Canoe United Church

Constructed by local contractor William H. Ireland in 1921, Canoe United Church is valued for its historic, social and cultural significance within the community, particularly for its association with its first minister Reverend John Dinnage Hobden and for being the first church constructed in Canoe.

As the first purpose built structure to house a place of worship in Canoe, the church building remains a symbol of the role religious institutions played in creating complete communities. Established as the Canoe Methodist Church, it was not until 1925 that the Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists amalgamated to form the Canoe United Church. Prior to its construction, the first church services of the interdenominational church (dating back to 1888) were held in private homes.

The Church is important historically for its association with its first minister, Reverend J.D. Hobden. In 1934, Hobden was appointed as the first director of the first branch of the John Howard Society in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hobden received national fame for his involvement and work in prison reform, as well as other social issues, and in 1974 he received the Order of Canada for the social issues and reforms to which he dedicated his life.