HISTORY

Since its birth Emmanuel has been a community of ordinary people encountering and serving an extraordinary God.

The portable church, 1959

On March 5, 1952, the Church Extension Committee of the Anglican Church purchased land on MacKay Drive for a future church. The Women’s Auxiliary of St. Mary’s Anglican Church, up the hill, was encouraged by a succession of clergy to found a church for this site.

The birth of a permanent congregation attending regular services culminated in April of 1959 with the appointment of the Rev. Edward Morley to the Richvale mission parish of St. Barnabas. Three months later the name was changed to Emmanuel. This was a result of the forced closing of Emmanuel Anglican Church on Hanlan’s Point to make way for the Toronto Island Park Project.

The treasures of the original Emmanuel Church were transferred to the Richvale parish, including “all furnishings of the Church – altar, plaques, pews, pulpit, lectern, vessels for the Holy Table, organ and baptismal font”.

So, although our outside is grey block and cold looking our inside is cedar lined and warm feeling, a lovely space for worship, weddings and, yes, funerals.

An extended history may be downloaded in PDF format here.