Gore Bay (Ont.)

All Saints Anglican Church (Gore Bay, Ont.) is a church within the multi-point Western Manitoulin Anglican Parish.

The town of Gore Bay had its beginning in 1870, and in 1880 was established as a mission. Before a priest was stationed in the Western Manitoulin Anglican Parish, Rev. Frederick Frost would service a few outstation settlements while living in Sheguiandah from 1877 to 1895, when he was made Rural Dean. The first stationed priest was Rev. William Macauley Tooke, arriving in November 1880. The services and Sunday School were held at the Ocean House Hotel, owned by Henry Branscombe Hunt and his wife Margaret Ann Jones (sometimes referred to as Jessie). Mr. and Mrs. Hunt deeded the present lot of All Saints’ to the Bishop of Algoma. On December 25, 1880 Mrs. Hunt a concert was held by the children to raise money for the church’s construction. The church was begun in 1882, and finished July 29, 1883. A basement was built in 1923.  

The Women’s Auxiliary was formed in July 1904 under Mrs. Annie M. Francis, Mrs. Neil McIntosh, and Mrs. Johnston, with Mrs. Peters as Treasurer and Miss Spencer as Secretary.

During Rev. Johnston Peever’s time at All Saints’, the Bishop suggested the parish become self-supporting in order to have a resident priest. The parishioners agreed, and in 1965 All Saints’ became independent. 

Incumbents and rectors who have served All Saints’ include: Rev. Canon Frederick Frost (1877-1895), Rev. William Macauley Tooke (1880-1887), Rev. James McLeod (1889-1896), Rev. William Henry Hunter (1896-1897), Rev. Lawrence Sinclair (1898-1900), Rev. William John Eccleston (1899-1904), Rev. George Prewar (1901-1902), Rev. Ernest Percival Selby Spencer (1903-1907), Rev. William Arthur John Burt (1908-1911), Rev. Harold Flitcroft Hutton (1911-1915), Rev. Archdeacon Gillmore (1915), Rev. Arthur John Oakley (1915-1916), Rev. Sidney Francis Yeomans (1916-1919), Rev. William Thomas Swainson (1919-1929), Rev. Frederick Elmer Jewell (1930-1932), Rev. Joseph Syvier Ralph Sturgeon (1932-1934), Rev. Marshall William Talbot (1934-1936), Rev. Alfred Joseph Bull (1936-1941), Rev. Alfred Percy Banks (1941), Rev. Arthur James Bruce (1941-1945),  Rev. Archdeacon Gilbert Thompson (1945-1950), Rev. Samuel Eric Richard (1950-1953), Rev. Lorne Reginald Arthur Sutherland (1953-1965), Rev. Canon Cyril Goodier (1960), Rev. Johnston Bain Peever (1965), Rev. Roy Locke (1965), Rev. Michael Holmes Dunnill (1966-1969), Rev. Donald Henry Dixon (1969), Rev. Murray Bradford (1969-1973), Rev. Captain David Page (1973-1975), Rev. John McCausland (SSJE) (1975-1982), Rev. Leonard Allan Shaw (1983-1987), Rev. Thomas William Cunningham (1987-1994), Rev. Linda Mary White (1994-?).

Sources:

• Willis John McQuarrie, “All Saints’ Anglican Church: Parish – 1880 to 2000”, 2000, All Saints’ Anglican Church (Gore Bay, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-170_001_001.

Western Manitoulin Anglican Parish is a multi-point parish and includes the Anglican churches on much of the Manitoulin Island: All Saints' Anglican Church (Gore Bay, Ont.), St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Church (Mindemoya, Ont.), St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church (Kagawong, Ont.), St. John's Anglican Church (Sheshegwaning Reserve, Ont.), St. John's Anglican Church (South Baymouth, Ont.), St Paul's Anglican Church (Manitouwaning, Ont.), and St. Peter's Anglican Church (Silverwater, Ont.).

Missionaries of the Church of England have been recorded on the island since 1800. The efforts seem to have been more substantial in the 1830s with Rev. J.D. Cameron, Rev. William McMurray, and Rev. Adam Elliot expanding into the Manitoulin islands from their missionaries around the area. In 1838 the Bishop sent Rev. C.C. Brough to Manitowaning to begin a true presence of the Church of England.

By 1966, the Parish of All Saints' (Gore Bay, Ont.) became self-supporting and, at this time, included St. Peter's (Silverwater, Ont) and St. John's (Sheshegwaning Reserve, Ont.). The parish was ministered by Rev. Michael Dunnill. 

The Sheshegwaning church has closed.

Sources:

• "Gore Bay Moves Forward", The Algoma Anglican 10, no. 8 (1966): 4. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_003_018.
• Willis John McQuarrie, “All Saints’ Anglican Church: Parish – 1880 to 2000”, 2000, All Saints’ Anglican Church (Gore Bay, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-170_001_001.