Deer Park United Church

Deer Park United Church is the name of a United Church of Canada congregation, and also the name of this congregation's former church building at 129 St. Clair Avenue West in the Deer Park neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was one of two United Church of Canada buildings in the area and along St. Clair Avenue, the other being Timothy Eaton Memorial Church (originally Methodist).

Deer Park United Church
The congregation's building at 26 Delisle Avenue, shared with Calvin Presbyterian
Location26 Delisle Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1S5
DenominationUnited Church of Canada
Previous denominationPresbyterian (1881–1925)
Websitedeerparkunitedchurch.org
Clergy
Minister(s)The Rev. Dr. Deborah Hart
Former Deer Park United Church
The church building in 2005
Religion
AffiliationFormerly United Church
OwnershipPrivately owned
StatusRedundant church that is being redeveloped
Location
Location129 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1N5
Architecture
StyleGothic Revival
Completed1913
MaterialsStone
Website
bluediamondcondos.ca

Early history

The congregation began in 1881 as the Deer Park Presbyterian Mission.[1] Their first church building was constructed on the northwest corner of Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue, now home to an office tower containing several radio stations, including CFRB, 99.9 Mix FM and 97.3 EZ Rock. In 1913, a new church building was erected for the congregation at 129 St. Clair Avenue West.

The first missionary was the Rev. George Edwin Freeman. His granddaughter, Lois Wilson, served as a United Church Moderator (from 1980 to 1982) and as a Canadian Senator (from 1998 to 2002).

In 1925, a majority of the congregation voted to join the newly formed United Church of Canada. The 370 members who voted to remain Presbyterian withdrew and formed what is now Calvin Presbyterian Church.

Recent history

In 2006, the Deer Park United congregation celebrated its 125th anniversary. The next year, the congregation was told that the owners of the Imperial Oil Building next door would no longer supply building heat after July 2008.[2] Due to the financial inability to maintain the large and aging building, the congregation de-sanctified the building at 129 St. Clair Avenue West in June 2008.

The building was sold to a developer, who in 2012 got the City of Toronto government's approval for a condominium apartment tower replacing most, but not all, of the church building.[3] It remained vacant at that time. The developer subsequently sold a majority interest in the property to Camrost-Felcorp, the redeveloper of the adjacent Imperial Oil Building. The development plan is to integrate part of the church building into the site of a new condominium tower (named "Blue Diamond") that was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects.[4]

The Deer Park United congregation was welcomed by the nearby Calvin Presbyterian Church congregation into a shared ecumenical worship. In 2010, the two congregations formalized their relationship into an Ecumenical Shared Ministry.[1] The worship services contain common elements and also elements unique to the United Church of Canada and Presbyterian traditions. Both the Deer Park and Calvin congregations are members of the Churches on the Hill group.

The current address of the Deer Park United congregation is 26 Delisle Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.[1] The congregation's minister is the Rev. Dr. Deborah Hart.[5]

See also

References
  1. Deer Park United Church – Shared Ministry
  2. "Abandoned Toronto churches being reborn as condominiums" The Globe and Mail.
  3. "Former Forest Hill church will become a condo courtyard" The Globe and Mail.
  4. Blue Diamond website
  5. The Rev. Dr. Deborah Hart

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