Showing 22 results

People and organizations
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 · 1903-1991

Mary Violet Deeprose was born in Stockdale, Ontario on February 11, 1903. She attended the United Church Training School in Toronto, 1938-1940, and was designated a deaconess by Alberta Conference, August 18, 1941. She was appointed by the Woman’s Missionary Society to the Crosby Girls’ Home in Lax Kw’alaams (then known as Port Simpson), 1940-1944. She left the work due to a family illness. From 1946-1949, she was employed as superintendent of the Mountview Social Service Home (Calgary). She taught in the public school system in Alberta from 1953 until her retirement in 1962. Violet Deeprose died at Drumheller, Alberta on February 22, 1991.

Person · 1869-1935

Barnabas Courtland Freeman was born in Frontenac County, Ontario, in July, 1869. He went to Saskatchewan as a missionary in 1891, was ordained by the Manitoba and Northwest Conference of the Methodist Church in 1892, and was married to Ida Lawson of Frontenac County the same year. In 1893, he travelled west to British Columbia, serving among the Indigenous peoples at Skidegate, Lax Kw’alaams (Port Simpson), Port Essington, and Cape Mudge. In 1910 he ventured south to serve pastorates in Cumberland, Revelstoke, Port Coquitlam, and Vancouver. He was elected President of B.C. Conference in 1920. Freeman died at Cape Mudge in 1935. Throughout most of his career, he wrote poetry, short stories and essays. His poetry was published in The New Outlook, The Christian Guardian, and other church periodicals.

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.

Corporate body · 1925-

Long before the missionaries came, the Hudson Bay Company had established a trading post known as "Fort Simpson." The Indigenous settlement was renamed "Port Simpson" following the closure of "Fort Simpson" by the Hudson's Bay Company. Methodist missionaries begin their missionary work with the Tsimshian Indigenous peoples in Lax Kw’alaams (Port Simpson) in the early 1870s. Lax Kw’alaams (Port Simpson) began a mission of the Methodist Church in 1874.Within months the Port Simpson Methodist Church was erected for services. In the late 1800s the church became Grace Methodist Church. In 1925 with Church Union the church became Grace United Church. It was later destroyed in a fire in 1931. A new church was opened and dedicated on February 20, 1938. Tragically, a fire destroyed this structure in January 2021.

Hartley Bay Day School
Corporate body · 1899-September 1, 1975

Hartley Bay Day School was located at Hartley Bay 4 or 4A, on the entrance of the Douglas Channel near Kitimaat, British Columbia. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. The school was opened in 1903 by The Methodist Church of Canada and held in a room of the mission house. During the time, Hartley Bay was essentially a winter village so the school was often closed during the warmer months. After 1907 the school was closed for almost six years, reopening in 1912 when a new schoolhouse was built. In 1913 the school was only open during the March quarter. Little more is known about the school but it appears to have been open until at least 1939. Church records from 1940 indicate that a new day school at Hartley Bay was planned for the following year, but it is unclear if it was ever built. Church correspondence shows that the school was open during the 1960s and 70s. Further research is required to confirm when the school closed, it's general history and operation.

Klemtu Day School
Corporate body · September 1, 1903-June 30, 1919, October 1, 1921-September 1, 1957, September 1, 1958-August 30, 1979

Klemtu Day School was located at Klemtu (formerly known as China Hat Reserve), British Columbia. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. Department of Indian Affairs records first show a Methodist-run Day School at Klemtu in 1903. When the school first opened, it received no assistance from the Department and the schoolhouse was the property of the Church. At some point, the Department began to supply all the materials for the school. Like many day schools in the region, it was only kept open when enough families were on the reserve. The schoolhouse was inspected in March 1911 with only six children present as much of the village was away. There is little information on the Klemtu Day School after 1912, but records show it remained open until at least 1943 with an average daily attendance of around 10 children. In 1934, the schoolhouse at Klemtu was very run-down and described as “not worth the attempt” to repair. By the 1940s, the Church was still nominating teachers to the school. In April 1941, the Board of Home Missions asked the Department to build a teacherage at the “new school” at Klemtu. Little is known about the school after the 1940s, though Government records indicate it closed in 1979. Additional research is needed to learn about it's general history and operation.

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 · 1874-1920

R.W. Large was a medical missionary with the Methodist Church. He graduated from Trinity Medical College in Toronto and came to Steveston (Richmond, B.C.) in 1898 to work at the Japanese Hospital. From 1900 to 1910, he provided medical services in Bella Bella, after which he moved to the Port Simpson Mission Hospital. The R.W. Large Memorial Hospital in Bella Bella was named in his memory, after he died in 1920.

Corporate body · 1925-[195-]

Pierce Memorial United Church began as a Methodist mission in the early 1870s. During this period it was part of the Port Simpson circuit. A Methodist church was built in Port Essington in 1876. The congregation provided baptism, marriage, and burial services for the Indigenous, Japanese Canadian, and European Canadian residents of the town. Port Essington Methodist Church came into church union in 1925. On March 15, 1936 a new church building was dedicated at Port Essington, which was named Pierce Memorial, in honour of Rev. William Henry Pierce, the first Methodist minister in the area and an Indigenous (Metis) man who was ordained at the first meeting of the British Columbia Conference in 1887. According to the United Church yearbooks, Port Essington Pastoral Charge has had many different preaching points over the years such as Balmoral, Haysport, and Sunnyside. In the 1950s Prince Rupert Presbytery decided to close the congregation.

Port Essington Day School
Corporate body · December 1, 1885-August 31, 1947

Port Essington Day School was located in Port Essington, on the Skeena River in British Columbia. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, then Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. As of 1887, the Port Essington Day School was under the auspices of the Wesleyan Church and received a grant from the Department of Indian Affairs. By 1892, the day school was referred to by the Department as a Methodist school, as it was “paid through the Methodist Society at Toronto.” In 1903, the Port Essington Day School was described as being situated on a “special reserve” adjoining the town of Port Essington, at the estuary of the Skeena River. By 1904, it was considered by the Department as one of best day schools in agency. This was likely because, compared to other day schools, the school at Port Essington remained open for most of the year—eleven months, with a month’s vacation in the fall. The school closed in 1911 due to a staffing issue, but reopened in 1912. Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records show it was open until at least 1941, with an average daily attendance of 10-20 children. Church records indicate that by the 1940s, the Church nominated or appointed teachers to the school. Other government records indicate it closed in 1947. Additional research is needed to determine the school's general history and information about its operation.

Corporate body · 1876-1925

The Methodist congregation at Port Essington was originally part of the Port Simpson Circuit.

Corporate body · 1895-

The Port Essington Summer Hospital was located in Port Essington, British Columbia. It was opened as a branch of the Port Simpson Hospital in Lax Kw'alaams [formerly Port Simpson] in 1895. Medical work occurred at Port Essington during the summer as it was the centre of the salmon canning business.

Port Simpson Day School
Corporate body · 1875-September 1, 1975

Port Simpson Day School was located at Port Simpson [Lax Kwa'aalms] approximately 25 miles from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, then The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. In 1874, the Department of Indian Affairs ‘Statement of Day Schools’ noted that a parliamentary grant was provided for a day school at “Fort Simpson,” which was opened on February 1, 1874 by the Wesleyans. Church records for the following year indicate that the missionary, Thomas Crosby, was working on “fixing up an old house for the use of the school,” paid for from his own means. In a report to the Methodist Society, he requested a teacher for the school. In 1879, the existing schoolhouse was described as “a miserable affair” and the Department was asked to help build a new one. Over the course of the next two years a new schoolhouse was built. During this time, the Church was also planning a “Girls’ Home” to board students from outside of Fort Simpson. A “Boys’ Home” to serve a similar purpose was constructed in 1891. By 1900, Department records indicate the day school was “under the supervision of The Methodist Church of Canada,” with the two teachers “paid by the Government through the Church.” The school building belonged to the Church and was equipped by the Department. By 1904 the Crosby Girls' Home and Crosby Boys' Homes had opened in Port Simpson, and the day school was attended by both the village children and children boarding at the schools. In 1907 a report was written on the missionary work at Port Simpson. In it, the day school was described as a “very good” building with two classrooms downstairs and an upstairs area used for church services. Children from the reserve and the boys from the boarding home were taught at the day school. By 1912, the school at Port Simpson was the largest day school under the control of The Methodist Church, with an enrolment of over 125 children. Little is known about it during the 1920s but Department records show it was consistently open with two teachers and an average attendance of 30-50 children. In 1937, Department officials planned to “rebuild” the day school with two classrooms and a room for domestic science. By May of 1938, the senior teacher reported that the new, large school building was completed and painted but had no “sanitary facilities” for the children. By 1940, there were plans to add a third classroom to the Port Simpson Day School. In 1947, it was reported that some children at the “Crosby Girls’ Residential School” attended the Port Simpson Day School. In May of 1951, arrangements were made to sell the Crosby Girls’ Home and it was hoped that the “village day schools [would be] accommodating the children.” By 1957, there were two day schools at Port Simpson – a three-room building with a large residence upstairs and also an older two-room school. As of 1968, it appears that there was still a Day School in operation at Port Simpson, and government records indicate it closed in 1975. Additional research is needed to learn more about it's general history and operations.

Corporate body · 1891-1946

The Port Simpson General Hospital was located at Lax Kw'alaams, British Columbia. In 1889 Dr. Albert E. Bolton and his wife Nellie arrived and began treating patients in a tent on the beach through the Mission of the Methodist Church of Canada. By 1891 a hospital management committee had formed, and on November 9 1891 the hospital at Port Simpson (Lax Kw'alaams) officially opened. It was operated by the Woman's Missionary Society of The Methodist Church of Canada, with support from the Department of Indian Affairs and provincial government. A branch of the hospital operated from 1895 in Port Essington in the summer months, to provide medical care for the salmon canning industry there. A branch was also located at Rivers Inlet, later connected to R.W. Large Memorial Hospital. The hospital was incorporated in 1903. After 1925, The United Church of Canada operated the hospital, and took control of the hospital in 1931. In 1946 the hospital was closed with all medical work centered in Prince Rupert.

Corporate body · 1892-1948

Port Simpson Residential School was located in Port Simpson (Lax Kw’alaams), on the north coast of British Columbia, 40 kilometres north of Prince Rupert near the Tsimpshean Reserve. The Girls’ Home was operated by the Crosby family, and later the Woman's Missionary Society of The Methodist Church of Canada from 1879-1925, and by the Board of Home Missions of The United Church of Canada from 1925-1948. The Boys’ Home, located on the southeast side of the village, was operated by the Missionary Society of The Methodist Church of Canada from 1890-1914.

Skidegate Day School
Corporate body · 1894-August 1, 1965

Skidegate Day School was located at Skidegate, British Columbia on Graham Island. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925, The United Church of Canada . The Department of Indian Affairs ‘Statement of Day Schools’ first mentions a day school at Skidegate in 1896. An 1897 report indicates that the school was open for at least half the year, and then closed during the canning season, although it is suggested then and in 1916 that the teachers may have followed the Indigenous to the canneries to continue education. By 1909, the schoolhouse at Skidegate was in a state of disrepair and the inspector warned that a new building was badly needed. Records from 1911 indicate that the former Methodist church building was being used as the new school building. For much of its history, it appears that Grades 1-7 were taught there, with an average daily attendance of 10-40 children. Little is known about the school during the 1920s and 30s, but it appears it was open during this period with an average daily attendance of 20-40 children. Church records indicate an “Indian School” was operating at Skidegate during at least May of 1941. By the late 1950s, enrolment at the day school had grown to a point where two teachers were needed. One of the teachers was a Woman’s Missionary Society deaconess. Both teachers lived in a residence next to the school. Government records suggest the school closed in 1965. More research is required to learn about the school's general history and operations.

Corporate body · 1912-1990

The first of the Thomas Crosby mission boats was launched in 1912, replacing the Homespun, a small gasoline launch that had been in use since the Udal was lost in 1909. The Thomas Crosby I, II, and III served on the mainland for the Port Simpson District of the Methodist Church up to church union in 1925, being known at that time as the Crosby Mission. Under the United Church, the Mission became a pastoral charge, first called the Queen Charlotte (Marine) Pastoral Charge and then renamed Central Mainland Marine Mission in 1929. The Thomas Crosby III, built in 1923, was replaced with the more seaworthy Thomas Crosby IV in 1938, which in turn was replaced by the Thomas Crosby V in 1967, the Sea Island II being chartered for a brief period while the Thomas Crosby V was being built. Missionaries who served on the Crosby include R.C. Scott, Peter Kelly, R.H. McColl, John Towers, Bob Scales, Oliver Howard, Jack Gosse serving as a lay minister, Bob Faris and Gordon Taylor. In the 1970s, the Presbytery created an Oversight Committee to act as board for the Mission, and eventually most of the responsibility for the Mission's funding was transferred from the Presbytery to the Division of Mission (B.C.). Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Mission reported to both the Presbytery and D.M.C. (B.C.) through the Committee; during this period the staff was fairly large as well, with separate positions for the Master and the Missionary, as well as an engineer, deckhands and a nurse. Although the Thomas Crosby V was the only marine mission operating in the region in the 1980s, the cost of operating the Mission was becoming more and more of a concern to those involved, and several studies were conducted into the possibility of finding more cost-effective ways to conduct its work. Late in 1990, Prince Rupert Presbytery voted to recommend that the ship be sold, with a view to finding more cost effective ways of reaching the same constituency, although the 1992 report to Conference describes it as having had a ship in 1991 as well. Since then the Mission has relied on air travel to reach its points of call.

Upsdell, Sharilynn
Person · [unknown]

Sharilynn Upsdell worked as Staff Associate at Westbank United Church and KO Presbytery Youth Minister for eleven years before pursuing Diaconal Ministry in 1998. She was commissioned in Salmon Arm in 2003 and settled in Lax Kw'alaams, Prince Rupert Presbytery. Upsdell later worked for ten years as chaplain at Good Semaritan Heron Grove in Vernon, and Mountainview Village in Kelowna. She retired in 2021.