Burk's Falls (Ont.)

All Saints' Anglican Church (Burk's Falls, Ont.) is a church in the Almaguin Anglican Parish, which covers approximately the eastern portion of the Parry Sound District of Ontario.

The congregation in Burk's Falls was established on September 29, 1882 by Rev. William Crompton. The site of the church was specially chosen by Bishop Fauquier during the only visit he paid to the area. The first church building was fashioned of rough wood and was built without debt, but was destroyed by a fire in 1884.

During Rev. W.B. Magana's term from 1884 to 1887 a second church was erected on the original site. Unfortunately, this church was also destroyed by a fire on June 20, 1908.

Not far from the original, a new site was chosen for the third building of the All Saints’ Church and was opened on All Saints' Day, November 1, 1909. With the help of a $500 donation from the Henry Knight family a parish hall was constructed adjacent to the church in 1929.

All Saints' celebrated its 70th anniversary in 1979, which included the installation of a circular stained-glass window in the west wall. The window depicts the Phoenix in red, white, and blue colouring. 

Incumbents have included: Rev William Crompton (1882-1884), B. Harris (1883), Rev. W.B. Magana (1884-1886), W. Jenkins (1886), Rev. Francis Jephcott (1887-1888), Charles Piercy (1888), Rev. Eustace A. Vesey (1888-1890), Dean Alfred W.A. Chown (1890), Rev. Percy G. Robinson (1890-1892), Rev. Charles Piercy (1892-1898), Rev. Caleb Buckland (1898-1901), Rev. Archibald C. Mackintosh (1901-1902), Rev. Charles John Machin (1904-1905), Canon Arthur Henry Allman (1905-1918), Rev. Sidney Yeomans (1919-1923), Rev. George Hilliard Phillips (1923-1938), Rev. Ernest Dymond (1938-1941), Rev. J. Selwyn Rhodes (1942-1947), Rev. F.E. Jewell (1947-1956), Rev. E. Raymond Nornabell (1956-1960), Rev. Ross Crighton (1960-1962), Rev. Robert Cuyler (1962-1968), Rev. Lloyd Hoover (1968-1974), Rev. Gregory Lynn (1974-1976), Rev. Duncan Lyon (1976-1981), Rev. Elliott Alton Sheppard (1981-1991), Rev. Alan Eric Knight (1992-?).

Sources:

• "All Saints' Anglican Church Celebrating 70th Anniversary", The Algoma Anglican 23, no. 10 (1979): 1. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_012_010.
• T.B. Higginson, “Historical Notes”, [1992-2007], Alan Knight fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-220_001_018.
• “All Saint’s Clergy”, [1992-2007], Alan Knight fonds, Algoma University Archives, part of 2009-220/001(026).
• "All Saints Anglican Church", [After 1979], Alan Knight fonds, Algoma University Archies, part of 2009-220/001/026).
• “Clergy”, [1992-2007], Alan Knight fonds, Algoma University Archives, part of 2009-220/001(027).

Almaguin Anglican Parish is a multi-point parish in the Anglican Diocese of Algoma within the Deanery of Muskoka. Active churches in this parish include Grace Anglican Church (South River, Ont.), St. George the Martyr Anglican Church (Magnetawan, Ont.), and St. John's Anglican Church (Eagle Lake, Ont.) (seasonal). Inactive churches within the parish include St. Andrew's Anglican Church (Dunchurch, Ont.), St. George's Anglican Church (Amyot-Heron Bay, Ont.), St. John's Anglican Church (Dufferin Bridge, Ont.), St. Paul's Anglican Church (Seguin Falls, Ont.), St. Paul's Anglican Church (Sundridge, Ont.), St. Peter's Anglican Church (Midlothian, Ont.) and All Saints’ Anglican Church (Burk's Falls, Ont.).

The earliest recorded church erected was St. George the Martyr Anglican Church (Magnetewan Ont.), pioneered by Rev. William Crompton. The church was founded in 1880 and was later considered the centre of the area’s mission. The church later united with Burk’s Falls. Rev. Crompton was responsible for starting two other churches in the Almaguin Anglican Parish: All Saints’ Anglican Church (Burk’s Falls, Ont.) and St. Andrew’s Anglican Church (Dunchurch, Ont.). The former was established in 1882 and has unfortunately been destroyed by fires twice: once in 1884 and again in 1908. The church was built for the third time on November 1, 1909. As for St. Andrew’s, it was not built until the end of 1896 even though services were being held as early as 1890. The church went through a period of disuse until a peak of attendance in 1957. This did not last long and the church was closed in 1961.

Rev. George Gander was responsible for opening most of the other churches in the parish; he remained in the area until approximately 1900. One of these churches was St. Paul’s Anglican Church (Sundridge, Ont.), opened on December 30, 1888. The church was destroyed by fire on March 5, 1960 and rebuilt May 26 later that year. St. Paul’s in Sundridge is closely associated with Grace Anglican Church (South River, Ont.), another Rev. Gander church. The South River church held its first service on July 3, 1892, and was later rebuilt in 1903. The last church on record opened with Rev. Gander’s help was St. John’s Anglican Church (Eagle Lake, Ont.). This church was built in 1888 largely with thanks to the Quirt, Smythe, Ardiel, and Ralstone families. The first service was held on July 22, 1888. This church is currently operating during the summer only.

Finally, not much is on record for St. Peter’s Anglican Church (Midlothian, Ont.), aside from its short life; it was consecrated in September 1902 and closed in 1957.