A short history of the building
St. Columba's has stood on the corner of Brunswick and Charlotte since 1887. This is the story of the stone, the glass and the people, as far as the parish records tell it.
A church for the north end of downtown
In the 1880s the cathedral was full on Sundays, and families living north of Queen Street asked for a church closer to home. A small mission met in a rented room above a dry-goods shop on Brunswick Street for three years.
The congregation took its name from Columba, the sixth-century Irish monk who founded the community on Iona. Several of the founding families had come from Scotland, and the plain Celtic cross on our sign comes from them.
From mission to parish
- 1884
The mission begins
Services start in a rented upstairs room, led by a curate from the cathedral.
- 1887
The church opens
Built of grey sandstone from a quarry upriver, with a steep slate roof and a round west window. The first service is held at Advent.
- 1903
The organ arrives
A two-manual pipe organ, built in Québec, is installed in the chancel. It is still played every Sunday.
- 1921
Memorial windows
Three stained glass windows are placed in the south aisle in memory of parishioners who died in the First World War.
- 1956
The parish hall
The hall is built on the Charlotte Street side for Sunday school, suppers and the wider neighbourhood.
- 1994
Roof and organ restored
The slate is relaid and the organ is cleaned and rebuilt, keeping its original pipes.
- 2014
Open to everyone
A level entrance, an accessible washroom and a refitted kitchen make the hall usable by all.
Stone, glass and wood
Inside, the nave is lined with pointed sandstone arches. The pews are the original pine, darkened by more than a century of Sundays. On a sunny afternoon the south windows throw coloured light across the floor.
The church is open for visitors Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 3:00. Groups who'd like a short tour can ask the office.