Espanola (Ont.)

St. George the Martyr Anglican Church (Espanola, Ont.) is part of the Rainbow Country Anglican Parish (Espanola, Ont.). 

The Anglican presence had been building in the Espanola area since the 1890's, but the first steps to constructing a church in Espanola were not until 1913 when the Spanish River Pulp and Paper Company gave a 99-year lease to the Bishop. Construction began 11 years later with the sod turning ceremony on May 26, 1924. The first sod was turned by Mr. W.J. Hussey, General Superintendent of the Espanola plant of the Spanish River Pulp and Paper Company.

On June 22, 1924 Archdeacon Gowan Gilmor laid the corner stone; beneath the corner stone Mr. LeBaron Dibblee, a churchwarden, placed documents including a history of the parish, a list of parochial officers, and a long list of donations given or promised to the church. The opening service was held on October 12, 1924, with a reception following. Work continued on the church and a year later, St. George's installed a bell on the church top. In another year, a fence was constructed around the church and rectory. The mortgage was paid in October of the same year, 1926.

In the early 1940's, the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company donated nearly $6,000, paying the St. George's mortgage. The church was consecrated on July 6, 1945 with Rev. F. E. Jewell, Canon Haines, and Rev. C. Noble in attendance. 

The congregation celebrated its 25th anniversary on October 9, 1949. The following gifts were presented: font, missal stand, a silver baptismal ewer and shell, and a picture for the Baptistry. In 1954 the rectory was improved by a new furnace, bathroom, and redecorated kitchen. 

The congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 1974 and it's 90th anniversary in 2014.

Pastors have included: Rev. H.F. Cocks (1924-1926), Rev. S. Turner (1926-1927), Rev. H.F. Hutton (1928-1929), Rev. A.J. Burt (1929-1934), A.P. Scott (1935), Rev. A.J. Bull (1936-1939), Rev. A.P. Scott (1939), Rev. D.H. Dixon (1939-1940, student), Rev. E. Wrightson (1940-1943), Rev. F. E. Jewell (1943-1947), Rev. J.H. Watson (1947-1950), Rev. W.L. Gilbert (1950-1953), Rev. C.J. Passey (1953-1958), Rev. C.S. Banting (1958-1959), Rev. E.R. Nornabell (1960-1971), Rev. R.A. Sutherland (1971-1983), Rev. S.W. Putman (1983-1995), Rev. Stanley (February 1995 - June 1995), Rev. K. Health (1995-1999), Rev. Lynn Fisher (1999-2003), Rev. John Harvey (2003-2005), Rev. Steve Pessah (2005-2006), Rev. Paul Walmsley (2007-2012), Rev. Henk Willems (2011-)

Sources:

• "Bishop Consecrates Espanola Church" in Parish Register, 1896-1983, St. George's Church (Espanola, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-152/001(001). 
• "Diocesan Notes", The Algoma Missionary News 10, no 12. (1913): 7. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_008_1913Dec.
• "St George's, Espanola", The Algoma Missionary News 20, no.6 (1924): 6. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_013_1924Jul.
• "The Opening of St. George's, Espanola", The Algoma Missionary News 20, no. 9 (1924): 5-6. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_013_1924NovDec. 
• "Synod Highlights", The Algoma Missionary News 73, no. 3 (1947): 16. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_005_1947MayJun.
• "St. George's, Espanola", The Algoma Missionary News 75, no. 5 (1949): 8. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_005_1949SeptOctNov.
• "Celebration of its 50th anniversary", The Algoma Anglican 18, no. 11 (1974): 2. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_010_001.
• "Bell installed on church top 50 years ago", The Algoma Anglican 19, no. 5 (1975): 7. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_010_017.
• "Remembering St. George Through 90 Yeats", Diocesan Heritage Centre history files collection, Algoma University Archives, 2016-030/001 (001).

The Rainbow County Anglican Parish (Espanola, Ont) consists of All Saints' Anglican Church (Nairn Centre, Ont.), Gowan Gilmor Memorial Anglican Church (Sagamok First Nation, Ont.), St. Augustine of Canterbury's Anglican Church (Whitefish Falls, Ont.), and St. George the Martyr Anglican Church (Espanola, Ont.). This parish began as the Webbwood Mission, the boundaries of which extended from Whitefish, Ontario to Walford, Ontario. 

The Webbwood Mission began when it separated from Cooke's Mills in 1896 (a small settlement in what is now Welland, Ontario). The first clergyman of this new mission was Rev. S.H. Morgan, a student; his first service was conducted January 3, 1896. The mission used a schoolhouse for its services until December 1896, when they began using a local Methodist church. They built a church of their own between November and December of that same year, and their first service in the new building was held on December 25, 1896. A church of the same style and size was also built in Nairn Centre around this time.

The Webbwood building was dedicated by the Bishop of Algoma on April 2, 1897. A parsonage was built almost ten years later in 1906. 

In 1913, the Worthington and Victoria Mines churches were added to this mission, although they would not remain. 

In 1924, the parish was established with St. George the Martyr Anglican Church (Espanola, Ont.) at its centre and Webbwood, Nairn Centre, and Worthington as outstations. St. George's construction was completed in October 1924. 

St. Augustine of Canterbury (Whitefish Falls, Ont.) joined the Espanola Parish during Rev. Nornabille's incumbency (between 1960 and 1971). Gowan Gilmor Memorial Church (Sagamok First Nation, Ont.) joined the Espanola Parish in 1978 after the death of Rev. Douglas Sissenah. 

Incumbents have included: Rev. S. H. Morgan (1896-1897), Mr. Thomas Scarlett (student) (1897-1898), Rev. B. Storer (1898-1899), Rev. Edward Lawlor (1899-1903), Mr. W.H.G. Battershill (student) (1903-1904), Mr. W.S. Weary (student) (1904), Rev. M.O. Smith (1904--1908), Rev. Arthur J. Oakley (1908-1910), Rev. Archdeacon Gilmor (1912), Mr. A. Arthurs (Lay Reader) (1912), Rev. G. H. Phillips (1913-?), Rev. H. F. Cocks (1924-1926). Rev. S. Turner (1926-1927),  Rev. Donald H. Dixon (1939), Rev. Edwin Wrightson (1940-1943), Rev. F. E. Jewell (1943-1947), Rev. J. Watson (1947-1950), Rev. S. Gilbert (1950-1953), Rev. C. J. Passey (1953-1958), Rev. W. A. C. Banting (1958-1959), Rev. Nornabell (1960-1971), Rev. Lorne R. A. Sutherland (1971-?).

Sources:

• "Parochial History" in Parish Register, 1896-1983, St. George's Church (Espanola, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-152/002(001).
• "Short History of Webbwood", in Service Register, 1896-1903, Webbwood Mission fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-145/001(001).
• "From the Parish Register of St. John's Parish, Webbwood", (1907), Diocesan Heritage Centre History files collection, Algoma University Archives, 2013-078/010(002).
• "A New Parish", The Algoma Missionary News 20, no. 2 (1924): 14. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_013_1924Feb.