St. Peter's Anglican Church (Callander, Ont.) is part of the Anglican Parish of Callander, Powassan, Restoule, and Chisholm located in the Nipissing District of Ontario. The church was originally an outstation for North Bay. It then became a separate mission by 1908, and later became part of the Powassan mission late in 1954.
The church was established in 1890. As an outstation in the 1890s Callander was receiving little attention as it was very difficult to reach for Sunday Service. Prior to the construction of St. Peter's, Rev. Gowan Gilmore held Anglican services in the hotel owned by Joseph White. St. Peter's construction began on September 6, 1892. The carpentry work was done by Edward Topps, who earlier worked on St. John's Anglican church in Chisolm and the Anglican Church in Powassan. The lumber for the church building was donated by J. R. Booth, J. B. Smith, and J. B. Fraser.
By January of 1908 Callander was separated from North Bay. In 1909 the church had a vestry erected, a stone wall was being constructed, and a handsome font was also donated to the church. Then, in 1910, new pews were provided to the church, and some choir stalls with front panelled railing.
In 1938 it was recomended by the Rural Dean that Callander be added to St. Brice's mission, North Bay - which it was for some time in the 1940's. In 1941 there were only about a dozen families that supported the church regularly. The church was moved and given a cement foundation and basement in 1954. In 1954 the church took out a loan for these and other alterations from the Diocese and by the end of 1961 it was paid off.
This church is currently still operational.
Incumbents and those who have served St. Peter's Church include: Rev. Archdeacon G. Gilmore (1885-1891), Rev. A. J. Young (1892-1897), Rev. A. W. Hazelhurst (1893-1894), Rev. W. A. J. Burt (later archdeacon) (1898-1899), Rev. A. J. Cobb (1899-1905), Rev. A. G. E. Westmacott (1905-1906), Rev. C. E. Bishop (1906-1907?), Rev. R. C. Bartels (1907?-1912), Mr. J. W. Hamilton (1913), Rev. H. Peeling (1914-1916), Rev. W. A. Hankinson (1916-1919), Rev. W. F. Smith (1919-1921), Rev. Crofton (1922-1924?), Leslie W. H. Field (1925), Mr. F. E. Jewell (1926), Rev. T. W. Daniel (1928-1929), Rev. A. P. Scott (1930-1934), Ven. Archdeacon W. A. J. Burt (1934-1938), Rev. E. J. G. Tucker (1938-1941), Rev. L. C. Howell (1941-1943), Rev. S. V. Hatt (1944-1948), Rev. A. Whyham (1949?-1951?), Rev. Canon A. E. Minchin (1951?-1954), Rev. P. G. Docksey (1954-1959), Rev. D. L. Woodward (1959-1982), Rev. R. Duncan (1982-1986), Rev. M. Clark (1986-1994), Rev. G. Churcher (1994-2003), Rev. J. Lockyer (2003-2008), Rev. J. Cavanaugh-Clark (2008-2011), Fr. G. Kwari (2011?-2013), Rev. J. Locke (2013-2018), Rev. J. Morris (2018-present).
Sources:
- "Callander Mission", The Algoma Missionary News 5, no. 8 (1893): 60. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_004_1893Sept.
- "Callander - St. Peter's Church", The Algoma Missionary News 6, no. 6 (1909): 66. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_008_1909June.
- "Callander, St. Peter's Church", The Algoma Missionary News 7, no. 4 (1910): 40. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_008_1910Apr.
- "Deanery of Nipissing", 1938, Journal of Proceedings of the Twelfth Session of the Synod, Algoma University Archives, 2009-078_002_009.
- "Deanery of Nipissing", 1941, Journal of Proceedings of the Thirteenth Session of the Synod, Algoma University Archives, 2009-078_002_011.
- "St. Peter's, Callander", The Algoma Anglican 5, no. 11 (1961): 1. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_002_1961December.
- “St. Mary’s Anglican Church Parish History: 1880-1980”, 1980, Diocesan Heritage Centre History files collection, Algoma University Archives, 2013-078_007_017.
- "St. Peter's Anglican Church, Callander, Ontario: 90th Anniversary", 1980, Diocesan Heritage Centre History files collection, Algoma University Archives, 2014-066/001(013).
- St. Peter's Anglican Church, Anglican Parish of Powassan, http://www.trilliumanglicanparish.com/about_us.htm [accessed 2020 April, 27].
