Memorial Service and Dedication of St. John's Memorial Hall Program, now the Royal Canadian Legion Hall, Chapleau

"Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

With most sincere  thanks to Councillor Doug Greig of the Township of Chapleau, here is the official program for the Memorial Service and Dedication of St. John's Memorial Hall, Chapleau, held on April 9, 1920. The St. John's Memorial Hall is now the Royal Canadian Legion Hall.

Some of those participating in the program as you will see, are Rev. John Nelson Blodgett, Rector of St. John's Anglican Church; Rev. Dr. Robert John Renison, later Bishop of the Anglican Church diocese of Moosonee; Rt. Rev. John George Anderson, Bishop of Moosonee; Reeve Max Brunette, Township of Chapleau; Rev. George Prewer and Rev. White.

An address was given by G.B. Nicholson, M.P,. the first Reeve of Chapleau who was then a Member of Parliament. The hall was built by Mr, Nicholson and his wife Charlotte. Lt. -Col. C. H. LeP. Jones , thecommanding officer of 227th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force also participated.

Today, 90 years later, Thomas A. Corston, the son of Frances (Jardine) and the late Henry Corston, who was born and raised in Chapleau is the Bishop of Moosonee.

LINKS

Men O North 227th Battalion: http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2010/10/men-o-northof-227th-battalion-head-off.html

From Parish House to Legion Hall: http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2010/11/ninety-years-ago-chapleaus-royal.html

Tom Corston becomes 9th Bishop of Moosonee http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2010/04/tom-corston-elected-ninth-anglican.html

Tom Corston becomes ninth Anglican bishop of the Diocese of Moosonee

UPDATE... On July 6, 2010: Tom Corston was consecrated as a bishop in the Anglican Church today in a ceremony at St. Anthony's Church, Timmins, Ontario, and was later installed as the ninth bishop of Moosonee in a service at St Matthew's Anglican Cathedral in Timmins.


Thomas A. "Tom" Corston, born and raised in Chapleau, Ontario, the son of Frances (Jardine) and the late Henry "Chicken" Corston, has been elected the ninth Bishop of the Anglican Church Diocese of Moosonee at a synod in Timmins.

Tom, who is currently an archdeacon in the Anglican church is also Rector of the Church of the Epiphany, Sudbury, Ontario, in the Diocese of Algoma, is expected to take up his new duties in July, 2010. He succeeds Archbishop Caleb Lawrence, who retired.

Growing up in Chapleau, Tom was active in St. John's Anglican Church, as AYPA president, which is a parish in the Diocese of Moosonee which he will now be leading. Tom becomes the first Chapleau boy to have become an Anglican priest to have been elected a Bishop. Tom was also a president of the Students' Council at Chapleau High School.

He graduated from Lakehead University with the Bachelor of Arts degree and Wycliffe College with a Master of Divinity degree.

In June,1974, Tom was ordained a Deacon in a service at St. John's ina service conducted by Archbishop James A. Watton, then the Bishop of Moosonee. He was ordained to the priesthood a year later.

He started his ministry in the Diocese of Moosonee.

Tom is married with two children.

Tom's grandparents John and Lydia (Swanson) Corston, came from James Bay in the Diocese of Moosonee to Chapleau in 1907 where his grandfather began work with the Canadian Pacific Railway. They established their family home on Grey Street.

Tom is a successor to John Horden, the first Bishop of Moosonee in 1872, who travelled around the vast area by canoe, snowshoe and on foot. Bishop Horden was considered one of the great missionaries of his time.

Here is where Tom has served in his ministry taken from a curriculum vitae prprepared for his nomination for Bishop of Moosonee:

Curate, Church of St. Michael & All Angels, Toronto, ON, 1974-75
Incumbent, Foleyet, Gogama, Mattagami First Nation, 1975-78,
Incumbent, Longlac, Caramat, Hillsport, Nakina, Armstrong, Collins, Allanwater Bridge,
Ogoki Post, 1978-80
Rector, South Porcupine & Schumacher, 1980-83
Regional Dean, Deanery of Cochrane, 1982
Rector, St. Margaret’s Church, Fredericton, NB, 1983-85
Rector, Iroquois Falls, Matheson & Montieth, 1985-87
Rector, Chatham, NB, 1987-92
Regional Dean, Deanery of Chatham, NB, 1990-1992
Rector, Holy Trinity Church, Sault Ste. Marie, 1992-98
Regional Dean, Deanery of Algoma, 1995-1997
Rector, Church of the Epiphany, Sudbury, 1998-present
Regional Dean, Deanery of Sudbury/Manitoulin, 1999-2002
Archdeacon of Sudbury/Manitoulin, 2002-present