St. Aidan's Anglican Church (Monetville, Ont.) is part of the single-point St. Aidan's Anglican Parish (Monetville, Ont.).
The Anglican services in this area started around 1916 with Mr. Weeks, who held Sunday services in his hometown while on vacation from teaching at the school in Sheshegwaning. These services were held in the local schoolhouse and private homes. In 1916, Mr. Weeks wrote a plea to the Archbishop for someone to bet sent to Monetville occasionally. Services continued in the same way until June 24, 1931 when Canon C. C. Simpson visited and added the church to the missionary parish of Coniston. This ended in 1940 with the incumbency of Rev. L. C. Howell at Coniston.
A site for the church and cemetery was found in October 1935, and in the spring of 1938 construction began. The church held its first wedding service on August 27, 1938, and first regular service on July 28, 1939. The church was consecrated on November 23, 1942.
The A.Y.P.A. (Anglican Youth People's Association) from St. John's (Copper Cliff, Ont.) organized a flight in a small two seated airplane from Sudbury to Monetville. The venture was hoped to spread awareness of the A.Y.P.A. while also visiting an isolated church community. The flight happened on January 9, 1948. H.D. Wilson was pilot with Rev. J. F. Hinchliffe as passenger.
Sources:
- "Parish History" in Parish Register 1932-1972, St. Aidan's Church (Monetville, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-144/001(003).
- "The Flying Parson", The Algoma Missionary News 74, no. 2 (1948): 12. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_005_1948MarApr.
