Port Cunnington (Ont.)

The Lake of Bays Anglican Parish is a family of four country churches around the shore of the Lake of Bays in Muskoka. The Lake of Bays Mission officially formed in 1955. 

Two of the parish's four active churches are open year-round St. Ambrose in Baysville and St. Mary Magdalene in Dorset. St. James in Port Cunnington and St. John's in Fox Point are open in the summer (July and August).

Incumbents have included: Rev. Canon A.W. Hazlehurst (1895-1927), Rev. R.C. Warder (1927-1934), Rev. W. Ruthford Tindle (1934-1938), Rev. Canon Banks (1938-1940), S.S.J.E. Cowley Fathers (1940-1955), Rev. Roy H. Nixon (1955-1959), Rev. Tom James (1959-1963), Rev. Francom (1963-1967), Rev. Robert Lumley (1967-1973), Rev. Jonathan Patrick Earle (1973-1975), Rev. Murray Bradford (1975-1983), Rev. Ray Porth (1983-1989), Rev. Michael Cottrell (1989-1993), Rev. Thomas Cunningham (1994-?).

Sources:

• “Priests Who Have Served Lake of Bays Anglican Parish Including Baysville, Dorset, Port Cunnington (Fox Point)”, [1997], Diocesan Centre history files collection, Algoma University Archives, 2014-037_001_001.
• Gary Denniss, "A Brief History of the Churches in Muskoka", 1996, Synod of the Diocese of Algoma fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-156_002_009.

St. James' Anglican Church (Port Cunnington, Ont.) is part of the multi-point Lake of Bays Anglican Parish. 

In the early years of settlement, the communities in this area relied on travelling to other communities by boat in the summer and horse and sleigh during the winter. Many residents travelled to St. John's at Fox Point for church service, which had been built in 1901. Around 1930, the community of Port Cunnington started toward making a church of their own. Land had been given in 1912 by Mr. B.H. Cunnington for this purpose, and with voluntary labour, construction began on October 20, 1934. St. James' was the second last church to be built in the Muskoka region (at the time of this record: 1996). The church's hydro and interior furnishings were either donated or paid for through donations. The bell was given by the Young family, who had been long-time cottagers in the area. St. James' was finished and the first service held on July 12, 1936. The service was held by Bishop Rocksborough, who also performed the dedication of the church and its furnishings. The church was consecrated a year later in August, 1937. 

St. James' was administered to by the S.S.J.E. until May 31, 1955. At this point, St. James' joined with the missions of Dorset, Baysville, and Fox Point to form the Lake of Bays Mission. The mission was overseen by Rev. Roy H. Nixon. 

The memory of congregation members are held around the church. The stone gateway is in memory of Prudence, Boyce Henry, and Edith Cunnington; a window in memory of Nellie Cunnington (wife of Charles) was dedicated in 1976; Boyce Cunnington made and donated candle holders, vases, collection boxes, a cross, and baptismal font; Colonel Ferguson of Brantford made and donated two chancel chairs; the Boothby family donated windows, installed above the altar, in memory of Dalton Boothby; Edith Cunnington donated a credence table; an electric organ was installed in memory of Boyce Cunnington Sr.; the Hungerford family donated electric lights in memory of parents Tom and Elizabeth Hungerford; Arthur Boothby donated aluminum siding in memory of his wife Nellie. 

Sources:

• "Parish Register", 1937-1975, St. James' Church (Port Cunnington, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-169/001(002).
• "The Bishop in Muskoka", The Algoma Missionary News 33, no. 3 (1937): 6. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_003_1937AugSeptOctNovDec.
• "Bishop dedicates a memorial window", The Algoma Anglican 20, no. 8 (1976): 1. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_010_1976Sept.
• Gary Denniss, "A Brief History of the Churches in Muskoka", 1996, Synod of the Diocese of Algoma fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-156_002_009.