Farewell to Vyda

Vyda Ng concluded her 14 years as the CUC’s Executive Director in June of 2026 with a farewell party at the Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga. The event was a fitting sendoff, with tributes from the CUC’s board, staff, and other UUs from across Canada, and as Vyda herself noted, it wouldn’t be a CUC event without a few technical glitches.

The event reflected Vyda’s lasting impact on UUism inside, and indeed beyond Canada. As the CUC’s staff observed in lighting the chalice to open the gathering, Vyda spent much of her time in this role fitting more tasks into the workday than anyone could reasonably accomplish, with significant results to show for it. From the launch of the young adult gathering Chorus to the growth and emergence of many other online and multiplatform events, from refugee sponsorship to chaplaincy within the Canadian Forces, and much more, her fingerprints are on all the major initiatives the CUC undertook during this time.

 And yet in creating the video that concluded the celebration, there was some difficulty finding photos of Vyda in action. This might seem ironic, but it was in fact fitting. Much of Vyda’s work took place behind the scenes, whether painstakingly reviewing every issue of the eNews before publication or staying up at night with a young child whose parents had experienced a medical emergency at the young adult retreat Vyda was overseeing.

Vyda demonstrated, as those who paid tribute to her affirmed, that leadership isn’t simply a matter of giving orders. It requires being firm at times, which she was certainly willing to do, but it also requires making space for others. And while never having been ordained, Vyda demonstrated that ministry in our faith can take many forms. As one speaker observed of her, one needn’t be a minister to lead religiously.

Vyda leaves the CUC as an organization that has changed considerably over 14 years in a world that is also undergoing rapid, often challenging, transformation. She has improved the CUC’s operations in many ways, but this legacy doesn’t mean it will all be smooth sailing from here on out. But Vyda’s skillful navigation of the often stormy waters she encountered as Executive Director has at least illustrated how her successors might chart a course in similar circumstances. 

After all the work she’s put in over this time, Vyda has earned a peaceful retirement. But it wouldn’t be surprising if she decides that after taking a break, as she’s pledged, to “do nothing”, she comes back in different ways with the same dedication and focus she brought to her role as Executive Director. Here’s wishing her well.