Low Down Articles
Echoes from the Past
Article 75 of 111
This article first appeared in the "Echoes from the Past" column of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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St. Andrews of Cantley Revisted - Part 2
In 1925, St. Andrew's of Cantley entered the United Church of Canada without a vote being taken.
For a while things went ahead quite smoothly, then came the great depression when people without jobs often went to their beds hungry and clothing became threadbare and it was difficult to keep warm in winter. Naturally, gifts and collections suffered at St. Andrew's. This is how things were in the "dirty thirties".
Late in 1939 World War II came along to test us, but we had learned in the depression to help each other and to survive ourselves, traits which would be very much needed for the conflict which lay ahead.
Eirene McClelland continues: 1940-1945 saw a great many young men -- and some women too -- in uniform. The ladies of St. Andrew's worked with their neighbours of St. Elizabeth Roman Catholic Church in the Red Cross.
Following the war saw changes. In 1946 Chelsea, Cantley and Poltimore were brought together as the Chelsea Pastoral Charge. Because Chelsea was the largest and because of its location, it was decided to buy a house there to serve as a manse.
During those years Poltimore held a service in the morning, Cantley in the afternoon, and Chelsea in the evening. No wonder that most of the ministers were young men serving their first pastorate with the added inconvenience of not being left in charge long enough.
Back at St. Andrew's Henry Easy supervised the covering of the walls and ceiling of the V-joint which until this year of 1950, had been plastered.
In 1955, and across the Gatineau River, the manse was sold and the purchase of a newer and larger manse was completed.
And thus Eirene McClelland's historic sketch is brought to a conclusion.