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1910: October 27, 1910 - All Saints Anglican Church

When the cornerstone of the original Anglican Church was removed, one of the papers discovered in a soft tin box at the top of the stone was a copy of the Vernon News, dated October 27, 1910.

Thanks to Reverend Eric Dexter, the current Anglican minister at St. Margaret’s in Winfield, the following summary of that newspaper’s coverage of the laying of the cornerstone is reproduced here.

In the Vernon paper there was an appeal for loads of stone as a “free contribution” to the foundations of the church as work was to begin before winter. It is interesting to learn that the Church was to be called All Saints.

At this time the Rt. Rev. A.U. DePencier, Bishop of New Westminster and acting Bishop of Kootenay, paid a visit for the purpose of laying the foundation stone.

The ceremony included a procession from the Vicarage to the church site.

Accompanying the Bishop were the Rev. T. Greene of St. Michael, Kelowna, the Rev. H.D. King of Armstrong and the Rev. H.A. Solly of Summerland as well as the Rev. Owen Bulkeley, the vicar.

The service was described as impressive and the Bishop as eloquent and inspired. He referred to the noble heritage of the Anglican Catholic Church, of the constant extension of the church even in such a scattered remote district, to perpetuate throughout all ages the same worship in which our forefathers had joined.

The church wardens, Mr. Northcote Caesar and Mr. Bolton, assisted the Bishop in laying the mortar. The Bishop pronounced, “In the faith of Jesus Christ, we place this foundation stone in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.”

All Saints Anglican Church was never finished or consecrated. Lack of funding and changing population patterns eventually led to the structure being donated for the community hall.

Source: Unknown newspaper article dated August 4, 1982.