Nearly 100 years ago, the dreams of a handful of isolated settlers in Squamish came to fruition.
A small group of locals pooled together $1,000 (aided by a loan from the Diocese of New Westminster) to help erect the first-ever church in Squamish on a piece of land donated by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway.
The first St. John the Divine church officially opened on July 20, 1913 on Sixth Avenue in downtown Squamish. The 25-by-50-foot church was small but served as the home for local Anglicans for 63 years. The first service took place at 11 a.m. on that day, with the church officially dedicated at the 7 p.m. service in front of a packed house of 45.
Ruth Fenton, 87, is the longest regular local church attendee and said she still remembers the old building.
"It was a very simple, but comforting building," she said. It probably would have seated about 100 at the most. It didn't have any central heating or water but we did have electricity. "I remember we had an oil heater to keep the building warm and two or three times the Squamish wind in the winter would blow down the chimney, blow out the fire and blow soot all over the church. We'd have to stop service to clean up when that happened."
Fenton said she first started going in the early 1940s, sang in the choir with her school and began attending regularly in the 1950s. She's never stopped.
"I can't think of not going," she said, laughing. "We have a very friendly congregation and it's part of your life and you really become part of the family."
The St. John the Divine church may have been the first building, but research done by Anglican church member Rita Carey showed that ministers were making visits to Squamish as far back as 1891.
A Methodist minister rode a rowboat from Gibson's Landing to Squamish back then, she said. And then in 1894, Ann Barbara Edwards got together with a few other people, one of whom was William Mashiter, and started Bible classes.
Carey said the classes continued for a decade and between 25 to 44 people attended each Sunday. The classes concluded in 1904 when Edwards married Harry Judd.
As for St. John the Divine, services continued in the building on Sixth Avenue until 1976 when the new building in Garibaldi Estates was constructed.
In 1965 Pat Goode donated a piece of property for the new church and rectory in Garibaldi, Carey said.
Fenton said there was some debate among church goers about the location of the new building.
"There were mixed feelings," she said. "Older folk were used to it downtown and Garibaldi hadn't grown much back then. There was a small mall but there's nothing like it is today."
Despite some of the members' uncertainties, the new building opened and Fenton admitted that with the creation of the new church building in 2000, locals are blessed with the facilities they have today.
Overall, it was a great move, she said. "It was an upgrade and the church we have today is beautiful."
A recent story in The Chief discussed the numbers from a Statistics Canada survey that Squamish is Canada's least religious town. Carey said attendance is down but she suggested that church attendance seems to follow a cycle, going up and down over the years.
"I noticed a trend through my research that attendance has fluctuated greatly over the years, she said, noting that the church has about 40 regular members today. We would like to encourage more young families to join the Anglican Church is very inclusive and we try to change with the times."
She said Sunday service occurs every week at 10 a.m., with centering prayer on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. The first Monday of every month is a Taize service, where attendees sing hymns.
Everyone is welcome to these services, she said. It's a very warm, open and inviting at our church. It's a wonderful place of sanctuary and healing.
The church is also home to the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association's (HSPAA) grand piano and has hosted several musical performances over the years. Several debates about current topics have taken place at the church in recent years and the building also houses the Sea to Sky Community Services addiction recovery centre.
But the big event on the calendar for the church is its 100th anniversary celebration, July 12 to 14.
It kicks off on Friday, July 12 at 7 p.m. with an Evensong service at the church and continues with an open house showcasing the history of the church inside the building on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A golf session is planned at the Squamish Valley Golf Club starting on July 13 at 11 a.m. The entrance fee is $100 and Global TV's Chris Gailus will be among the participants. A salmon buffet dinner will be hosted at the church on July 13 at 6 p.m., with Sunday service happening in its regular slot on Sunday, July 14 at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome to attend any of the events.
Carey, who began attending the church in 1978 because she wanted her oldest son baptised, said the church has been a great part of her life for 35 years.
"It's family and community," she said. "It's a huge part of my life and helps keep me anchored in my faith."
Fenton agreed, saying she's looking forward to the centennial celebration.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, she said. It's a big milestone."
For more information on the church, visit www.stjohnsquamish.ca.
