Showing 49 results

People and organizations
CAN · Corporate body · 1897-

The Adam Fiddler United Church is located at the Sandy Lake First Nation reserve. The records of the Adam Fiddler United Church are held at the Prairie to Pine Regional Council Archives located in Winnipeg.

Person · 1912-2000

George Affleck was born in Lanark, Ontario on March 7, 1912. He was educated at the University of Toronto, Emmanuel College, and St. Andrew's University in Scotland. He was ordained in the United Church in 1939 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Union College (Vancouver) in 1969. George Affleck and his wife, Fronia, served United Church congregations in British Columbia, including Skidegate, Kimberley, Vernon, Crescent Beach (Surrey), Powell River, Port Alberni, and Parksville. From 1972 to 1977, he was Presbytery Officer for the Vancouver Island Presbytery. George Affleck died July 15, 2000 at Nanaimo, B.C.

Person · [194-?]-

Douglas Bacon was born in Peterborough, Ontario and grew up in the in United Church. After studying Medicine for one year at the University of Toronto, he decided that his skills would be better served as an ordained minister. He received his Bachelor of Sacred Theology from McGill and was ordained by Bay of Quinte Conference in 1969.

Douglas served in pastoral ministry Bruce Mines, Ontario; St. Margaret's, Kingston; West Point Grey, Vancouver; and Colebrook, Surrey. He held positions as Secretary of Kent Presbytery, London Conference (1974-1976); Chair of Education and Students Committee, Bay of Quinte Conference; member and Chair of the Worship and Liturgy Committee of the United Church, and co-editor of A Sunday Liturgy (1978-1984); Chair of Vancouver-Burrard Presbytery (1987-1989); and member and Chair of the national Candidature Committee of the United Church (1990-1996). He retired in 2010.

Bingham Memorial Hospital
Corporate body · 1922-

The Rosedale War Memorial Hospital was located in Matheson, Ontario. The small hospital first opened in 1922, financed partly by funds from the Forward Movement of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Woman's Missionary Society of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and a service club called the Rosedale Hospital Circle in the Rosedale area of Toronto. Accommodation soon became inadequate to meet this need for hospital services in the area. In 1934 a bequest of $25,000 was left to the Woman's Missionary Society of The United Church of Canada by Mrs. George A. Bingham, whose husband had been an outstanding surgeon in Ontario. The gift was designated for a new hospital at Matheson, to be named "The Dr. George A. Bingham Memorial Hospital." In 1954 the new hospital was opened to be operated jointly by the Woman Missionary Society and local committee. In 1958 the community took over the complete operation of the hospital under the new Ontario Hospital Services plan. The WMS equity in the building was made a gift to the community. The WMS relationship with the hospital terminated December 31, 1958. The hospital is still operational.

CAN · Corporate body · 1951 -2003

Birch Cliff United Church in Scarborough was established ca. 1951, formerly First United Church. First United Church was established in 1925, formerly Birchcliff Union Congregational Church. In 1951 the church was re-named Birch Cliff United Church. In 1998, Scarborough was amalgamated with Metropolitan Toronto to form the present day city of Toronto. The congregation closed on November 30, 2003.

CAN · Corporate body · 2003-

Birchcliff Bluffs United Church in Toronto was established on November 30, 2003 with the amalgamation of Birch Cliff United Church and Birchcliff Heights United Church. It is located at the former Birch Cliff United Church at 33 East Road at Warden Avenue and Kingston Road. It is still an active congregation of the United Church of Canada.

Birch Cliff United Church in Scarborough was established ca. 1951, formerly First United Church. First United Church was established in 1925, formerly Birchcliff Union Congregational Church. In 1951 the church was re-named Birch Cliff United Church. In 1998, Scarborough was amalgamated with Metropolitan Toronto to form the present day city of Toronto. The congregation closed on November 30, 2003.

Birchcliff Heights United Church in the former city of Scarborough, now Toronto, was established in 1925; formerly Birchcliff Heights Methodist Church, which was established in 1917. It was originally located on Willingdon Avenue at South Woodrow Boulevard and then in 1925 the church re-located two blocks south to Highland Avenue and South Woodrow, just north of Danforth Avenue, about half-way between Birchmount Road and Kennedy Road. Birchcliff Heights United Church amalgamated with Birch Cliff United Church to become Birchcliff Bluffs United Church in 2003.

Booth, Rodney M., 1933-2014
Person · 1933-2014

Rodney M. Booth was born in Arvida, Quebec. He obtained a Master of Divinity degree from United Theological College (UTC). He was later awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from UTC. Booth was ordained by Montreal-Ottawa Conference in 1957 and served congregations in Nakusp (1957-1959) and East Trail (1960-1966). He became the first Director of Student Affairs at Selkirk College, Castlegar in 1966. The following year, he became Director of Broadcasting for BC Conference, pioneering the church's venture into television. In 1984, he moved to Toronto to serve as Media Director/Executive Producer of United Church Television with the National Division of Communication. Booth was Chairperson of the World Council of Churches' Communicators' Network, and over the years provided resources and media coverage for three Assemblies. He also participated in co-productions of documentaries with the BBC, NBC, and CBC, and earned numerous international awards for his writing and documentaries. Booth retired to Surrey, B.C. in 1999 and continued consulting in the field of broadcasting and communications for several years.

Corporate body · 1965-1988

Canadian Urban Training began as a resource where clergy could prepare themselves for inner city social justice work in Toronto in 1965. CUT was an ecumenical program (funded by the United, Presbyterian, and Anglican Churches) that grew to include others that wanted to work towards social change. As more women and minority groups joined CUT, the program and network evolved to meet the needs of the people it served. The Action Training Collective (a part of CUT) was located at 200 - 1955 West Fourth Avenue, in Vancouver; along with the BC Conference offices. The program was dissolved in 1988 after it was decided that its forms and structures were no longer serving its objectives.

Corporate body · 1902-1976

Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School was initially located on the west side of Shoal Lake, Ontario, near the Manitoba border and just east of Shoal Lake Reserve No. 40. It operated at this site from 1901-1929. The second site was located on land surrounding Round Lake, 3 miles from the town of Kenora where it operated until 1976. The school was funded by the Government of Canada and operated by the Foreign Mission Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Canada until 1969 when management and operation of the school was transferred to the federal government.

CAN · Corporate body · 1925-2011

Centennial-Rouge Pastoral Charge, Scarborough, was established in 1950 as Centennial-Fairport-Rouge Pastoral Charge, after Centennial United Church in Scarborough and Fairport United Church left Dunbarton-Fairport Pastoral Charge. In the mid-1950s, Fairport returned to a two-point charge with Dunbarton. Centennial-Rouge continued as a two-point charge until Rouge Hill United Church closed in 1971. It was then a single-point charge until it disbanded in 2011. In 1998, Scarborough amalgamated with Metropolitan Toronto to form the city of Toronto.

Centennial-Rouge United Church, located at 6540 Kingston Road in Scarborough, was formed in 1971 with the amalgamation of Centennial United Church in Scarborough and Rouge Hill United Church in Pickering. The church held its final service on June 26, 2011.

Centennial United Church in Scarborough was established in 1925, formerly Methodist. The Centennial Methodist Church in Scarborough was formed in 1883 as a merger of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in the Village of Highland Creek and the Bible Christian Methodist Church in Pickering. The members alternated buildings to host services until a new building was complete in 1891. At this time, the members decided to call the church Centennial Methodist Church. It formed part of the Washington Methodist Circuit until 1925. The Church joined the United Church of Canada in 1925.

Rouge Hill United Church, located in Pickering, was established in 1949. The first Church, however, was not dedicated until February 25, 1962. In 1971, the church amalgamated with Centennial United Church in Scarborough in 1971 to form Centennial-Rouge United Church.

Corporate body · 1925-

Central United Church, located at 12 Young Street in Welland, was established in 1925, formerly Methodist. The Methodist Church in Welland was formed in 1862 on East Main Street, but later moved to King and Young Street. The church joined the United Church of Canada in 1925. It is still an active congregation of the United Church of Canada.

Chemong Day School
Corporate body · 1906-[1920]

Chemong Day School was located on what is now Curve Lake First Nation, along Mud Lake in Ontario. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada. Wesleyan Methodist records indicate that the school was operational in 1906, and in 1909 the Department of Indian Affairs gave permission to the Methodist Missionary Society to provide a qualified teacher. Records indicate the school was open as late as 1920, however, further research is required to confirm details about its operation, and opening and closure dates and general history.

CAN · Corporate body · 1958-2017

Church of the Master United Church was formed in 1958, formally known as Bendale United Church. The church first held services at the Bendale Public School until the winter of 1959 when a portable church was moved to the future site of the new church at 3385 Lawrence Ave East, at the corner of Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East. In 1998, Scarborough amalgamated with Metropolitan Toronto to become the city of Toronto. The congregation held its last service on June 4, 2017.

CAN · Corporate body · 1958-1961

The Toronto Home Missions Council purchased a tract of land on Orton Park Road adjacent to G.B. Little Public School in 1955. In 1957 the Council made a survey of homes in the area and it was decided that a United Church should be formed. Throughout 1957 early services took place in the G.B. Little Public School. In early 1958 the roll of Charter Members was opened, and the congregation was constituted June 17, 1958.
The name of the congregation was changed to St. Mark's United Church in 1961.

Corporate body · 1925-

Desbarats United Church is located at 15 Lake Huron Dr in Desbarats, Ontario. It joined the United Church of Canada in 1925. In 1938 it became part of the Bruce Mines Pastoral Charge. It is still an active congregation of the church.

Dunn, Ilma
Person · [191-?]-[200-?]

Ilma Dunn was born Ilma Beamish. In 1931 she worked at the Port Simpson Residential School, where she connected with several local Indigenous families. She would later work at Ten Mile Lake school, where she met her husband. She lived in East Burnaby during the late 1930s. Ilma was also connected with the Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT) and with Camp Kwomais (then Ocean Park Camp), where she volunteered as a cabin leader. In the 1980s and '90s, Ilma participated in the United Church's Community of Concern.

Person · 1895-1987

Ethel May Pierce was born on March 20, 1895 in Inwood, Ontario. She married Frederick Courtland Freeman, son of Rev. B.C. Freeman, on May 14, 1930. She died on May 16, 1987 in Vancouver, B.C.

Jenkins, William, 1779-1843
Person · 1779-1843

The Rev. William Jenkins was one of the first Presbyterian ministers in Upper Canada. Born on September 26, 1779 in Kirriemuir, Scotland, Jenkins studied at the University of Edinburgh with the intention of becoming a minister in the Associate Synod of the Secession Church in Scotland, but left before he graduated.

In 1799, Jenkins immigrated to New York, where he continued his theological studies in connection with the Associate Reformed Presbytery of Saratoga, with noted proficiency in Hebrew and Greek. He was licensed to preach and ordained in 1807, and called as a missionary to the Onyota'a:ka, or Oneida, in Oneida Castle. He would remain here until 1816 when, following the death of Onyota'a:ka Chief John Skenandoa, he was sent to minister to various communities in Upper Canada. He made enough of an impression on the residents of Richmond Hill that they petitioned the Presbytery of Saratoga to have him as their permanent minister. Jenkins moved to Markham Township in 1817 and purchased a 200 acre farm near Cashel.

Upon his arrival, Jenkins was the only Presbyterian minister in Upper Canada. As a result, his itinerant ministry took him as far west as the Grand River and as far east as the Bay of Quinte, although he was primarily based out of Richmond Hill and Scarborough. Because he was one of the few outside of the Anglican Church who was allowed to perform marriages, he regularly married Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites, and Quakers.

More Presbyterian ministers started to arrive after Jenkins. In 1818 the Presbytery of the Canadas was formed, which he joined in 1819 after being released by the Presbytery of Saratoga. In 1825, it was dissolved and replaced with the United Synod of Upper Canada. However, it eventually entered into union with the Church of Scotland and agreed to accept money from the clergy reserves. As a voluntarist, Jenkins believed this linked it too closely to the British state, which he viewed as tyrannical and oppressive, and he left in 1834. He was admitted into the Missionary Presbytery of the Canadas in 1837, which was linked to the United Associate Synod of the Secession Church of Scotland and therefore not formally connected to the state in any way.

Jenkins was politically active against the Family Compact and the government of Upper Canada, frequently speaking out and denouncing them from the pulpit. He was a founding member of the Friends of Religious Liberty, a group formally opposed to the actions of the government. While he never formally joining, he was sympathetic to William Lyon Mackenzie's 1837 rebellion. Jenkins' son, who did join the rebellion, was forced to flee to the United States with Mackenzie upon its failure.

Jenkins was married in Scotland to Jane Forrest, but she died before he emigrated. He met and married Mary Hatfield Stockton while in Oneida Castle. Together they would have eleven children, nine of whom survived into adulthood. After a prolonged illness that gradually restricted his ability to continue his itinerant ministry, Jenkins died on September 25, 1843 at the age of 63.

Corporate body · 2008-

Kitchissippi United Church was formed in 2008 by the amalgamation of three local congregations: Kingsway, Northwestern and Westboro United Churches. The amalgamation repurposed two of its properties as important venues for community services and spawned new programs from the proceeds.

1866-1947

Keziah Margaret Laing (1866-1947) was born at Nassagaweya, Halton County, Upper Canada. She took nurse's training at the General Hospital in Guelph, Ontario then attended the Methodist Training School in 1900 before going to Japan as a missionary with the Methodist Church (Canada) Woman's Missionary Society. From 1900-1905 she was stationed at Kanazawa doing evangelistic work. Afterwards, she returned to Canada and worked at Morley Residential School in Morley, Alberta from 1906-1910. From 1910-1916 she worked at Port Simpson Hospital in Lax Kw'alaams, British Columbia, initially as a nurse and eventually a superintendent. She retired in 1921 and died in Winnipeg in 1947.

Person · 1912-2011

Rev. Dr. A. Marshall Laverty (1912-2011) was born in Toronto, and educated at the University of Toronto, graduating with honours in 1937. That same year, he was ordained as a minister in The United Church of Canada. He served parishes in Toronto (1937), Manitoulin Island (1937-1939) and Stirling (1940-1941) before enlisting as Chaplain in the Canadian army in 1942, and serving with troops in Europe. After the war, he was appointed as Chaplain at Queen's University; the position the first of its kind to a Canadian university. During his time at Queen's he performed baptisms, marriage ceremonies and funeral services for Queen's people, and was a counsellor and mentor as well. He was also active with numerous charities in the Kingston area, serving on the Frontenac County Board of Education for more than 30 years. He retired as Chaplain in 1983 but remained very active in the community. He received many awards for his service and was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1985. John was married to Frances Laverty.

Mah, Helen S., 1918-1976
Person · 1918-1976

Helen Mah was born at Salmon Arm, B.C. in 1918. Her mother, Loiew How "Jean" Ing, died when Helen was almost six years old. Her father, Mah Yick, was unable to care for Helen and her baby sister and placed them in the care of the Oriental Home and School in Victoria, B.C. Helen stayed at the Home for 12 years (February 1924 to October 1936) and was raised by White female missionaries. She attended the Chinese United Church in Victoria and was active in CGIT and the Chinese Young People's Society. In 1939, she enrolled in nursing at the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, graduating on April 9, 1942. She became part of the Chinese United Church on Chestnut Street in Toronto. Helen died in 1976.

Corporate body · 1829-1919

The Methodist Book and Publishing House was founded in 1829 in Toronto, Ontario. By the 1890s the Methodist Book and Publishing House was responsible for the Christian Guardian, Sunday-school papers, textbooks, and undertaking jobbing printing. In 1919, Methodist Book and Publishing House became Ryerson Press.

Mount Elgin Day School
Corporate body · 1946-1992

The Mount Elgin Day School was located near the River Thames on the Caradoc Reserve, near the town of Muncey, Ontario. It was operated by The United Church of Canada. The day school was opened after the closure of the Mount Elgin Residential School in 1946, and operated until 1992.

Corporate body · 1851–1862, 1867–1946

Mount Elgin Residential School was located on what is now the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, No. 42, in Muncey, 32 kilometres southwest of London, Ontario.  The land occupied by the school also bordered on the Oneida Nation of the Thames reserve from which it leased land.   With support from the Department of Indian Affairs, the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society operated the school from 1851-1862, and 1867-1874. In 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada took over operations. Then, in 1925 The United Church of Canada took over ownership until its closure in 1946.

Oneida Day School
Corporate body · September 1, 1938-September 1, 1968

Oneida Day School was located in the township of Delaware, Middlesex County, Ontario. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925, The United Church of Canada. Wesleyan Methodist records from 1842 show there was a new day school for the Oneidas (part of the Six Nations at Grand River), and about 25 children were enrolled. During 1848-1849, the missionary noted that the Oneida Day School averaged around 33 children. Department of Indian Affairs records show a school at the “Oneidas on the Thames” in 1864 with a teacher paid for by the Wesleyan Missionary Board Fund. By 1874, the commissioner reported that there were now two or three schools “among the Oneidas being taught by native teachers of the bands.” At least one of these schools was supervised by the Wesleyan Methodist Church, while the Anglican Church managed the other(s). In 1878, one of the schools was moved to a new, frame schoolhouse, while a second schoolhouse was under construction. In 1882, a third schoolhouse on the Oneida Indian Reserve [now Oneida 41] was built and furnished by the band for children who could not conveniently attend the other two schools. In 1886, the Indian agent reported on School No. 1 at Oneida, which was “under the care of the resident Methodist missionary.” By 1887, Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records identified two Methodist-run day schools on the Oneida Reserve. The schools were referred to as “Oneida, No. 1,” and “Oneida, No. 3." Both schools had an average attendance of around 20 children and were funded by the “Indian School Fund” and the Methodist Missionary Society. In 1899, one of the three schools at Oneida closed and children were divided among the two remaining (this may have been The Methodist “No. 1 School” as 1899 is the last year it appears in ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records.) For the next decade the school was open but closed a few times due to various epidemics, and one of the schools' being used as a temporarily hospital. In 1912 the No. 3 School was being held in a new, brick building with a basement, furnace and teachers’ room. Thirty children attended the school. The Oneida Day School No. 3 was open during the 1920s and 30s with an average attendance of 20-30 children. Church records indicate that as of around 1967, there was still a school referred to as “Oneida No. 3” operating on the reserve, though Government records indicate all of the Oneida schools closed in 1968. Government records indicate The United Church of Canada was affiliated with Oneida No. 2 Day School, though there is little information about the school. Additional research is needed to learn more about the operation of the school(s) and their general history.

Ryerson Press
Corporate body · 1919-1970

Ryerson Press, a Canadian book publishing company named after Egerton Ryerson, was founded in 1919. It was previously known as The Methodist Book Room, run by the Methodist Church of Canada. After the merger of the Methodist, Congregation and the Presbyterian Churches in 1925, Ryerson Press was operated by the United Church Publishing House. The publishing company was sold in 1970 to McGraw-Hill.

Corporate body · 1925-

Saint Luke's United Church was established 1925, formerly Methodist; known as Hespeler United Church until a new building was erected circa 1962. Hespeler Methodist Circuit was established 1874, formerly Canadian Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion Society; in 1884 it joined the Methodist Church (Canada). Hespeler Methodist Church was established in 1884, formerly Methodist Church of Canada; in 1925 it joined the United Church of Canada.

Saugeen Village Day School
Corporate body · [1829]-1868-1869-June 30, 1974

Saugeen Village Day School was located on the Saugeen 29 Reserve near Chippewas, Ontario. It was operated by the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada, after 1833 the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada . A Methodist Episcopal missionary report showed that by 1831, a schoolhouse was established “among the Indians of Sah-Geeng” [Saugeen] with 25 to 30 children. It was regularly open during the 1840s and 50s. In 1865, the school had an average daily attendance of 10, while 11 children were off the reserve hunting with their parents. During this time, a separate day school opened at nearby French Bay, five miles from the "Saugeen Village School". The teacher at French Bay was also appointed by the Wesleyan Society but the salary was paid from band funds. In 1882, the Indian agent advised that two schoolhouses were being built on the reserve—one at French Bay, the second in a central part of the reserve, both with houses for a teacher. The following year, the agent reported that there were now three schools operating on the reserve; French Bay, Scotch Settlement and Saugeen Indian Village. By 1894, a new schoolhouse that could hold 50 students had been completed in the village. The Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ for 1897 identified the Saugeen Day School as “Undenominational.” It is unclear if the Methodist Missionary Society changed its relationship with the school at this time. The Society may have continued to be involved in the selection of teachers for the day school after 1897, as correspondence from 1908 onwards shows Church officials regularly communicated with the Department regarding issues at the school such teacher pay, qualifications and appointments. The day school closed in 1974. Further research is needed to learn more about its operations and general history.

Corporate body · 1925-

Sixth line United Church, formerly Methodist, was established in 1925. The Church was part of a three point charge including Courtright and Corunna. In 1956, Corunna separated to form a single point charge, creating the two point charge of Courtright-Sixth Line Pastoral Charge.

St. Paul's Hospital
1922-

St. Paul's Hospital was located at Hearst, Ontario. It was first opened by the Womans Missionary Society (WMS) of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1922. After 1925 it was operated by The Woman's Missionary Society of The United Church of Canada. Work by the WMS was terminated on May 31st, 1954. The hospital was sold to the Sisters of Charity of Providence of Montreal, who continued to administer the hospital under the Roman Catholic Church.

Corporate body · 1996-2018

Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre, located at 28 Fairlawn Avenue in Toronto was formed in 1997 by Fairlawn United Church to provide opportunities for all people within the neighbourhood to “support and celebrate one another, feel valued and nourished, strive towards personal wellness and experience the joy of giving.” The outreach ministry was incorporated in January 1998 during which time oversight moved from Fairlawn United Church to a designated board of directors. The Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre operated more than 300 programs targeted to preschoolers, youth, adults and seniors. Weekly programming included fitness, creative play, music enrichment, drama, bridge, wellness education and community workshops. Due to a decline in programming interest, the Board of Directors voted to discontinue all programming as of June 30, 2016. Members of the Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre voted at the annual meeting in September 2016 to dissolve the corporation.

The Ottawa Presbytery (Ont.)
Corporate body · 1925-2018

Presbyteries in The United Church of Canada were courts of the Church within geographical boundaries made up of a number of Pastoral Charges. Presbytery membership consisted of ordained ministers of the Charges within the Presbytery, United Church lay persons, and corresponding members. A grouping of Presbyteries within a larger geographical area made up a Conference, a higher court of the Church. The functions of the Presbytery included: overseeing Pastoral Charges within its bounds, including the designation of new Charges; receiving and disposing of petitions and appeals from lower governing bodies or courts; transmitting the above to higher bodies or courts; licensing lay persons qualified to serve in lay ministry; overseeing education of candidates for ministry; and supervision of members of the Order of Ministry within its bounds. The Ottawa Presbytery was established in 1925 within the boundaries of the Montreal and Ottawa Conference. It closed in 2018 with the restructuring of the United Church

1891-1978

Dr. Henry Warren Treffry (1891-1978) was born in Howard City, Michigan. He was ordained in The United Church of Canada by Saskatchewan Conference in 1927. During his time as minister he served in many places throughout Saskatchewan: Turtleford (1927), Shamrock (1928-1929), Admiral-Cadillac (1930-1933), Griffin (1934-1935), Shortoaks (1936-1937), Tantallon (1938-1940) and in Ontario: Hilton (1942-1944), Thorndale (1945-1947), Cairngerm (1948-1955), Oakdale (1956-1960), Strathroy (1961-1967), London (1968-1976). He died in May, 1978.