The following is an excerpt from "The History of the Anglican Church in Cochrane" first published in November 1985, by Gwyneth M. Shirley. It was subsequently revised in 1997 with the assistance of Anne Shirley Bragg for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Archbishop Anderson Memorial Church.

We gratefully acknowledge the work of the authors of "The History of the Anglican Church in Cochrane", Gwyneth Shirley and Anne Bragg.

First Service held on Lake Commando Shore

To trace the history of the Anglican Church in Cochrane it would be wise to briefly trace the origins of the town itself. Cochrane first became directly liked to the rest of Canada when the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (now the ONR) line from Englehart was constructed in 1908.

But long before this the Commando Indians used to hunt, trap and pitch their tents along the shores of a chain of lakes they called Little Lakes Camping Ground. Cochrane also lay astride the path of the old packet trail to Moose Factory. The rich furs of the Hudson and James Bay regions were transported south by canoe in the summer and dog sled in the winter along the Moose and Abitibi rivers.

As early as the summer of 1905, a railway survey crew had painfully hacked its way north from Englehart. They located the marker of a previous survey crew, camped briefly overnight at Lake Commando and then, tortured and almost driven mad by mosquitoes and black flies, thankfully returned south.

In the winter of 1906, the silence was again shattered, this time by a survey crew suffering from the bitter cold. They stayed long enough to designate this area as the future point of intersection for the Pacific bound Transcontinental Railway, now the CNR.

All this activity had not gone unnoticed by the native people, the silent watchers of the changing scene. Early in 1908, three young Indian packers, returning north along the old Hudson Bay trail, brought some surprising news to Robert Renison, the resident Anglican missionary at Moose Factory.

This man was later to become Bishop of Moosonee and Metropolitan of Ontario. He was fluent in Ojibway and had conquered the Cree language in three short months. Now he listened in amazement as the Indians described the presence of many white men and tents at Little Lakes Camping Ground. There was, as yet, no word in Cree for train. But by making whistling and puffing sounds, they indicated that the railroad was coming.

Robert Renison was consumed with curiosity. He had not seen a white man for years, apart from the few around James Bay. He immediately decided to investigate. The journey might have intimidated any other man. But in 1898, at age 23, he had arrived at Moose Factory after covering an incredible distance of 1,000 miles by birchbark canoe, with the last 100 miles on foot. This time he set out on snowshoes, with a sturdy dog team and a good Indian guide. It was February, bitterly cold, the temperature -50 degrees F. They had roughly 200 miles to cover one way, so they traveled light and lived off the land. This journey was to become legendary, often retold to children and grandchildren.

On February 6th, 1908, they arrived at Little Lakes Camping Ground and located the National Transcontinental Railway crew. Next day, Robert Renison conducted the first religious service ever to be held in the infant town of Cochrane. There was no tent large enough to hold all the men. So they gathered in the open air around the shores of Lake Commando.

The steep, sloping banks formed a natural gallery under the great, blue vault of the sky: a perfect outdoor church for the all male congregation. We know that it was a sunny days, probably one of those deceptively mild ones, when we are fooled into thinking that the worst of winder is over. After the service, still full of curiosity, Robert Renison continued his journey, on snowshoes, down the trail to McDougal Chutes, now Matheson.

First Church “Arrived” in 1909

It should be mentioned here that the driving of the railways across northern Ontario dramatically changed the course of history in the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee.

In 1905, Bishop George Holmes announced that the Episcopal residence was to be moved to Chapleau from Moose Factory. This news must have greatly disturbed the Cree Indians living there. The little church of St. Thomas had been the Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese since 1872. This move was determined by the fact that Moose Factory was quite isolated, whereas Chapleau was now served by the railway.

Another event which would eventually affect Cochrane was that on April 15th, 1907, the Reverend John George Anderson was elected to the See of Moosonee by the Synod of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert’s Land. He was to become the fourth Bishop of Moosonee and he resided in Chapleau from 1909 to 1913. We will learn more about this great man later.

Meanwhile, by 1908, in Cochrane, the first frantic sale of lots was completed and the town began to take shape. Log huts, tents, sturdier houses, a business section and wooden sidewalks began to appear. But it had rained heavily in September and October. It was almost impossible to find the so-called streets. Where trees had been cut down, stumps filled up with muddy water. In this veritable sea of mud, cleansing soles from sin seemed almost ludicrous. But the churches were trying!

By 1909, the Roman Catholic Church was firmly established and a building completed in much the same location as the present modern structure. The Methodist held their services in one of the boarding houses on 6th Avenue. Nearby was a little shack used by the Anglican missionary. Bishop Anderson visited Cochrane in February 1909. His famous – though mainly inaccessible – diary records that he took services with a Mr. H. V. Fricker.

That summer Bishop Anderson supervised the arrival of the first Anglican Church in Cochrane. The word “Arrival” is used because it was not built but rather moved bodily from Chapleau. It was brought to Cochrane on a flat car and then moved to the new location by horse and cart. It stood on the steep slope of Sixth Avenue, overlooking Lake Commando. This neat, white wooden structure had served as the original place of worship for the Anglicans in Chapleau. It was well furnished in every way and could seat about a hundred people. The reason it was available was because the Anglicans in Chapleau had decided on a more ambitious edifice. Sad to say, this first little church was destroyed by fire in the 1911 fire in Cochrane.

When Mr. H. V. Fricker arrived in Cochrane in 1909, living we are told in the Parsonage Shack, he soon organized the congregation of about forty people and founded a Sunday School and Bible Class. He was later ordained at the Holy Trinity Church, Cochrane on May 30th, 1915.

A description of Cochrane in 1909 is given us by a Reverend J. D. Mullins, secretary of the Colonial Church Society, on a visit from the British Isles. The construction of wooden side-walks was in progress but they had “an awkward habit of coming to an abrupt end, so that the unwary person who adventures a walk in the dark may find himself precipitated two or three feet down into deep black mud.” There were great hollows and unsuspected trenches in the roads and evidently poor Mr. Fricker had once sunk up to his waist in bog water and was often knee deep in mud. The scene was described by the Colonial church representative as being “worse than the English mind can picture.”

In that fascinating book, the “Northland Post”, the author, Alice Marwick, describes the peculiar situation existing in 1909. The Methodists had acquired a brand new, enthusiastic minister by the name of Archer Wallace. As a result, “the Methodists had a minister but no church, and the Anglicans had a church but no minister, the latter offered the use of their new building for union services. The offertory plate was the one used on Nelson’s ship the Victory; a long journey from a British flagship to a church in the woods of new Ontario!

Even after the Methodists built their own frame church, in September of 1909, the Anglicans still held services with them on Wednesday evenings. These gatherings were well attended, mostly by workmen from the camps, they formed a rowdy and not always sober congregation.

The organist at these shared services was Miss Emma Dempsay, daughter of the town magistrate. In 1960, when Cochrane celebrated a Golden Jubilee, Miss Dempsay, then 75 years of age, provided the Timmins Daily Press with a memorable interview. “The winters were cold and few women came to church, but it was always filled with men.” She went on the say that the spiritual leaders of that time were men of strength and character and many of them achieved important positions in life.

Miss Dempsay was also the organist at the opening ceremonies of the Anglican Church in 1909. A remarkable woman, she served on the Town council and ran for Mayor of Cochrane, losing by a mere five votes. She was the first female to be elected to the boards of St. Paul’s United Church.

Church was Diocese Seat in 1913

A booklet, written by the Bishop’s daughter, Miss Irene Anderson, was published for the Cochrane Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1960 and gives valuable details of those early years in the life of Holy Trinity Parish, Cochrane.

“The first little rectory, tenanted by Mr. H. V. Fricker (1909) and the Reverend Percy Howard and wife (1911) was erected among the pines north of what was later Bishopthorpe. A fair sized parish hall was build in 1910, only to be destroyed in the 1911 fire along with the ill fated little errant mission church and the mission house. After the fire, services were conducted at the railway station for a time.”

So here we have a scene of utter destruction, put into plain, unemotional prose. Today’s churchgoers get disheartened over far less serious problems! By 1913, the parish hall and church had been rebuilt. The first Rector’s Warden, William Eaton, worked long hours on this reconstruction.

Among the family names cropping up in these early years were: Dempsay, Nixon, Chamandy, Eaton, Osmar, Hodgins, Smith, Nash, Ivy, Gibson and Wharton. The Women’s Auxiliary was formed in 1910. Miss Amy Peterson was the first president.

From 1912 to 1916, the incumbent was the Reverend J. R. Bythell, “a colorful young man full of vitality, assisted by a charming and able wife.” We are again grateful to Miss Anderson for this description. The Reverend Bythell used up some of his surplus energy in organizing and directing the first Boy Scout Troop in Cochrane.

A most important even took place in the spring of 1913. Holy Trinity Church in Cochrane became Pro-Cathedral for the Diocese of Moosonee. Bishop Anderson and his young family moved from Chapleau and took up residence in Bishopthorpe, now the Knights of Columbus Hall.

A personal description of that unforgettable moving day was given to me by Mr. W. R. Anderson, the Bishop’s son, who lived for over 50 years in Cochrane.

It was September 13th, 1913, and it had rained solidly since early morning. The Bishop and his family traveled by train and, when they reached Kelso and the conductor called out the place, Mrs. Anderson expressed great surprise as this was the name of her birthplace in Scotland! On their eventual arrival in Cochrane, young Bob and his brother Ernie trundled through thick mud, in from the Transcona Heights houses, over to E. M. Hobson’s, where they were billeted for a few days. It continued to pour rain. The town was awash with mud, a veritable quagmire, the stuff stuck to the boots like glue.

The building of Bishopthorpe had been made possible with funds sent out by friends in England. It was almost ready for occupancy when the Andersons arrived. There were eight large bedrooms upstairs; they would be needed for a family of six sons and two daughters. The enclosed side porch was useful, rather that decorative, for it was to hold a dozen cots, all in use at various times.

Bishopthorpe became the heart of the Diocese. Missionaries with their families, visiting students and most of all, the Indian people, all found a welcome at his residence. According to Mr. W. R. Anderson’s account, when an Indian visited, he never came directly into the house, but walked up and down repeatedly before entering. There was nothing one could do to change this custom other than to sit and wait patiently indoors. The Indians, when not walking up and down, used to squat on the front lawn, they formed a picture of complete faith and contentment.

Town Avoided During Typhoid Outbreak

By 1914, the Transcontinental Railway was completed. Union Station in Cochrane looked much as it does today.

The fire of 1910 and the more devastating one of 1911 had not deterred building.

In Europe, World War 1 claimed heavy casualties. In Cochrane, there were some homes saddened by the loss of a husband, son or father. Throughout these years, Bishop Anderson went about his work of preaching, teaching and spreading the word of God. Alice Marwick, in her memorable book, the “Northland Post” gives us an excellent word picture: - “The Bishop, in his black clerical coat and leather gaiters, with his ruddy countenance, merry twinkling eyes and ready repartee, was perhaps the most universally loved figure who walked the streets of Cochrane.”

In July of 1916, forest fires swept across northern Ontario. In Cochrane, as building after building fell victim to flames, the Anglican rectory and the Methodist church were destroyed, within a few hours. But Bishopthorpe and the Anglican Church itself survived.

Here again, the writer relies on “Bobs” Anderson for a personal description of the scene. The roof of the residence was covered with wet blankets. The Bishop and his sons had to keep hosing the roof, until the existing water supply ran out. Then they had to haul it up from the lake, in buckets. Later, the situation became so serious, that they had to retreat to the shelter of the round House. Here a message came to them that Bishopthorpe had been saved. But then, they had to rush back to put out smaller fires in the outside porch and trellis work, hauling up more buckets of water from the lake.

After the fire, every room and every inch of floor space in Bishopthorpe was packed with homeless refugees and all the extra cots were occupied. The bishop’s children had to sleep outside on the terrace slope, their heads higher that their feet. Fortunately, it was a summer night and, unless hidden by lingering smoke, no doubt the permanence of the stars above brought comfort.

In November of that awful year, the Reverend R. C. Pitts, his wife and small family arrived from the west, prepared to face the awesome talk of rehabilitation after the fire. The new rector received great help and encouragement from the Women’s Auxiliary. This group had been formed in 1910 and was the fourth branch in the Diocese of Moosonee.

The first Synod of the Diocese was held in May 1919, in Cochrane. At this historic event Bishop Anderson was forced to draw a rather depressing picture of the financial position in the new missions and parishes. Only two of the thirteen “white missions” were self supporting; only five had parsonages and four were without church buildings of any kind. The reference to a shortage of funds seems to have a familiar ring!

In 1920, the Reverend Howard J. King ministered to Holy Trinity, in Cochrane. He had been transferred from Kapuskasing and faced the difficult years following World War 1. We are told that his wife had considerable musical ability and that her talent was “greatly appreciated.” Times have not changed. Even all those years ago, church organists were probably in short supply!

In 1923, Cochrane survived an outbreak of typhoid which took far heavier toll of lives than the great fires. The writer has in her possession a letter written to the Bishop’s wife from the president of the Women’s Auxiliary in Chapleau dated April 16, 1923.

“Dear Mrs. Anderson:

I have just heard that your son Alfred has the fever – what an anxious time it will be for you and the Bishop with one of your family down and such an epidemic raging in town.”

The letter goes on to say that the next

“synod is to be held in Iroquois Falls, on account of the epidemic in Cochrane. The W.A. Annual is to be held – in Chapleau. I suppose it will be almost out of the question to expect you will be able to attend the meeting.”

The message was clear. The town and the people of Cochrane were to be avoided at all costs!

No mention has ever been made of the sad duties and extra responsibilities the clergy endured during this tragic year. A curtain seems to have been drawn across the scene. We do know that in the following spring, between 80 and 100 caskets were taken from the vaults and set out, row upon row, for the final burial services.

Joseph Blackburn, Saintly Missionary

In the year 1926, following the departure of the Reverend Howard King, the Reverend H. T. Tomkins and his wife and family came from the west. Mrs. Tomkins was in frail health and died about a year later. Mr. Tomkins returned to the west and he himself died not too long after, in Manitoba.

In 1927, the Reverend W. B. Williston arrived to take over parish duties at the Pro-Cathedral. Formerly a dedicated missionary was a man of many talents and a tireless worker.

From his own account published in the Diocesan “Northland” magazine he mentions opening missions at Fraserdale and Island Falls and then, “during the depression ’29 – 30’ when the Ontario Government sent hundreds of families to the North, I opened a mission at Hanna, where 38 families were located and there I built a church. The chancel for the Pro-Cathedral burned in 1930 and I rebuilt that.”

Several times a year the Reverend W. B. Williston traveled on the CNR line to take services at Senneterre, Amos and Lasarre. In 1934 he was appointed Rural Dean for the Cochrane district. In her book, “The Land of Moosoneek”, Olive MacKay Peterson dwells fully on this man’s interesting life. We are told that W. B. Williston was a missionary genius who also served the new gold mining areas, built churches with his own hands and compelled the people to come in. He traveled constantly, sometimes by bush plane, more often in an old Ford car which was forever breaking down.

Mr. Williston left Cochrane in 1935, in his own words, “having been there just eight years, no one before or since endured it as long a time.” He moved to North Bay so that his daughter could attend Normal College and his son, complete high school. His daughter, Connie, later served a Deaconess and was eventually ordained in the priesthood.

The Ladies’ Parish Guild was formed in October, 1930 during the regime of the Reverend Williston and is still active today. The first president was Mrs. Russell Weldon. The Guild was an afternoon group, meant to appeal to those ladies who preferred not to go out in the evenings, especially in the winter.

The Reverend Robert Cathcart and the Reverend Leslie Howell then came to serve at Holy Trinity; the latter was ordained and married at the church in 1937.

In the year 1938, the Reverend Joseph Blackburn arrived in Cochrane to take over priestly duties at Holy Trinity. This saintly man earned the affectionate nickname of Holy Joe. Those who served so faithfully years ago are soon forgotten and a local church history is apt to become a list of meaningless names. Joseph Blackburn, later Canon Blackburn, deserves to be remembered and with the help of Olive Petersen’s remarkable book, “The Land of Moosoneek” and Canon Blackburn’s own comments an interesting story emerges.

Back in England, in 1929, Joseph Blackburn offered his services to the Missionary Society, for work in Canada. He was turned down and told that he was too old. We are not told how old is “too old”! In his own words, “Later, they accepted me as no one else offered.”

His introduction to the North was a harsh and shocking experience. The railway line from Cochrane to Moosonee was only partly constructed and would not be completed until 1932. So the, not altogether young missionary fresh from England, faced a journey of about 150 miles by dog team to Moose Factory. That was the original plan but a four day blizzard soon changed things. Instead of the dogs pulling the travelers, they had to go ahead on snowshoes and pull the dogs! Food supplies ran out and but for the discovery of a small cache, intended as fox bait, they might not have survived.

There were further shocks in store. Joseph Blackburn discovered that his position of principal at the Residential School in Moose Factory also included the care of 24 head of cattle!

By comparison, Cochrane must have seemed like a quiet haven and peaceful refuge. Canon Blackburn remained at Holy Trinity until 1944. During this time Mrs. Blackburn worked with the Girls’ Auxiliary and her outstanding efforts earned recognition from the Dominion Women’s Auxiliary.

This might be the place to mention that the Bishop’s wife was also interested in young people. She was an accomplished teacher, and, although busy with her own large family she still found time among her classes to hold a unique one for the Chinese. Throughout her married life Mrs. Anderson was of great assistance to her husband, interesting to note that she first met her future husband in 1889, when he needed a teacher to instruct him in the intricacies of the Ojibway language.

A Simple, Solemn Graveside Rite

On April 25th, 1940, at a meeting of the House of Bishops at Sault Ste Marie, Bishop Anderson of Moosonee (first) and Metropolitan of Ontario (sixth).

In spite of his many honors, titles, and scholastic learning, John George Anderson remained a humble man. To the people of Cochrane, he was simply, “The Bishop”. Over the years he had become a keen amateur sportsman and was involved with all local activities in football, hockey, field sports and even cricket. One of his fondest dreams was realized when Cochrane finally acquired a covered rink. The building preceded the present arena.

In May 1941, the 11th Synod of the Moosonee Diocese was held in Cochrane. Once again, the financial situation was described as increasingly difficult, this time because of war time conditions. At this Synod, Archbishop Anderson reported that, in contrast to his previous summers, when he had traveled thousands of miles by canoe, motor boat or supply ship, he was able in 1939 and 1940 to make his usual visitations to the Indian missions by plane. These tedious, time consuming journeys would become much easier and faster by aircraft. But the Archbishop was, before long, to take his last journey, the one we must all take some day.

On June 15, 1943, the full life of John George Anderson came to close, after an illness that had confined him to bed since May. In describing his achievements it is difficult to know where to start. He had revised the Cree prayer book and helped to compile the first Cree dictionary. The Indians and Eskimos look upon him as their friend and counselor. His unusual linguistic talent in the Cree and Ojibway languages had enabled him to form a close bond with the Indian people and had a powerful influence over their lives.

His Grace had been awarded the King George V Jubilee Medal and the Coronation Medal of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, both given for pioneer service to the church.

In that unforgettable book, the “Northland Post” Alice Marwick gives us a moving description of the Archbishop’s funeral, which deserves to be quoted in full: “Attired in his robes of office, ‘The Bishop’ lay in state for twenty-six hours in the Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, while guards of honor from all walks of life, and from all denominations, performed their last service to him.”

With simple unpretentious ceremony, perhaps the more solemn because of its simplicity, “The Bishop” was laid to rest in the north that he had loved so well. Several Indians, among them David Wynne, the old Indian Chief from Moose Factory, arrived too late for the service in the church and were rushed by taxi out to the cemetery. Here, at the graveside, in the midst of a hushed and reverent throng, the casket was opening and the Indians files past, preceded by their grief-stricken Chief. As each Indians approached the open casket, he leaned over and passed a reverent land loving hand over the still features – a tender farewell.

At the moment a ray of slanting sunlight caught the open casket and illuminated the beloved features with a grave of celestial benediction. No more touching scene than that simple graveside rite could ever be portrayed by tongue or pen. It was an old Indian custom. Having touched their chief and bidden him farewell, his sorrowing friends could go back and tell their tribe that KECHEAYAMEOWKEMON (Chief Praying Man) was really dead.

The passing of Archbishop Anderson at the age of 78 marked the end of an era in Cochrane.

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Our parish is very conscious of its role as a place of worship and service in our community and currently offers a variety of church groups. These groups include: Anglican Church Women, Ladies’ Guild, Altar Guild, Choir, youth group, and Amnesty International.

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