower-level of the Refinery

Be still, and know that I am God. 

                                   Psalm 46:10

Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. 

Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active kinds of prayer into a receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Christ. 

During the in-person sessions, you will be introduced to Centering Prayer through lectures and slides, and you'll also have the opportunity to ask questions. We will practice Centering Prayer together to experience the support and enrichment of a group.

You will receive a book as part of the course: "Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God" by J. David Muyskens. You are encouraged to use it to develop a daily practice. In addition, you will be invited to join a weekly Zoom call where themes from the book are further developed, and where we practice Centering Prayer together from the comfort of our homes. 

Ana Gheyssen has been a practitioner of Centering Prayer for over ten years.  She holds a Masters of Psychotherapy and Spirituality from St. Stephen's College and has been interested in the intersection of an active life with a contemplative one for many years. Her attraction to silence has led her to participate in 14 silent retreats where she has followed Jesus' instruction:

     But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

2 Saturdays - Sept 14 & 21

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $ 40, includes "Forty Days to A Closer Walk With God" book - $20 value

Introduction to Centering Prayer will be held  in the lower-level church hall

Join us for a sound journey experience with The Sound of Om.  Naomi is an enlightened sound practitioner who helps bridge the infinite to the finite by tuning our inner song.  She has been playing with sound since as long as she can remember and touched her hand to a single crystal singing bowl about two years ago.  Naomi has expanded to a 10 bowl set with which she creates compositions and moves emotions through chords and grace notes.

A vast majority of society has their central nervous system sitting in fight, flight or freeze mode, which is hugely triggered by stress.  The sound of the crystal singing bowls help create a deep state of relaxation so the central nervous system can surrender to rest, digest & amp; rejuvenation.  In his book, The Healing Power of Sound, Dr. Mitchell Gaynor states “what happens to us on an emotional and spiritual level affects us physiologically.  One of the most powerful ways to manifest health and well-being is to conjure an image of your own essence and then animate that image with sound and breath.”

Join Naomi to embrace the beauty of the sounds that she creates with the crystal singing bowls.  Pivot to breathe with intention and release anything that isn’t serving your holistic being.  Re-connect with your inner song.

Offering #1:  Tuesday, Sept 24

Offering #2:  Tuesday, Oct 29

Offering #3:  Tuesday, Nov 26

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $25 

The Sound of Om will be held  in the upper-level theatre

Have you ever considered writing your life story but didn’t know where to start or whether it would be interesting enough for others to read?  For most of us, our life is a disorganized collection of experiences, good and bad, as well as emotions, insights, losses, gains,

and periods of stagnation and growth.  You can’t go to a store to find a ready-made picture of your life.  It’s up to you to create your story by assembling life’s pieces.  Writing your life story is a significant undertaking, but if you don’t accept the challenge and write about it, who will?  Your story matters because you are the only one who can tell it.

By the end of this course, you will understand the differences between an autobiography

and a memoir and have practical skills to start writing your life story.  You’ll learn how to create your own Life Grid and Life Time Line, powerful tools that will guide you in delving into your memories to understand your past.  These tools will help you gather memories and confidently write about your past.  Through guided individual and group exercises, you’ll learn how to tap into your past, develop a theme for your story, and maybe even come up with a title. 

Marilyn Frey, an experienced facilitator, is a long-time member of the Saskatchewan

Writers’ Guild and several local writing groups. She is also an alumnus of Alison Wearing’s 12-

week Memoir Writing, Ink course, winning first prize in Micki Findlay’s International 50-Word

Contest in 2023. Marilyn has two published books, Reflections in a Farmhouse Window and

Wilma, and short stories in anthologies such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Fun on the Farm 3,

Folklore, and Canadian Stories magazines. Writing is her passion, and Marilyn is eager to help

you on your journey to writing your life story.

Monday, Oct 7

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $50 

Getting to  the Root of Writing Your Life Story will be held  in the lower level of The Refinery

Lately the word “storytelling” has been used to describe almost every art form.  For this workshop, we will go back to it’s earliest roots, the spoken word.  We will draw from our life experiences and family histories to find stories that have much in common with the great myths and sagas of traditional literature.  You do not have to be a great public speaker or a writer: just bring your curiosity and willingness to connect with a community of other friendly adventurers.

Chris Lindgren began working as a full time professional storyteller and musician in 1983. Since that time she has toured all over Western Canada, doing over 3,000 performances for schools, libraries and other groups. She has performed for all ages at coffee houses, festivals and concerts in a variety of settings.

Chris has been awarded grants from both the Canada Council and the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and is well respected in the larger storytelling community. She has led workshops for storytelling groups in Alberta and B.C. as well as in her own province of Saskatchewan. Chris founded the Saskatoon Storyteller's Guild in the early 1980s.

2 Wednesdays - Oct 16 & 23

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Fee:  $35 

Storytelling:  Actively Exploring the Possibilities will be held  in the lower-level of the Refinery

Come join us and learn how to make a beautiful dry felted poppy you can wear to show your gratitude for all those who sacrificed their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms in ours.  This will be a fun low-key class and no previous felting experience is necessary. 

The facilitator will donate $5 of each registration to the Legion’s Poppy Campaign.

Tuesday, Oct 22

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Class Fee:  $20, including materials

Remeber Us - Felted Poppies will be held  in the lower-level of The Refinery

You asked for time and space…and we listened!

Many of us enjoy creating in a group setting or are looking to be part of a casual creative community.  To help nurture a creative community the Refinery will host 2 creative Open Studio opportunities this fall - one in September and one in December. 

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Gather at the Refinery and get creative!  Gift yourself the time and space to work on your own creative project using your own materials.  The energy of creating in a group setting can truly inspire us.  Bring a bagged lunch or dine out as desired.  Light refreshments will be offered throughout the day.

Saturday, Dec 7

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Fee:  $15 - participants bring their own project and their own materials

A Creative Community - Open Studio will be held  in the lower-level of The Refinery

How we define prayer or blessings can be complex and hold a unique and deeply rooted meaning for each of us.  In this contemplative workshop we will take time to explore our own sense of prayer.  We will create a beautiful beaded bracelet where the various beads hold the intentions of our own personal prayers, written with each bead in mind.  At the end of the workshop, we will each have a bracelet we connect with in a deep and spiritual way.  Whether we choose to wear it, hold it, or gift it to someone we care about, this beaded bracelet will carry our prayers and a special part of ourselves.

Monday, Dec 16

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Class Fee:  $30, including materials

Prayer Bracelet will be held  in the lower level of The Refinery