Norway Point (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. Mary's Anglican Church (Norway Point, Ont.) is part of the  multi-point Lake of Bays Anglican Parish (Dorset, Ont.). 

The church is part of a cottage along the shoreline at Norway Point. Previously, St. Mary's was served by Baysville, then by the S.S.J.E. (Society of St. John the Evangelist). 

Before St. Mary's was constructed, Anglican services were held in a large tent and conducted by Rev. C. Warder and moved to an empty house during the winter months. In the summer of 1929, local residents and summer visitors helped begin constructing the church building. This same summer, the congregation received a donation from the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England. Although not yet completed, the church was dedicated in August 1929 and was used for services. The land for the church was donated by Dr. Tyrell of Toronto. 

Sources:

• "Baysville", The Algoma Missionary News 25, no. 2 (1929): 13. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_002_1929MarApr.
• "Church of St. Mary, Norway Point", The Algoma Missionary News 25, no. 6 (1929): 18. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_002_1929OctNovDec.
• 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.