Algoma was vast wilderness when Bishop Edward Sullivan started missionary work as CPR was being built

 As the Canadian Pacific Railway was being completed Rt, Rev. Edward Sullivan, the Church of England (Anglican) Bishop of Algoma was carrying out missionary work in his vast diocese.

When Bishop Sullivan took office in 1882, Algoma was a vast wilderness. He described it as "a land of Christmas trees and rocks of ages" which as I reflect on my growing up years in Chapleau pretty adequately sums it up even in the 1940s.

Let me just note though that the good Bishop surely did not realize the vast wealth among the trees and rocks of his diocese. But I digress.

To do his missionary work he was faced with  a lack of funds so he went on what was called a "begging tour" of England speaking at fashionable churches all over the country to raise money. This was a common practice.

He advertised the needs of Algoma as an illustration of the missionary work among English settlers and others in Canada. If you had ancestors living in Chapleau circa 1885, like I did, even though the first of mine Patrick Mulligan and other family members were Roman Catholic, Bishop Sullivan was reaching out for them. 

The Bishop also recognized the need to minister to construction workers along the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A special kind of person was needed and the Bishop found him in Rev. Gowan Gillmor who delighted in his nickname 'The Tramp'. 

On many occasions Rev. Gillmor walked the railway line from Sudbury to Chapleau and on to Missanabie. On one of his journeys he apparently walked the entire CPR line from North Bay to Port Arthur and return  - a distance of some 2000 mikes.

He described his work  long the CPR. He ministered to the construction people numbering about 5000 men holding services as he went along in camps, shanties and box cars and sleeping in them overnight. His experiences were the roughest. These people were from all parts of America and Europe. Typhoid fever was the scourge of railway construction. 

Archbishop R. J. Renison later said that Gillmor was the best railway missionary that ever lived. For years this missionary priest literally lived with the railway men or pushed a handcar from section house to section house, ate greem bacon from the same plate and often slept under the same blanket.

He brought food or clothing to the needy or nursed and prayed with the sick for thirty years

Rev. Gillmor also conducted the first church service for the early settlers of Chapleau in October 1884 and was instrumental in founding St John's Church a year later. 

Rev. John Sanders perhaps the first indigenous person ordained priest in the Church of England in Canada conducted the first Church of England service at Chapleau in 1882 on the banks of the river. Descendants of Rev. Sanders still live in the Chapleau area.

John Sanders

Rev. Sanders was responsible for building several churches.

In !982 when the late Rev. William Ivey was Rector of St. John's there was a re-enactment of this service with Rev. Canon Redfern Louttit playing the part of Rev. Sanders, Canon Louttit graduated from St John's Residential School and attended Wycliffe College. He was ordained in St. John's Church. 

In 1985 to mark the 100th anniversary of St John's, Rev E Roy Haddon, a former Rector returned to play Rev. Gowan Gillmor. Rev. Jerry Smith was the rector. Jerry is now Rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Tallahassee FL

The Roman Catholic Church also had "railway missionaries" and I am looking into them. If anyone has information on them please feel free to contact me. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

'Colouring outside the lines ...exploring new paths' as open house for St. John's future to be held in Chapleau

Recently I attended the 50th anniversary celebration for a Shared Ministry between the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada at Invermere, British Columbia. 

It was an experiment that has worked and the celebration brought the Primate of the Anglican Church and Moderator of the United Church to rural British Columbia to be part of it. In fact, while chatting with Archbishop John Privett of the Diocese of Kootenay, he commented that it was not often the leaders of these two churches, would be seen at a service together. Good point by Archbishop John.

My thanks to Joel Vinge for taking me to the service.

Shortly thereafter, I received an email from Jason Rioux telling me about an Open House planned for August 4 starting at six p.m.to brainstorm new uses for St John's church which he recently purchased from the Diocese of Moosonee. It will still be used for church services

.I immediately thought of one of the hymns sung at the Invermere celebration 'My Love Colours Outside the Lines' written by George Light in 1995. In fact I am listening to it now on Youtube being sung by the Northwest Barrie United church choir. Here is the chorus:

“My love colours outside the lines,
Exploring paths that few could ever find;

And takes me into places where I’ve never been before

And opens doors to worlds outside the lines."

As new paths are explored for St, John's new worlds will assuredly be opened "outside the lines".

In fact, in 1885, St. John's may never have become a reality if the committee of adults meeting to discuss plans for the church had their way.

 Let me share a bit of what happened from my 1984 book, "Sons of Thunder...Apostles of Love". The first motion put before the meeting proposed that the matter be dropped as the amount of $500 was too great for the people to raise. 

The motion was defeated but a stalemate arose over who would be on the finance committee. 

Mrs. R.V. Nicholson preserved an account of the meeting which relates the next development: 

 "At this point Miss Annie Nicholson, although only seventeen years old got up and said that if the meeting would allow her, she would volunteer to collect the amount with the assistance of her friend Miss Minnie Richardson."

Several "prominent" members ridiculed this idea, but a motion passed appointing the two girls to the finance committee, and at the next meeting Miss Nicholson commented that a "a really strong box" would be required to hold the money subscribed.Slightly more than one thousand dollars had been collected and paid.

The first St. John's located on the old tennis court was opened and dedicated on July 1, 1886 -- colouring outside the lines by the adults led to the church being established.

On April 23, 1906 at an Easter Congregational meeting a motion was passed to build a new church but at the outset of discussions a majority favoured enlarging the existing building but Rev, W,L. James, the Rector, who Archbishop R.J. Renison referred to as a 'flame of fire' held out and the meeting agreed unanimously.

The first service in the new St. John's was held on March 29 1908, when it was dedicated by Bishop George Holmes.

G B Nicholson

By this time in St. John's history, G. B. Nicholson, had become the the first reeve of Chapleau in 1901 and was greatly involved in the life of St. John's. At Easter 1918, St. John's paid tribute to Mr. Nicholson in a letter that was framed and can still be seen on a wall in the church.

It reads in part: "As a member of the congregation from the day the first service was held in the town, as a member of the committees which have planned and directed the building of both church and rectory, as a member of the choir, and as a warden for twenty-two years, you have had much to do with every stage of the work. Your business ability, supported as it is by your great generosity, has helped more than anyone can say in establishing the parish on a sound financial basis with a splendid rectory, and a beautiful church, both free of debt."

Chapleau, not only St. John's owes so much to Mr. Nicholson, who coloured outside the lines in so many ways for the betterment of the community by obviously colouring outside the lines.

Rev John Sanders

Although, he did not serve as Rector of St. John's, Rev. John Sanders, also spelled Saunders, born to Ojibwe parents at Flying Post in 1845, was one of the first indigenous priests of the Anglican church in Canada, then the Church of England. He was ordained priest in 1979. John Horden, the first bishop of Moosonee, recruited him for the ministry -- certainly colouring outside the lines in 1872 when he took the young man to St. John's College in Winnipeg.

As a missionary he travelled from his base at Mattagami to Flying Post to Missanabie and Michipicoten. He also travelled  by way of Loon (Borden) Lake, the Loon Lake portage and the Chapleau river to the present site of Chapleau. He conducted a service on the banks of the river. After Chapleau was established oldtimers recalled open air services he held at the Indian Reserve and at St. John's church.

Descendants of Rev. Sanders (Saunders) still live in Chapleau and area. 

And now, fast forward to 2016, as St. John's embarks on a new journey. Like so many churches today, many in communities near where I live in rural British Columbia, with dwindling congregations and declining financial resources, other uses are being found for them.St. John's will continue to be used for church  services under an agreement with the Diocese of Moosonee, but the open house is designed to explore other opportunities for the historic building

I was delighted to hear from Heather Campbell who is working with Jason Rioux on plans for St. John's. She wrote in an email about the open house planned for August 4 .

  "As Jason Rioux works toward renovating and revitalizing the church building, we want to invite the community to experience what the Church space could become, and experience some of the ideas for possible new uses.

"We are also inviting everyone to share their memories of the space and other key community gathering spots in Chapleau. We’ll have displays celebrating the Church and community’s heritage, highlighting some other important landmarks in the community, and offer the opportunity to meet some of the local artisans who are interested in using the basement space as a crafts market."

 "Community consultation and engagement are a very important part of the project, as the space has been, and will remain, a very community-centric one. Inviting everyone into the space – and into the process – at this early stage is essential to creating a place that is truly owned by the community 

"There will be plenty of opportunities to give input into the vision of what the space will become. Draw us a picture, drop off a notecard, tell us your thought there are many ways to be involved!  

As I was thinking about this column, I sent an email to my cousin Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick, with some questions and request for photos she might have of our family's involvement with St. John's. 

As always she replied with information and photos but I am saving them for another day. 

However, as Chapleau folks prepare for the open house, I was reminded of one anecdote about St. John's which occurred before I was born. In 1935, the church celebrated its 50th anniversary which was attended by the Primate Archbiahop Derwyn T. Owen. My grandfather George Hunt was the choirmaster, my mother Muriel was a soloist singing 'Now the Day is Over', my grandmother Edythe and Elsie, (the mother of Anne, Betty, Joan and Leslie) were all in the choir. What a great moment it must have been for my family.

 I am sure you have memories too.

Heather is with Small, a company which works with rural communities to assist in the transition from natural resources-based economies to cultural resource-based ones. These efforts help diversify economies while celebrating the natural heritage, built heritage, and intangible heritage (skills and traditions) within these communities. Beginning in Newfoundland with communities affected by the cod moratorium, we’ve also recently worked in New Brunswick, Ontario and the Yukon. 

She said: "We’re thrilled to be involved in the St. John’s Church project in Chapleau, to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Church and the community."

I wish all the very best as you meet to plan the new journey for St. John's and leave you with the last verse of 'My love Colours Outside the Lines':

My soul longs to colour outside the lines

Tear back the curtains, sun, come in and shine

I want to walk beyond the boundaries where I've never been before

Throw open doors to worlds outside the lines. 

My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Future of historic St. John's Anglican Church in Chapleau to be discussed

 In 1845, John Sanders, one of a family of 20, was born to Ojibway parents at Flying Post, a settlement on Groundhog Lake, about 60 miles north of the present community of Biscotasing.

About 1860, Rev. John Horden, who in 1872 would become the first bishop of the Diocese of Moosonee, journeyed by canoe from Moose Factory to Missanabie, and on his return on the river byway to old Brunswick Post south of Peterbell,  about 60 miles north of Chapleau, he struck overland to Flying Post.

The missionary priest of the then Church of England, now Anglican Church of Canada, met the young John Sanders, who in 1872 was ordained deacon, and in 1879 with his ordination to the priesthood likely became the first First Nation person to become a priest of the church in Canada.  Rev. John Sanders carried out the work of his church before the Canadian Pacific Railway became the main connecting link across Canada. In 1882, he held a service on the banks of the river at Chapleau.

Rev John Sanders

In 1982, when Rev. William P. Ivey was rector of St, John's Church, he organized a re-enactment of the service with Rev. Canon Redfern Louttit, portraying John Sanders. Canon Louttit had attended the Indian Residential School and Chapleau High School. The service was conducted in Cree, Ojibway and English.

REV JOHN SANDERS http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2010/02/missionary-john-sanders-travelled-by.html

During those early years Rt. Rev. Edward Sullivan, bishop of Algoma, was carrying out missionary work in his vast diocese. In 1882, he described Algoma, which at the time included the future community of Chapleau as a vast wilderness, "a land of Christmas trees and rocks of ages."

The bishop found Rev. Gowan Gillmor, who delighted in his nickname 'The Tramp' as he walked the railway line as it was being built from Sudbury to Chapleau and beyond. 

In 1884, Rev. Gillmor conducted a service in the fledgling community at Mileage 615.1, in October 1884, and was instrumental in founding St. John's Church in 1885.

Rev. Gillmor described his work along the CPR: "I ministered to the construction people numbering about 5,000, holding services as I  went along in camps, shanties and box cars sleeping in them overnight; my experiences were the roughest."

Rev. Ivey organized another historical re-enactment with Rev. E. Roy Haddon, a former rector of St. John's playing Rev. Gillmor.

By the Spring of 1885, plans were underway to build a church in Chapleau, and in December, Rev, Gillmor attended a meeting in the partially completed railway station to discuss the matter. He also conducted services there.

A grant of $400 was available from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts in England but Chapleau people would have to raise $500, a tremendous amount in those days. The first motion placed before the meeting was that "the matter be dropped."

Mrs. R.V. Nicholson preserved an account of the meeting, which was available to me when I wrote 'Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love' to mark the 100th anniversary of St. John's in 1885.

When it looked like the project would fail, Mrs. Nicholson had recorded the next development: " At this point Miss Annie Nicholson, although only seventeen years old got up and said that if the meeting would allow her, she would volunteer to collect the amount with the assistance of her friend, Miss Minnie Richardson."

Despite several "prominent" members ridiculing the idea, they were permitted to proceed and at the next meeting Miss Nicholson commented that "a really strong box" would be needed as more than $1,000 had been collected and paid.

As St. John's marked its 100th anniversary in 1985, Rev. Jerry Smith, then the rector, organized a re-enactment of the 1885 meeting when Annie Nicholson and Minnie Richardson became the fundraisers. They were played by Sharon Henderson and Linda Tebbutt.

Tenders were called and a contract let for the building of St. John's, which was opened and dedicated on July 1, 1886, by Bishop Sullivan assisted by Rev. Gillmor. W. Hepburn became the first Rector's Warden and G.B. Nicholson, People's Warden, a position he held for many years. Mr. Nicholson became the first reeve of Chapleau in 1901.

G. B. Nicholson

The original St. John's Church, located across from the present church beside the rectory was a 20 by 32 foot frame building.

According to the bishop's calendar on the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee web site, the Rt. Rev. Thomas Corston, the ninth bishop of the diocese and Archdeacon Huskins will meet with Andre Byham, the mayor of Chapleau on October 19, 2012, to discuss the future of historic St, John's.  The notice says a report will be given to the congregation following the service on October 21.

Original St John's. Rev. Robert Warrington

Tom Corston as most readers know was born and raised in Chapleau, and was ordained deacon at St. John's in 1974.

Like so many churches, in recent years, St. John's has fallen on hard times.

I decided to share some of the highlights in the history of St. John's from its first 100 years, recognizing that it is and was the home church for so many throughout its history, and now another challenge is being faced.

Rev. W.L. James, decsribed as "a flame of fire" became rector in 1904 and it was he who conceived the vision for the present St. John's. At the outset of discussions a majority wanted to enlarge the existing building but Rev. James held out for a new one. A motion was placed before an Easter congregational meeting on Monday April 23, 1906, "Moved by Mr. Wallace and  seconded by Mr. H. West that it is necessary to build a new church. Carried unanimously."

Mr. James died before the new church was opened. The  first service was held in it on March 29, 1908 when it was dedicated by Bishop George Holmes, with Rev. P.R. Soanes, who had become the rector assisting. The total cost was $18,000.

For a time, Bishop Holmes lived in Chapleau and St. John's was the Pro-Cathedral of Moosonee.

Interestingly, the original St. John's was dismantled and shipped on two flatcars to Cochrane, making the last part of its journey on horse-drawn carts. It was used as a church in Cochrane for several years but was destroyed in a great fire there.

After some renovations in 1913  a new pipe organ was installed in  memory of Thomas Nicholson. The story has often been told that air for it was supplied by hand pumping. In a small space under the organ two boys, including the fathers of many of us who attended St. John's were delegated to work the bellows and pump the air.

Quite often, the organist had to send frantic signals down for air as the boys would be engrossed in telling stories or carving their initials into the woodwork around them. As far as I know the initials are still there, although I forgot to look when I visited St. John's during the Chapleau High School reunion.

St. John's celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1935 with the Rt. Rev. Derwyn T. Owen, archbishop of Toronto and Primate of all Canada as guest speaker. 

Prior to the actual celebration, St. John's lost one of its most outstanding members when G.B. Nicholson died on January 1. For 25 years he had conducted an adult Bible class coming home by train from Ottawa on weekends when he was a member of parliament to conduct it. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary, Rev. Harold Hesketh was the rector and Charles W. Collins and Albert Evans

were the wardens.

With the arrival of Canon H.A. Sims in 1947, renovations to the church got underway, and were completed by the time he retired in 1950 with the vestry book for 1949 containing the entry that the advisory board had named rooms in the basement of the church the Anderson Hall after Most Rev. John George Anderson, bishop of Moosonee 1909-43 and the Renison Hall in honour of Rt. Rev. Robert John Renison, also a bishop of Moosonee.

In January 1946, St. John's was advised by Bishop William Wright that St. John's had been transferred to the diocese of Algoma. It was later moved back to Moosonee.

Rev. E. Roy Haddon arrived in 1950 as rector and made a tremendous impact on the parish during his three years there. St. John's was also aided with the boom that Chapleau experienced in the 1950s. After he left, new rectors were confronted with someone who would comment to the effect. "You may do a good job here, but it won't be like the Haddon years. He packed the place." And indeed, he did.

For example, on Christmas Eve, 1952 the largest congregation ever recorded in the entire history of St. John's was recorded. The total was 267 people. I still remember the chairs in the aisle on a beautiful winter evening. Also in 1952 St. John's was redecorated and Mr. Haddon noted that one would have to travel many miles to find such a beautiful church.

St. John's celebrated its 75th anniversary when Rev. J.G.M. Doolan was rector and Jim Broomhead.,also Chapleau reeve at the time  and Lindsay 'Andy' Anderson were the wardens. a highlight was a reunion of the Bible class founded by Mr Nicholson. It was conducted by P.J. Collins who had been the assistant for many years. They sang hymns on the same portable organ used many years previously and played by the same organist Mrs. C.W. Swanson.

The Haddon attendance record was finally shattered on October 9, 1983 when the parish and community gathered to say farewell to Rev. Wiliam Ivey, who had been rector for nine and one half years, and his family. There were 298 people at the farewell service.

Rev. Jerry Smith, now the rector of St, Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee, was rector when St. John's celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1985. In  a message in 'Sons of Thunder... Apostles of Love' he wrote in part  about a "Christian community carved out of the wilderness. Sometimes St. John's has acted more like the son of thunder than the apostle of love, and sometimes vice versa. But the bottom line is ... 'Where do we go from here?. What is God calling us to do and how are we going to respond?'"  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Remembering Rev. William Ivey: "Faith helped pioneers over rough spots and kept them going"

From the time of his arrival in Chapleau at Easter 1974 to become Rector of St. John's Anglican Church, William Ivey was involved in community life while also looking after his parish.

Somehow it seemed so appropriate that I received the news of William's sudden death on Monday from Tom Corston, a Chapleau boy who is now an archdeacon in the Anglican church and rector of Church of the Epiphany, Sudbury, Ontario. Tom posted the news that William had died suddenly on his Facebook page.

On June 30, 1974, at St. John's, shortly after Rev. Ivey's arrival, Tom was ordained deacon in a service conducted by Archbishop James A. Watton of the Diocese of Moosonee.

When Chapleau celebrated its 75th anniversary of incorporation as a municipality in 1976, during the time that I served as Reeve (mayor), William was greatly involved in the activities. He not only organized a Homecoming Service for St. John's but participated in the giant ecumenical service held in the circus tent by the Chapleau (Kebsquasheshing) River.

The tent service was truly a moment of Christian unity as all denominations came together along with their choirs and members to participate.

When St. John's celebrated its 90th anniversary a year earlier, Rev. Ivey wrote of the occasion: "...(it was) faith in the future of this great country that first brought men and women up here (to Chapleau). And I know that faith in God helped those pioneers over the rough spots and kept them going. Faith is still an important part of life in this community..."

In 1978, when Chapleau celebrated the opening of the new Chapleau Recreation Centre, Cedar Grove Lodge for Senior Citizens and the Chapleau Civic Centre in a flurry of ribbon cutting in three days in June, Rev. Ivey assisted at the openings. He was selected by the council to be part of the official welcoming committee to meet Her Honour Pauline McGibbon, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, who came to Chapleau to open the civic centre.

In 1982 when Chapleau High School celebrated its 60th anniversary, he organized another homecoming service attended by 225 people at St, John's. Along with Tom Corston and Canon Redfern Louttit, who had attended St. John's, Rev. Ivey participated in an ecumenical service at the Chapleau Recreation Centre.

He also served as Padre to Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Also in 1982, Rev. Ivey organized the re-enactment of the first Christian service held in Chapleau on the river bank by Rev. John Sanders. Canon Louttit portrayed John Sanders and the service was conducted in Cree, Ojibway and English. A year later Archdeacon E. Roy Haddon played the role of Archdeacon Gowan Gillmor in another historical re-enactment organized by Rev. Ivey.

On August 28, 1983, Bishop Frank Nock announced that Rev. Ivey was being transferred to Parry Sound.

At the Harvest Thanksgiving service the parish and community gathered at St. John's to say farewell to William, his wife Bonnie and their four children. There were 298 people at the service, the largest congregation recorded to that time in the history of the parish.

William and his family returned to Chapleau after a short absence and he continued to contribute to the community, but that is a story for another day. I wanted to provide a glimpse into his work in Chapleau between 1974 and 1983 where he truly practised the words from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, "...if one member is honoured all rejoice together.." (I Corinthians 12:16)amongst all of us who knew him.

Rest in peace William.

Note: Taken in part from my 1984 history of St. John's Church, "Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love"

UPDATE RE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR WILLIAM

Funeral service for William will be held at the Chapleau Pentescotal Church on Friday March 26 at eleven am. Further information can be obtained from the Gilmartin Funeral Home in Wawa at 1 705 856 7340