St. Mark's Anglican Church
An Overview of our History
The parish of St. Mark's had its beginning in 1866 when the leadership of St. George's Church decided that the people of the area north of North St. needed a separate building in which to worship. People came from a large geographical area and they represented many walks of life. They worked together to build a lovely white, frame church on Russell St. at the gate of the military base. By the 50th anniversary in 1916, the church building had been enlarged 3 times to accommodate the growing population and the members of the Army and Navy who regularly attended services.
In 1917, the collision of the Belgian relief ship, Imo, and the French munitions ship, Mont Blanc, caused an explosion that left the north end of the city in ruins, destroyed the church building, and killed or injured 70% of the people of the church. With scarred bodies and sad hearts the few people who remained planned to create a new place of worship. While the building progressed the people worshipped in the Old School for the Deaf on Gottingen St. and in the former Arts building from the Exhibition grounds. It was moved to the site of the first church and later rolled up Russell St. to become the first hall of the new church. The first service in the "new" church (5522 Russell St.) was held on Feb.5, 1921 with Archbishop C. L. Worrell officiating. As the people and the population of the congregation have changed so have the church buildings.
The current church building is a beautiful gothic design which seats 500 people in the body of the church. Downstairs rooms have been restored and upgraded to serve the children's Sunday School program, various church groups, and the CAP site.
The current church hall (5540 Russell St.), called St. Mark's Community Centre, is home to Ward 5 Neighbourhood Centre, North End Day Care, St. Mark's Food Bank, and is used for St. Mark's fundraising suppers and other activities. A number of community groups hold their meetings in the Community Centre, and it is available for groups and individuals to rent on weekends and evenings.
The third church building is the "Rectory" (5515 Russell St.), the home of the parish priest. The house was built for the Rev. Mr. Furlong and his family in the 1930s. It was upgraded and renovated in 1997. It is a beautiful home on lovely grounds.