For a quarter of a century, between 1871 and 1895, Bishop John Travers Lewis had labored mightily to carve a new diocese—Ottawa—out of the northern and eastern sections of the Diocese of Ontario. As difficult as that had proven, the agonies of the new creation had been eased with the election of Charles Hamilton, Bishop of Niagara, to become the first Bishop of Ottawa in 1896. To put it baldly, Hamilton had inherited wealth from the family sawmills at Hawkesbury, and as a result, the Diocese was spared the expense of building a residence (grandly termed a bishop’s palace) for the first bishop who soon came to be known as Archbishop Hamilton. In a diocese with an ongoing clergy shortage, yet building new churches all the while, it was a boon for diocesan finances not to have to worry about where the bishop and his family would lay their heads at night.

That all changed 20 years on, when Hamilton retired. His successor, John Charles Roper, Bishop of British Columbia, was elected in 1915. The new Bishop of Ottawa was a formidable theologian, having taught at General Theological Seminary in New York. Although his grandfather in Frant, England was executor of Colonel John By’s will (builder of the Rideau Canal), Bishop Roper, although rich in theology, was somewhat thin of purse. The diocese needed to provide him with a home. They did so handsomely, coming up with this imposing residence on the southwest corner of Bay and Queen Streets in uptown Ottawa.

We may wonder if some of the details were added by the bishop’s son, architect John Bethune Roper. This address quickly came to be known as Bishopscourt. It was down the block from the cathedral and Lauder Hall where the annual synod was held. In a word, it was handy.  Its purchase may even have been responsible for the rise of the term, “the Ecclesiastical Block” long before most property in the vicinity of the cathedral was acquired by the Diocese.

Alas, this is the only known photograph of Bishopscourt to exist. It was taken in the 1970s, before disease decimated the ranks of the stately elm trees lining the streets of downtown Ottawa. One of those elms blocks our view of the front entrance of Bishopscourt here, but that is no matter. We can comprehend a timorous clergyman waiting on the front step for his interview with the Bishop, looking up at the arch of the stained glass transom framed by the Corinthian columns of the portico, and knowing he was at a good address.

If Bishop Roper had his challenges, he was more than equal to them. When his wife became an invalid her room was on the ground floor in the turret beside the front door. Roper had no secretary. He ran the diocese from the room with the oriel window fronting on Queen Street (far right).  He created the first clergy register and wrote all correspondence.  His home here was the first archives thirty years before one was formally established; overflow files were stored in his basement. His office overlooked the cathedral where he insisted that the chancel be enlarged to a size able to accommodate a men and boys choir in 1932.

Some time after it ceased to be Bishopscourt, the ‘bishop’s palace’ burned down in February 1977.

At that time Dorothy Cowan, daughter of Bishop Robert Jefferson, remembered the house as an airy, light-filled castle. “Gracious is the best word for it,” she said. “Everything about the house was big and beautiful.”

Mrs. Cowan said the interior was covered in intricately-carved oak and mahogany panelling. “The first thing that hit you when you walked in the door was the staircase,” she recalled.  “It didn’t exactly spiral, it was more like a curve, a gentle curve. And the whole thing was solid wood, ornately crafted. Then you realized the size of the entrance you were standing in. It was huge.”

The provision for servants also impressed Mrs. Cowan. “It made you feel like you were in some sort of mansion,” she said. “There was a system of bell cords in each room to call the maids from the quarters for them in the rear of the house.”

From outside, the house’s most noticeable feature was its supply of windows.  From the corner of Bay and Queen, passersby would count at least eight. “I can still remember how huge the bay windows in the living room and bedrooms were,” said Mrs. Cowan. “They just added to the grandness of the place.”

The last occupant of Bishopscourt was Bishop Ernest S. Reed. His widow recounted in 1977 that the one thing that stuck in her mind about the house was the amount of decorative glass. “Many of the doors in the house had lovely beveled glass over them,” she said. “I especially remember one of the bigger stained glass windows near the entrance. It had a Latin inscription that read Dum Spiro, Spero or ‘while there is life, there is hope’. I thought that was particularly appropriate. The house was a grand place to entertain,” she said. “I never had any trouble packing in 300 people at a time. And fireplaces! You never saw so many in one house. I think, all told, there were four of them.”

The third floor of the building, said Mrs Reed, was perfect for children. “When we moved in, we found this huge recreation room with a big old billiard table in it,” she said.  “We had to get rid of the table because it was warped, but the third floor was always ideal for a rainy day.

After Bishop Reed died in 1973, the old residence was sold and turned into a restaurant.  Mrs. Reed returned for a meal. “It made a lovely restaurant,” she said. “I’m only sorry they had to remove a lot of the glasswork.”

As testimony to the size of the house, Mrs. Cowan’s oldest son told of his impressions years later when he returned for a luncheon date to the building that he visited so many times as a child.  “Usually, the things you remember as really big when you were a kid seem to shrink as you grow older,” he said.  “But when I got inside, I found my memory served me correctly. It was just as big as it ever was.”

The Diocesan Archives collects parish registers, vestry reports, service registers, minutes of groups and committees, financial documents, property records (including cemeteries and architectural plans), insurance policies, letters, pew bulletins, photographs and paintings, scrapbooks, parish newsletters, and unusual documents.G

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The words “Anglican” and “Anglicanism” derive from the Latin ecclesia anglicana, meaning simply “the English church.” The form of Christianity which took root in that place has since become a global reality with more than 40 member churches whose adherents speak diverse languages. At least four million of them speak French. The context of the diocese of Ottawa, in this region and this country, calls us to hear God speaking through and to our francophone neighbours, and thus we are introducing this new French feature in Perspective.

Jésus enseigne : « Cherchez d’abord le royaume de Dieu et la justice de Dieu» (Matthieu 6:6).  C’est-à-dire vivre dans ce monde en sachant qu’il est l’œuvre de Dieu, avec un destin de gloire. Mais le chant de la création n’est pas harmonieux : il y a des voix défectueuses, muettes ou discordantes. Plus nous le reconnaissons, plus nous voulons aider à racheter la création et à restaurer la perfection du chant. Et nous ne pouvons racheter et restaurer que dans la mesure où, ayant été rachetés et aimés nous-mêmes, nous avons appris à aimer.

Dieu veut que nous soyons heureux, que nous ayons la vie en abondance. Mais Jésus enseigne que pour être heureux, il faut être pauvre en esprit, doux et avoir le cœur pur (Matthieu 5).  Le bonheur n’est pas quelque chose que l’on recherche, et encore moins quelque chose que l’on peut fabriquer. C’est quelque chose que nous ne pouvons que recevoir et devenir. Une telle façon de vivre ne consiste pas tant à avoir quelque chose de nouveau qu’à être quelque chose de nouveau. En tant que

« nouvelle création en Christ », nous apprenons à considérer les choses non seulement comme des choses que nous avons, mais aussi comme des choses que nous sommes si nous voulons vivre en les aimant. Nous apprenons à considérer les autres personnes comme ne faisant qu’un avec nous – destinées à un poids de gloire qu’il est de notre devoir et de notre joie d’aimer et de servir.

Lorsque nous verrons le monde comme Jésus le voit, nos cœurs seront en paix parce qu’ils seront remplis de l’amour universel auquel ils aspirent. Dès ici et maintenant, nous commençons à être heureux du bonheur de ceux et celles qui ont le royaume des cieux, jusqu’à ce que nous arrivions à la joie finale du jour éternel.

English translation

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Trying to change those numbers is the motivation behind an ambitious fundraising effort at All Saints’ Westboro. On Saturday, Nov. 16, the church will host a music concert and reception with the aim of raising $15,000 for the Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI) Dream LeBreton Project.

“We can all play an important role in helping ensure that everyone in Ottawa has a safe, affordable place to live,” says concert co-organizer Marcie Taylor. “We’re calling our event ‘Housing with Heart’ because we want to offer love and support to those in our community who are experiencing homelessness.”

The event, which will run from 4 pm to 6:30 pm, will feature performances from local musicians ranging from jazz to classical to contemporary music. Following the concert, attendees are invited to a special reception with curated charcuterie and conversation.

“In addition to wonderful music, delicious food and fellowship, the evening will also provide an opportunity to learn more about the work MHI is doing to create more permanent housing in our city,” says co-organizer Barb Gillie.

MHI is helping build a new affordable housing development beside the city’s new main public library at LeBreton Flats.

While MHI will ultimately operate 133 units in the new development, its capital campaign is focused on 30 units designated specifically for Indigenous households. The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa made a major donation of $75,000 for this part of the project earlier this year. Of the people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa, an estimated 32 percent are Indigenous, even though they only represent four per cent of the city’s total population.

To find out more about the Nov. 16 concert or to purchase tickets, go to allsaintswestboro.com, or call 613-725-9487.

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This year, the outreach theme is food insecurity, and beneficiaries will include the Ottawa Food Bank and the Centretown Community Food Centre. St. Matthew’s other fundraising initiatives—its online boutique and the annual scarf and jewellery sale also raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank OFB) and the marmalade sale directs all of its profits to the Centretown Community Food Centre and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund.

“On behalf of the Ottawa Food Bank, our agencies, and neighbours who turn to food programs for support during trying times, thank you for St. Matt’s help and generosity,” wrote Tricia Johnson, OFB’s director of communications and development.  “Your work and caring are deeply appreciated and needed more than ever before.”

The catalogue will include works by acclaimed artists Gordon Appelbe Smith, Bruno Bobak, Ed Bartram, Liliane Clement, Martha Rakine, Clemence Wescoupe and Ottawa photographer Jennifer Dickson. International art includes a fine piece by English watercolourist Reuben Wards-Binks and an intriguing carved wood painting by Emmanuel Emvic, an important Nigerian artist.

The auction features some unusual items this year such as a vintage Power Wheels Barbie Corvette for very young drivers, a Sky-Watcher Newtonian 8” telescope and a steel Zeppelin Pull Toy 1930, modelled after the Graf Zeppelin.

And look for unusual books, fine china, jewellery, Persian rugs and antique silver. Each year, St. Matthew’s bakers and cooks’ offerings of Christmas baked goods and meals are hot ticket items.

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in the Glebe held its first major auction in October 2005 when a relatively minor repair uncovered a need for major work on the church’s exterior. The auctions held since have supported other needed property work and dedicated 15 to 50 percent of net revenues to outreach partners.

Beneficiaries have included the Multifaith Housing Initiative, the Council of the North suicide prevention program, FACES refugee program, the Youth Services Bureau and the Black Canadian Scholarship Fund. Last year’s auction sponsored two rooms in Cornerstone Housing for Women’s new building.

Prior to 2020, auctions were all day in-person events that included food, wine and a tea room. Held every three years, they included live and silent auctions, netting $50,000 to $80,000 each. During the pandemic, St. Matthew’s switched to online auctions in 2020 and now online auctions are held each November. Online auctions typically raise more than $40,000.

St. Matthew’s is grateful for the support provided by Amica, The Glebe, Capital Home Hardware in the Glebe, Davidson’s Jewellers and artist Donna Lynd.

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The Rev. Michael Garner, who is Incumbent at St. Albans as well a part of the multi-faith chaplaincy at the university, was inspired to start the project after learning that food insecurity is a common problem for university students, magnified by recent high levels of inflation. He learned that the campus food bank has very limited resources and often runs out of food. Although a meal once every two weeks isn’t the solution for student food insecurity on campus, it is a part of an effort to raise awareness about the issue, and it provides an opportunity for church groups to express care and concern for students and a social event to help students connect with one another.

Students at the Sept. 25 dinner expressed their appreciation and spoke about the struggle to make ends meet. “Sometimes I wonder if I should just eat the same thing over and over to save money,” one student told Perspective. “I’m lucky that I can ask my parents for help, but I don’t want to be asking them all the time,” she said, noting that spending $150 recently amounted to surprisingly few groceries that would not last through the month.

The project follows in the footsteps of an ecumenical program called Open Table that St. Albans used to participate in with United and Presbyterian churches to host meals on campus before the pandemic. Open Table has provided $12,000 from its remaining funds for this project, half of which is being used to pay a student co-ordinator, and the other half will help pay for food and supplies. The alumni association heard about the project and donated $2,000 for equipment such as bain-maries to keep food hot while it is being served.

St. Albans’ parishioners have prepared and served two meals so far. They are looking for other Anglican parishes, ecumenical and interfaith partners to participate in the program.

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Since his ordination to the priesthood last year, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Squires became an Anglican chaplain and said he has had the honour to preside at services in both churches. “The communities there have been a true blessing to me in my introduction to Anglican ministry,” he said.

“We are very fortunate in the Parish of the Valley and in the Deanery of the Northwest that we are able to regularly call upon military chaplains based in Petawawa and elsewhere to offer Sunday supply and holiday coverage — it’s a huge gift to our local Anglican community,” the Rev. Matthew Brown told Perspective.

Captain Claire Bramma, who is now a unit chaplain for the base in Kingston, Ont., completed a two-year internship with Parish of the Valley in June.

“Having the Rev. Claire Bramma appointed to the Parish of the Valley for two years as assistant curate while she prepared for military chaplaincy helped the historic ties between our parish and our local military community grow even stronger,” said Brown.

Reflecting on some of the highlights from her time in the parish, Bramma said the experience was encouraging for her own faith journey. “I was encouraged by the people of the parish, who really demonstrated their faithfulness and their … courage to grow and learn as churches and as a wider parish,” noting that the concept of an area parish is still relatively new.

Secondly, she said, “I really felt privileged to work alongside the other three full-time members plus the honorary assistant. I found that helped me to see different priestly styles,” she said, adding that the teamwork was good preparation for working with a team of chaplains.

Lastly, she said she was grateful for the chance to practice core pastoral skills. Much of that  “learning happened in people’s homes and at the hospital bedside,” she said. It was good to “to see how much people’s faith translated into community service and loving neighbours.”

Lieutenant-Colonel the Rev. Canon Judson Bridgewater served as a chaplain in Petawawa until last year.  He is now working in Toronto but commutes back on the weekends as his family stayed in Petawawa when he was transferred. He remains connected and active in the Petawawa community.

Bridgewater initiated the Godly Play program in Petawawa and has continued supporting it by teaching at least once a month. He recounts how God came close to him and he came close to God when he took an introductory course in 2011. He became an accredited trainer in 2015.

After moving to Petawawa in 2017, he introduced Godly Play during the children’s time in worship services. Then the story telling was gradually introduced to the Sunday school. The chapel invested in Godly Play aids and supported a couple of workshops to train adults and teenagers in the process. During the pandemic, Bridgewater pivoted by teaching the program online, which enabled non church-going families to become involved.

Several of the children and adults he trained have decided to become baptized or confirmed, and some are now teaching and running the Godly play program in Petawawa. This carries over to the Parish of the Valley as at least one of the trainings done in Petawawa included members of the Parish of the Valley Sunday school team. This year, he also did a workshop at All Saints Westboro in Ottawa.

—with files from Leigh Anne Williams

Related reading:

Military chaplains bless parishes and are blessed by them

Chaplains keep Cathedral connected to the Military Ordinariate

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Dean Beth Bretzlaff said that LCol Staples (retired) and L Walker’s presence at the cathedral is important in that context. “Having both a retired member of the Forces and a current serving member of the Forces means that we stay well connected to the Military Ordinariate. They bring home the concerns, the issues, the pastoral care, the work that they do around the world,” she said, adding that work gives chaplains broad experience and understanding that means they can also “help us interpret difficult world events in a theologically sound manner.”

They represent all the people that are keeping our country safe and free,” said the dean, noting that means the chaplains are “not just serving the Anglicans in the Forces, they’re serving all the people in the Forces, so that is an interfaith and an ecumenical outreach as well.”

Related stories:

Military chaplains bless parishes and are blessed by them

Chaplains strengthen ties between Parish of the Valley and Garrison Petawawa

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National Defence Headquarters, centred in the National Capital Region (NCR), is home to much of the administrative infrastructure of the Canadian Armed Forces, and with such a large footprint of military members, there is a need to have a commensurate number of military chaplains posted here to support their work. Chaplains posted to the NCR serve in a variety of roles, whether as unit chaplains, in staff positions, or in senior leadership roles. Many Anglican chaplains seek out opportunities to assist in local parishes in the Diocese of Ottawa. While only a small number of us are canonically resident in the diocese of Ottawa, Anglican chaplains posted to Ottawa seek permission of Bishop Shane Parker to function within the diocese. We see this not only as an opportunity to be of service to a Diocese which supports us in our ministry within the Canadian Armed Forces, but also as a way of being connected in a meaningful way to Anglican liturgy and parish life.

As Anglican chaplains we serve in a multi-faith pluralistic environment, but we need to be rooted in our own tradition in order to serve authentically, and it is through the exercise of this Anglican ministry that we are fed spiritually in order to care for others. Having the opportunity to assist in parishes within the Diocese of Ottawa provides an invaluable gift to us, and we are enormously grateful to both the Bishop and to our clergy colleagues within the diocese who invite us to celebrate, preach, and engage in the full spectrum of ministry within parish life.

My own personal experience of assisting in local parishes is enormously rewarding. For several years I have assisted at Christ Church Bells Corners thanks to the generosity of both the bishop and the incumbents of the parish.

I have been able to celebrate, preach, lead in study, offer pastoral care, and support the wider ministry of this wonderful parish. This has given me a parish home and at the same time it has provided additional clergy support to a busy suburban parish. I have also had opportunities to take services in other parishes when clergy have been on holiday, unexpectedly called away, or have wanted to have a guest preacher on Remembrance Sunday, or another occasion. My ministry within the Canadian Armed Forces is enriched by being close to what is going on in a local parish, and by extension the Diocese and wider Anglican Church. I believe that I am also able to reflect the reality of military service and life for military families to the parish and Diocese.

Anglican chaplains who serve in local parishes are able to enhance the ministry of that parish and serve also as a bridge for current serving Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans, and their families who seek out a parish home here in the diocese.

Related reading:

Military chaplains keep Cathedral connected to the Military Ordinariate

Chaplains strengthen ties between Parish of the Valley and Garrison Petawawa

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Christ Church Huntley marked its 185th anniversary last November. St. James the Apostle is celebrating its 135th in 2024 and St. John’s its 140th in 2025. All together, a very good reason for a party on a gloriously summery September day when the party could be held on the lawn of St. James.

Inviting the neighbours to Welcome Back Sunday: Celebrating our Churches, the Sunday service included a blessing of backpacks and laptops as everyone headed back to work and school for the fall. Birthday loot included name tags for backpacks and Parish of Huntley notebooks as well as t-shirts. The service also celebrated the retirement of long-serving organist Stephen Machum. After the service, the party started with live music, hot dogs, cupcakes and ice cream, lots of fellowship and fun.

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