Foundation for a Path Forward's Breaking Bread, Building Bonds Returns for Its Third Year

On Monday, March 9, 2026, Breaking Bread, Building Bonds returns for its third year as one of British Columbia’s premier interfaith and intercultural gala gatherings. The event will take place from 5:00–9:00 PM at Fraserview Banquet Hall (8240 Fraser Street, Vancouver, BC) and is expected to bring together approximately 1,000 faith leaders, community builders, frontline workers, policymakers, and changemakers from across the province.

Since its inception, Breaking Bread, Building Bonds has become a distinctive space for dialogue and collaboration across sectors and traditions. Designed intentionally as an interfaith and intercultural gathering, the evening brings Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jews, Indigenous leaders, civic institutions, and community advocates into one shared space—not simply to exchange ideas, but to build sustained relationships rooted in trust and mutual respect.

This year’s theme, Mental Health & Self-Care, reflects an urgent and shared reality. Across Canada, one in five individuals experiences mental illness in any given year. Stress, anxiety, grief, and burnout are increasingly present in homes, workplaces, schools, and service environments. Young people, in particular, are navigating unprecedented pressures. The cumulative impact of these challenges contributes to complex trauma, underscoring the need for approaches that emphasize prevention, community care, and culturally grounded healing.

The evening will feature invited dignitaries, subject-matter experts, and voices with lived experience. Expected contributors include Norm Leech, recognized for his work in Indigenous wellness and land-based approaches to healing, and potentially Dr. Gabor Maté, whose research on trauma and recovery has shaped global conversations on mental health. Through guided discussions, participants will explore Indigenous approaches to wellness, harm reduction, digital resilience, navigating polarization, and strategies for addressing burnout.

A communal iftar dinner remains central to the experience. Breaking fast together during Ramadan creates a powerful moment of shared reflection and hospitality. More than symbolic, it reinforces the evening’s purpose: that connection is foundational to healing. When individuals from different backgrounds gather at one table, dialogue becomes possible in ways that formal conferences often cannot achieve.

Participants will leave not only with strengthened relationships, but also with practical mental health tools, direct connections to service organizations, and a clearer understanding of how to respond to trauma within their communities. Previous years’ gatherings (2024 and 2025) were widely described as among the most hopeful and unifying events of the year, setting a strong foundation for continued growth in 2026.

As Breaking Bread, Building Bonds enters its third year, it continues to demonstrate that cross-sector collaboration and shared human experience are powerful forces in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our province. When communities choose to gather intentionally—across faiths, cultures, and professional disciplines—they affirm that healing is not abstract. It is collective, relational, and possible.