A cootiee™ — Sept. 28, 1967

ip Transportation has been the
key to the growth of the Angli-
can Church in this area and sto-
' ries are found of the clergy tra-
/ velling by boat from Edgew'
| and Arrow Park:to take service
at Robson and Castlegar.
There was also the CPR on
which T.' L. Bloomer. was: en-

gineer for many years which| :

brought ministers from Nelson,
Trail and Rossland.

The first recorded Anglican

' service at Castlegar was on May

11, 1903 when the daughters of

i Thomas and Jane Humphrey

: were baptized by. the Rev. Char-

| les Hedley of Trail in) a, cabin this

lar monthly. services in the hall
over W. J. Farmer's store. Dur-
ing the summer months the dis-
trict was served by. divinity stu-

ood | dents from McGill University’ in

Montreal. These were usually. ar-
ranged by. “Archdeacon: Graham

of: Nelson” -who: was: himsel€ a q

graduate of McGill:

held’on:'Thursday. afternoons in
the old ‘school: house.’ However,
this: was too far for: the calaee
in’ Kinnaird: to“ walk:so Mrs.

E, Killough’s ‘sister, Miss Clark,
Jater’Mrs: Swanson,’ started, a
Sunday. School‘in:her home and
turn’ led ‘to:the first An-

} elose to where the old’ water:| glica

tower stood. Services were held
"in other homes, in the first
\. school thouse and in CPR pas-
{ rd cars laying over for Sun-
jays

In Robson the services ‘were
' held in people’s homes and in’ the |'
school: house from-1908. The ori-
ginal school house became the

a Baptist. Church , and “later. .the

Robson Community : Memorial
Church, Today it is used by the
Baptist, the United and the An-
glican Churches.

- In this Centenial Year, thro-|
ugh the combined efforts of the
‘Anglican and United Churches
and much volunteer labor, a
fine Christian Education “Hall
has been built in Robson and

appropriately named Resker

The Synod of the Diocese of
Kootenay met in Nelson in Nov-
‘ember 1914 to elect the first Bi-
shop of Kootenay. Mr. Bloomer
was one of the delegates to the
Synod from South Slocan and H.
‘G. Slater represented Robson.

| The Dean of Christ Church, Vic-

§ -toria, the Rev. A. J. Doull was
elected on the fifth ballot.

The new Bishop was not ac-
customed to travelling in. the
Kootenays, and on his first jour-
ney to Nelson was “thrown from
his auto into a river at the risk
of ‘his life.”

After the First War. the com-
munity began to develop and
there are accounts of Harvest
qhaniselving. Services. and regu:

naird in 1921."

Sunday. School classes’ were

“Through ie years the Re ve:

‘Montgomery; the: Rev. E..:Don-
aldson. and: the ‘Rev: J.) Newby

| came’ from :' Edgewood’. ones a

month‘ to ‘take’ services in

‘on ‘the boat in Robson.

pattern” continued. ur un-|

‘This
til 1927. nat the Rev... J.:New-

Dy, who’ was in “charge ‘of ‘the |:

district, returned to England. He
‘was succeeded by the Rev. J.
Mahood, . a: ‘retired clergyman
from ° Queen ay: The stories
about Mr. Mahood are almost
legendary in. the Kootenays and
the: Ballards . or ‘the Killoughs
usually had him as a guest over
the weekend.

-The Community Hall i in Cas-
tlegar was:used for services but
after it burned down it was felt
that a’ community church was
needed. .W. Esling, Member. of
Parliament from Rossland, was
very interested.in the’ proposed
church and promised a generous
gift as soon as the work on the
church was started. A year went
by and’ in spite of: the “spirit

-of, ecumenism” and the desire

to work together — nothing hap-
pened.

Finally Mr. Bloomer aequir-
ed some lots: inthe centre. of
the village (across from, the pre-
sent ‘post office) and persuaded
ope) ‘Toogood ‘to: help.

build an ‘anglican Church. Many
people were furious that he had
not: waited ‘until everyone’ was
ready to come in on it but Mr.
Bloomer was tired of waiting so
he’ organized a building ‘cam-
paign and St. Alban’ 8.was begun
in: 1938.

The cement for ‘the founda-
tion came from Jim Toogood and
the lumber came from Waldie’s
Lumber Co, Many: people in the
district gave. generously of mo-
ney, ‘materials and: labor.to the
new church which. was. opened
on Nov.'27:by:the Rev. D. Catch-
pole of Rossland.

Mr. Catchpole held | services:

in “the. new church until..1942
when the Rev. C.F. Orman, also
‘of Rossland, conducted. services
until September 1946. Mr. Bloo-
mer: and ‘W.H.: Toogood were

him! the first wardens and the’ other

:: Kinnaird Community: ‘Hall.

members. of the: church . com-
mittee were Mrs. »Lodge, W.
Dams and Jim:Killough.

= The church was used by oth-
er. denominations: and: the old'ji
Parish Hall which was added in’
1944:‘was used. by most of ‘the
organizations: in’ town.

In’ 1946: Archdeacon B. A
Resker arrived in Castlegar as
the first resident minister. He
won the love and respect of the
whole community “during
years here: ‘Though. resident, in
Castlegar, this area at that
was included ‘in ‘the Castlegar?

Fruitvale, Salmo Mission and the’

‘Archdeacon made trips to Fruit-
‘and Salmo for services

his ‘eadership the’

‘church grew ‘and in 1955 -the
basement of St. John’s‘ “Church

to. the. uilding of: St.
services: in Kinnaird had been
held’ for. several’ years in’ the.

In:the’ same year, 1955, an
additional 22 feet was added to
‘Alban’s.: In 1957: by ‘means

an’ all-out: co-operative: effort
ginning with; an enthusiasti

largely. ‘attended congrega-

: tional dinner ‘followed by a.visit-

lation and ‘canvass. of .the . area; |

‘| the Anglican Parish of Castlegar:
| Kinn:

‘ Sage :Prior.:to.
his ‘family,‘the: parish purchased:

HeeAT ‘was formed and

‘After Sn eck Res:

ker’s ministry. was confined ‘to
t se: three churches until his

see th "earhitlor building of : St.
Alban’s’ proceeding’ at a ‘snail's
pace:.along’ Maple: St. and Col-
umibia’ “Ave. ‘to.its new’ and loft-

division ;where'-a ‘cement base- _

ment hall had‘ been built and a

:\furnace-and plumbing installed.

* At-the same time the form-
er. ‘home ' ‘of Mr. and Mrs. John
iko, which . _ adjoined the

hig church. property, was purchased

for. the new. rectory. This: ambi-
e | tious program was made possible

through: the sale of the property .

on Maple St., , the former rectory
n 7th Ave., the basement. of
. John’s:.Chureh / in. Kinnaird
and a‘loan from the Diocese.
“After its relocation the name

of the church was changed from.

St. Albans ‘to. St." David's. . The

"Rev. Cecil Day. was: in charge

of the’ parish until January 1964
when he left for overseas mission

:|work. in Antigua. : He: was’ suc-

¢ y. The: Rev. T. D. Wild-
. the “present: rector ot St.

i nuary. 1964 ‘accompan-
ied byx his *'wife: Marjorie~ and

‘and’ in =Mar é
Centennial‘year;: twin, daughters:
In ‘the five years since ‘the:

church’s “relocation ‘: many’ im,
to.|provements have ™ taken’. place.
Lawns; ‘trees, shrubs and flower
beds ‘have .been planted, ‘cement

. | work done, a cross erected, ‘and

., a: rectory. on7th' Ave. in Castle-:

S| deacon: Resker had lived.

gar after. selling the former rec-
tory. on 3rd ‘Ave. .in which Arch-

‘Mr. Ragg. was succeeded by;

|the Rev. Cecil Day ‘in .1961: and’ | fin

‘during his ‘ministry -the © ofte
discussed idea of’ moving ‘St:
‘Alban’s Church from its ‘site on
Maple St. -to a location: mid-way
between Castlegar. and ‘Kinnaird
became a reality in spite | of ¢
siderable opposition.: :
The actual moving of the
church took place in’ 1962. It
was a strange and’ novel sight to

‘in the ‘undercroft, a ‘tile’ ‘floor

has® “been - laid: and: cupboards
built:

In: May of this year.a parish
dinner was held in: observance

; | of: the 29th ee of the ~

“Alban’s and the

pioneered:
the. church ‘ani }
through: difficult years.

their devoted ‘service: and: God’s_
grace the foregoing’ could never

have z been chronicled.

e a SATISFACTION of -

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