(Above) Kathryn and Kyle Higgins perform the musical Skeleton Army, a two-actor show that depicts clashes between early Salvationists and the notorious Skeleton Army in London's East End

For more photos of the first day of INSPIRE, see our photo album on Facebook.

The mood was festive on Monday as more than 1,400 Salvation Army officers, their families, employees and friends gathered together at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto to celebrate the first day of the INSPIRE Conference and Congress.

Salvationists had been arriving from all over the territory the night before, but the numbers steadily increased by late afternoon. Happy greetings and friendly conversations were the order of the day as people connected for the first territorial conference and congress in many years.

Delegates gathered for a welcome banquet in the evening with Commissioners Floyd and Tracey Tidd, territorial commander and territorial president of women’s ministries, and Colonel Evie Diaz, chief secretary.

“How we have anticipated this meeting,” Commissioner Floyd Tidd said to start off the proceedings, “anticipating what God wants to do during these days.”

Commissioner Tidd gave the traditional Army salute to the crowd in response to their standing ovation over his ongoing health concerns and then thanked the congress organizers who had been working on the event, “some for months, some for years, planning and preparing for the INSPIRE congress under the leadership of Lt-Colonel John Murray.

“It’s been a number of years since we’ve gathered as a territory for a conference or a congress event and, following the years of the COVID pandemic, we all the more understand and appreciate the opportunity of fellowship together and in person.”

After a wonderful supper, attendees were treated to a special performance of Skeleton Army, the new Salvation Army musical that is having its Canadian premier at INSPIRE.