Anglican Church

The heritage value of the Anglican Church lies in the role it played in the religious life of Orkney and district, and in its status as a symbol of the community’s cooperative, pioneering spirit. St. Mary’s Anglican Church was built in 1929, only four years after the establishment of the Orkney townsite. Built with the assistance of financial contributions from local residents and volunteer labour, the church shows the importance the community placed on its religious institutions. Mrs. Dan Cameron, the wife of one of the settlement’s first bankers, is remembered with gratitude as a driving force behind the church’s construction and donor of the stained glass windows that grace the sanctuary.

Although St. Mary’s was built for a congregation of the Church of England’s Shaunavon Parish, the church facilities were shared throughout the years with other denominations. The local United Church congregation held their services in the church on a regular basis, while the community’s Lutherans used its facilities periodically. As well as religious services, the church often hosted community gatherings in its basement hall. After six decades at the heart of Orkney’s spiritual and social life, St. Mary’s was forced to close ca. 1985 due to declining membership.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Val Marie No. 17 Bylaw No. 1/85.