Trafford Publishing: First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton: A History

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First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton: A History

by Kenneth Munro

619 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0165; ISBN 1-4120-2337-8; US$42.50, C$48.70, EUR35.00, £24.50

This story depicts the colourful characters of the congregration of First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, who formed a facinating religious community struggling to play a vital role within society.

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about the book about the author excerpts catalogue info

About the Book

This book is the story of the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton and the people who made it such a fascinating religious community. The colourful characters, the saints and sinners, the good and the worthy, the weak and the domineering, and portrayed in a very caring fashion. The dignity and worth of the human spirit along with the foibles of human nature are laid bare in this portrayal of a congregation's struggle to assert a dominant role within the Presbyterian, and Edmonton, communities. With the arrival of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in what latter became the province of Alberta and the formation of the congregation in 1881, the influence and prestige of members of the congregation ensured Presbyterians played a vibrant role over the religious and public affairs of the national Church and throughout northern Alberta until the disruption of 1925. The haemorrhage of members of First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, to the new United Church of Canada left a weakened congregation with a diminished presence in the Presbyterian Church and provincial society. This book examines how this struggling congregation has attempted to rise to prominence again and move out of the shadow of humanism and play a credible Christian role within our twenty-first century secular environment.

About the Author

Kenneth Munro has been a member of First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton since January 1974 and is a member of the Session of the Church. He has served on the board of Managers, as a Clerk of Session and still sings in the Church Choir. He is a professor of History at the University of Alberta. He received a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1968, an M.A. from McMaster University at Hamilton Ontario in 1969 and a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa in 1973. Since 1972, he has taught at the University of Alberta. Although Dr. Munro specializes in political biography in late ninteenth century French Canada, he has studied and written on the Canadian Crown. His articles include: "The Crown and French Canada: The role of the Govenors-General in Making the Crown relevant, 1867-1917", in Imperial Canada, ed. Colin Coates, The University of Edinburgh, 1977, 109-121 and "Canada as Reflected in her Participation in the Coronation of her Monarchs in the Twentieth Century", Journal of Historical Sociology , 14.1 (March 2001), 21-46. Professor Munro has published two books: The Political Career of Sir Adolphe Chapleau, Premier of Quebec 1879-1882. Lewiston, NY: the Edwin Mellen Press, 1992 and A Biography of François-Xavier-Anselme Trudel, Quebec's Foremost political Maverick in the Nineteenth Century. Lewiston, NY: the Edwin Mellen Press, 2001.

Excerpts

Character of the Congregation 1881-1887

The Scottish character of the majority of the congregation was reflected in the social activities of the Church. For example, at the musical and magic lantern entertainment before Christmas in 1883, the Choir began the evening with the singing of "Nicaea" and Mrs. Lovisa (John A.) McDougall playing a solo of national arias on the organ. The majority of the songs were Scottish, such as Hugh McKay's rendition of the "March of the Cameron Men" and James Johnstone's "The Highlandman's Toast". In order to show that the Scots did not want to monopolize the show, Mrs. James Lauder, the best singer in the group, sang "The Dear Little Shamrock" but went on to sing "Comin' thro' the Rye" as an encore. The evening concluded with George Blake who came to Edmonton in 1879 from the "old sod" leading the Choir in "From Ocean Unto Ocean" before the singing of "God Save the Queen" by the whole audience. Even Reverend Baird exclaimed that the character of the songs that evening reflected the majority of the congregation! The congregation presented very similar musical selections for Reverend Baird's "Farewell Entertainment" on 16 August 1887. Those of Scottish ancestry in Edmonton were not apologetic about having brought Reverend Baird to minister to them.
The Children of the Manse

In those days, it was not only the minister's wife who had a specific role to play within the congregation, but children also had their prescribed duties. They were supposed to read the right books and certainly do nothing frivolous. Sunday was too busy to be dull for children of the manse: church was at 11:00, then someone was always invited home for lunch to share the big roast. All the children eventually taught Sunday School at 3:00, went for a walk afterwards, then had a light supper. David McQueen brought strangers home for the extra services, and sandwiches had to be prepared afterwards. In effect, the manse was a very busy house all the time.
Like many other children of the manse, McQueen's children felt like they were living in a goldfish bowl. Helen Learmonth, the youngest of the McQueen children, said that "I think all of us were a little warped by [having prominent parents]...because you knew people were watching what you did. Mother would say: 'No McQueen can be seen doing this'". Helen's strong sense of duty meant she did everything old friends asked of her for the church and for other civic and social good works. She felt she had to continue the McQueen legacy and never dishonor her famous name. Yet she desperately wanted to escape the strings of the church and the past. She later expressed regret she had not gone away from Edmonton because she believed she could have chosen what she wanted to do and could have led a richer life. She also felt she was not a person in her own right and regretted not having her own career and accomplishments. She felt she was always a reflection of some one else - the daughter of a famous father, or the wife of a husband.
Sunday Morning in the 1920s

J. Isabel McRae remembered a typical Sunday morning, beginning with the sound of the chimes in the bell tower ringing out over the city as she approached the church. Because the organist played at least one half hour before the service began in those days, the organ music welcomed her as she entered the Sanctuary. Her family sat in the south area of the balcony with her mother's brother, Donald F. McLennan who served as General Secretary of the First Church from 1915 until 1926. For several years, Isabel's Aunt Christina, the wife of an Elder, Murdock Munroe, baked and prepared the bread for the communion service. The choir, under the direction of Frank Nurding, led the singing of anthems and cantatas on Sundays, and at Christmas and Easter. Various members of the choir also provided several solos, duets and quartets. Outstanding contributions were made by Roxyna Phillips, Violet Cumming, Dr. John McGregor, Hamish Gillespie, Thomas Fyfe and the Richards' sisters.
Sunday School in the 1920s

After Sunday morning worship, everyone would go home for dinner and return in the afternoon for Sunday school. The primary and junior grades met in the Lecture Hall (Arthur Newcombe Room) with John C. McTavish in charge. The other grades went to the upper Sunday School room where Dr. Fulton Gillespie directed the Worship Service with the words of the hymns projected on the wall from an opaque projector using hymn slides on glass. At Sunday School, pupils were encouraged to memorize the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, the Books of the Bible, the Beatitudes and the Christmas story (Luke 2:8-20) in order to earn the Five Star Certificate. Children also learned the shorter Catechism. Important events in the congregational calendar were the Sunday School picnic and the Christmas supper and concert. Then at 7:30 PM, the whole family went back to church for the evening service, a suitable closing for the Lord's day.
First State Funeral in Alberta

On 17 March 1937, the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta, the Honorable Philip Primrose died. Because Primrose was a Presbyterian and the first Lieutenant-Governor to die in office, he was accorded a state funeral. After consultation with authorities at First Presbyterian Church, the government decided to hold this important religious service there. Following precedent established by Royal funerals held in Britain, the casket containing his Honor*s body was taken to the Legislature for the laying-instate on Friday, 19 March, 1937. Standing rigid and silent resting with arms reverse, four constables of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police formed a guard of honor around the casket in front of the Speaker's rostrum. The desks of the Members of the Assembly were draped in purple for the occasion as 1,800 Albertans filed by the flag-draped casket. The body was returned to the funeral home from the Legislature and from there transferred to Government House on Saturday morning. At 3:00 p.m., the casket was taken to First Presbyterian Church where the funeral service was conducted by Major D.F. Cameron, librarian of the University of Alberta, assisted by the Rev. Dr. Andrew Osborn of First Presbyterian Church.
The chief mourners for this first state funeral in Alberta were the immediate family, government members, judiciary, military officers, consular corps, Royal North-West Mounted Police veterans, leaders of the opposition parties in the Legislature and other leading dignitaries from the city of Edmonton. Non-commissioned officers were in uniform recruited from various military units to act as ushers in the Church. The Speaker of the Assembly, the Honorable Peter Dawson attended in robes, and the Sergeant-at-Arms, Captain H.S. Newby, and all military officers were present in uniform. The front of the Church was banked high with floral tributes, including one from the Governor-General, Lord Tweedsmuir.
The band of the 49th Edmonton Regiment played en route to the Edmonton cemetery. People lined the streets of the capital to pay their last respects as the funeral procession proceeded from the Church to the burial ground. A salute was fired as the procession left the church. There were 15 one-minute rounds fired by the 92nd Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, from the Legislature Grounds. The graveside firing party which fired three rounds over the grave consisted of one sergeant, one corporal and 13 constables of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This state funeral set the precedent for others in the future. However, this state funeral was to be the first and last held at First Presbyterian Church in the twentieth century. The funeral, however, placed First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton in the forefront of thought of all Albertans in the spring of 1937.
Controversy (1949)

There were matters that tore the congregation apart. One of these controversies involved the use of the facilities of the Church. The Session wrestled with the question of opening the First Church facilities for greater use by the larger Edmonton community. When a letter arrived in January 1940 from the President of the Young People's Society of the Church who wished to co-sponsor a series of symphony concerts by the Edmonton Philharmonic Society in the Church Auditorium, Session debated the request at length. Some Session members were against acceding to the request because changes would have to be made to the choir loft and a platform built at the cost of $300. There would be expense in moving and changing pews. Others opposed the request because they felt the young people were being used as pawns in getting the Church for the concerts. After a lengthy discussion, Session decided to postpone its decision.
Discussion continued on this issue at the next Session meeting in February 1949. Positions were now hardening. Some claimed the Church should be used for religious purposes only. Others wanted to open the building for activities not directly related to congregational activities. In the end, Session decided not to allow the Concert and insisted that the sanctuary be used for "religious purposes." Within weeks of the decision, in April 1949, Session granted the Royal Alexandra Hospital the use of the Church for their graduation services!
The White's Trip to Edmonton from Montreal

The eldest son of Reverend White, David, found the departure from Montreal, the trip across Canada and the arrival in Edmonton indelibly etched in his memory. The train trip across the prairies was especially a thrilling event for a 12-year-old who had never explored beyond the western reaches of Quebec's "Eastern Townships".
For nine years Reverend White had served as Minister of St. Matthew's Presbyterian Church in the community of Pointe Ste. Charles in Montreal's railway hub. The area's chief industry was its vibrant General Electric plant. A large percentage of the plant's employees were descendants of Scottish emigrants who had established their Presbyterian Congregation near the docks in 1857. The excitement began when the White family arrived in Montreal's huge Bonaventure Station to travel to First Church, Edmonton. To their great surprise, they were greeted by a very large contingent of members from St. Matthew's Church who came to wish them "bon voyage." Two of the congregation's Piper's marched the White family around the cavernous edifice and then the assembly sand "Will Ye No Come Back Again" as they proceeded down the stairs to the waiting train.
Violet and Reverend Edwin White both were bawling by the time they reached the train. David had never seen his dad cry before. He had thought the whole event with the pipers and singing was really "neat." Most of the other passengers kept looking at the White family and smiling as they passed them. When David later asked his father what was wrong, Edwin White explained that he must have gotten something in his eye. "Right," David thought to himself. But once the family was settled on the train, Reverend White talked to Ron and David about the wonderful years at St. Matthew's. David confessed that he did not realize until later that his mother had locked herself up in the washroom for an hour. She was sobbing uncontrollably and Ed was trying to keep the boys out of her way for awhile. Violet White had been born in Montreal and had spent most of her life there. She was leaving her family and many friends and going to "The Wild West" where she knew no one. David later confessed that he suspected she did not think the whole thing was quite as "neat" as her young son did.
As the train traveled through northern Ontario David noticed the snow was very deep and at times one could not see over the piles along the track bed. When the train stopped in Fort William/Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, it was very cold. There were two young RCMP Constables on the train who were heading for Regina and when they got off to stretch, David followed. He had never seen a live Mountie before and was eager to talk with them whenever he could. The extreme cold and his thin Montreal jacket soon forced him back on the train, and except for a brief visit as he said goodbye to his new Mountie friends on the Winnipeg station platform, he stayed on the train until it arrived at Edmonton.
On the platform at Edmonton, Stanley McCuaig and a "delegation" from the new Church where there to meet the White family. As they drove along Jasper Avenue in McCuaig's car, Violet asked him if this really was Edmonton's Main street! Even David said he realized it did not look much like Montreal's St. Catherine's Street. Most of the buildings were only one or two stories high. In a quiet, gentle voice Stanley McCuaig replied, "Yes, most people from Eastern Canada are surprised at how spread out Edmonton is. We have lots of land here and we are growing very fast." Then he asked David if he liked to skate and play hockey. Violet White started to explain about David's hip problem, but McCuaig smiled and told them it was all right; he knew all about it. Later, when the family was getting settled into their temporary home at the Corona Hotel, Stanley McCuaig phoned Reverend White and asked him if it would be alright if he picked David up at ten the next morning. He wanted to take him to "The Bay" for a brand new pair of ice skates. Any concerns that any of the White family may have had about the people in Edmonton immediately evaporated as a result of that one incredibly kind gesture. The stage was set for a new ministry to take off and return First Church to its pre-eminent position within the Presbyterian Church and the Edmonton area.
Trials of a Church Organist

Over his 27 years as organist, Arthur Newcombe directed works such as "The Messiah", "The Creation", and Mendelssohn's "Song of Praise". While changing society was reflected in the drop in church attendance, the church music changed little during his career as organist at First Church. Neither did the requirements of the organist. Arthur Newcombe was a great accompanist. As Kathleen, his wife said: "We had a woman soloist up from New York with a great voice and a fair amount of experience. I was enjoying the piece until I looked over at my husband. He had perspiration all over his forehead and was watching every move the singer made. Apparently after about four pages, she had skipped back to the beginning and was singing the song from memory. Arthur had to guess what she was going to sing next because he didn't know where she was."
A Wedding That Almost Didn't Happen

In the spring of 1990, the Church acquired a new, cedar shingle roof, and the south parapet masonry was restored, again with part of the cost paid by the Alberta Community Facilities Program. This project did not occur without incident. When a roofing crew was carefully putting on the new room, flames arose just before a wedding rehearsal on a Friday evening. A sharp-eyed office worker next door to the Church noticed smoke rising from the roof where roofers had earlier used a torch to heat tar. Although the fire burned a small hole in the roof, damage only came to $200. As the couple about to be married watched the Edmonton Fire Department douse the flames, they wondered if they were going to have their wedding at First Church after all. With the fire extinguished, their concerns did not end because the Minister had not appeared and they wondered if he had decided not to bind them in holy matrimony. Finally, as the fire trucks began to depart, a harried Reverend Fourney arrived late for the rehearsal and explained his tardiness on the City of Edmonton's other protective service: "I got a speeding ticket on the way to the rehearsal tonight." In the end, all went well and despite the "Canadian Wire Press" coverage and the couple's Monday evening interview on the nation-wide CBC radio program "As It Happens", the young couple, so prone to disaster in preparation for the "big event", were married without incident and the Minister and Church both survived the occasion.

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