Efforts Underway to Restore Historic Anglican Church Near Barrhead

On December 7, 2023, it is believed that an arsonist(s) set fire to two churches both with significant history and affiliation with the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton and to the community of Barrhead. 

St. Mary Abbots, Barrhead and St. Aidan’s Glenreagh were established in 1911 and 1913 respectively, by the Reverend W.L. Seymour Dallas, as part of the Paddle River Mission. 

St. Mary Abbots was named after Dallas’ home parish in Kensington, England. The church was built in 1912 east of the current town of Barrhead. With the coming of the railroad, the church was moved into Barrhead, in 1928, to make way for a railway siding. 

A new church was built, in 1966, and ownership of the original St. Mary Abbots was transferred to the Barrhead Historical Society. The building was moved once again to its final home near Thunder Lake Provincial Park, 12 miles west of Barrhead. 

Renamed the Pioneer Memorial Church and dedicated to the area’s pioneers, it was open to the public and hosted many weddings and get-togethers during its 50+ years as a community church. Unfortunately, the building could not withstand the ravages of fire and was reduced to ashes.

St. Aidan’s, located five miles from the town of Barrhead, was the most northerly church of the Paddle River Mission. The title to the land was issued to the Diocese of Edmonton in 1916. [According to the Rev. John Tyrrell, retired Anglican priest, St. Aidan’s was “a thriving parish with regular services until 1966, thereafter a Harvest Thanksgiving service was held until 1975.”] 

The church building and adjoining cemetery were sold to the community of Glenreagh, in 1975, and became known as St Aidan’s Community Church of Glenreagh and Bloomsbury Society. For the last 48 years, the property has been maintained by volunteers. The church is used for weddings, get-togethers and recently the funeral service for 102-year-old Gladys Harris (author’s mother). 

While St. Aidan’s was the first of the two churches to be set on fire in December 2023, most of the building remains standing as it has for the last 110 years. To date, this historic property has been maintained with donations from local families. At a meeting in late December, the community reached a unanimous decision to repair and restore the church. 

With the restoration of St. Aidan’, three of the original seven churches of the Paddle River Mission remain. These include St. Peter’s, Lac La Nonne, still part of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton, as well as St. Aidan’s and Belvedere Community Church. They are significant pieces of history and reminders of the commitment and faith of early settlers in the area. Author Rita Milne writes about the history of the Paddle River Mission churches in her book, Here We Are. For a copy of the book, contact the Synod Office by email: communications@edmonton.anglican.ca, or call 780-439-7344.

St. Aidan’s Community Church sustained significant damage and efforts to fund its restoration are underway. It is our sincerest wish that, through the grace of God, these buildings will remain for many more years to come. 

To contribute to the restoration of St. Aidan’s, please email Brenda Harris-Baron at gebaron@telusplanet.net; or call (780) 459-4297.