100th Anniversary History of Faith This is a story of people who did not surrender to misfortune, a rocky landscape, ill health, or their own anxieties. It is the common factor of success is a faith in God and a love of His Church. The prophet Isaiah expresses it well for a people who live among the granite hills of Coniston and Wahnapitae.
“Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father and unto Sarah that bare you” (Isaiah 51:1-2)
The first Anglican Service held at Victoria Mine, 30 or so miles West of Sudbury, was Evening prayer. Mr. F W Colloton, at the Staff Boarding House ‘Mine’ at 4:00pm, conducted this on the afternoon of September 30th 1900. Fifteen people were present. Eventually bit by bit, on the initiative of the local people themselves Churches and parishes became established around Sudbury. This is what happened at Victoria Mine. The main drive came from the people living there, who know and valued the services of the Church and wished to enjoy them at Victoria Mine, so they did it themselves. Victoria Mine in the early 1900’s was a rugged place carved out of the hilly rock and bush land West of Sudbury. It was a place for young men with willing hearts to dream of the future and to work hard to make that dream come true. All Saints Victoria Mine was built and paid for by the people of Victoria Mine and dedicated by Bishop George Thornloe on December 6th, 1908. The Mond Nickel had been moving it’s operation to a new town, Coniston, ten miles of so East of Sudbury and their new smelter there came into operation April 1913 and the on at Victoria Mine closed. Some of the houses had already been moved bodily – some cut in sections – some in Toto.
Original swag lamps from Victoria mine All Saints set of two
Original lights from Victoria mine All Saints church set of six
One of the losing battles that continue to be fought at All Saints is the one that organists fight for more heat near the organ. The battle has not been won yet. In the present All Saints, the organ is in an alcove. While the congregation basks in warmth, on the coldest of days, the organist has to wear her winter coat. In the old, All Saints the organist had to stay warm anyway she could. This would explain the tradition in All Saints of having long hymns. The organist could keep warm by vigorous peddling on the pump organ. When the Church moved to Coniston, frost would come through the walls, even thought the furnace was burning red, and she would have a white frosty wall at her back and on her side. The Bell at All Saints, Victoria Mine was cast in West Troy, New York by Meneely & Co. in 1908 and bears the inscription ‘Gloria in Exclesis Deo’
The first Service held in Coniston war Matins and Sermon at 10:30 a.m. 7 September 1913 held in Mr. Pelletier’s Hall with twenty-five people present. Mr. Pelletier’s Hall was on Second Avenue where the bank is now. The Service was conducted by Mr. J. Vokey, a Catechist, who had the charge of the Railroad Mission from Coniston to Biscotasing. Coniston itself was a small settlement ten miles East of Sudbury, set in well-freed hills with two large creeks or small rivers running through. There was a sawmill operated by O’Brien Lumber. Coniston was also between the tracks of Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian Railway. The Rev’ F.W.Colloton, still a deacon, arrived on October 18 1914 and undertook the widely scattered charge Services were still being held in the Schoolhouse. However, like others of the Victoria Mine graduates, he could not help thinking of a church standing idle and empty fifty miles away at Victoria Mine. As some houses, fin in all were carted from there to Coniston, why not the Church of All Saints. Mr. G. T. Moore must have gone about his business in quick order because the Church was down, re-erected for use by mid June. He cut the Church into sections and he brought it down on railcars, thus avoiding the very poor road conditions of the Spring Break-Up, when the frost coming out of the ground made many roads impassable during April and well into May.
Installation of the Bell Tower
June 13th, 1915 All Saints Coniston was ready and open for Public Worship. The Services that day were conducted by the Rev’ Fred W. Colloton, who had been ordained priest a few weeks before on Trinity Sunday by Bishop Thorneloe. In the late 1940’s the talk around All Saints was that, the old building was becoming dangerous and the parish should start thinking about building a new Church. Then one Sunday the Rev’ Arthur Cabot was preaching on the houses built on a rock and on quicksand, he was saying ‘And the wind blew and house shook’ and the wind in Coniston did blow because a storm was in progress and the house of All Saints did shake. Afterwards Rob Hood said to Rev’. Cabot the elements were telling us to build a new church. There was a meeting at Coniston with Mr. Waddington and some of his staff looking over some sites. Jack Stacey asked for and held fast to his request for the present site and so it was decided and recommended by Mr. Waddington and INCO donated to the Diocese of Algoma the present site at Edwards and Pine Streets surrendering the former site on Second Ave.
Diocesan consent was obtained reluctantly, many doubting that the people of Coniston could finish the job and there was not very much money in the Diocesan Treasury. The Bishop asked Rev’ Cabot if he really thought the people could do the job. And Rev’ Cabot replied that the people themselves were confident that they could. The work went on during the spring and summer of 1955 and finally the building was completed except for the finishing of the flooring.
August 3rd 2021
Planted flowerbed by the Children of All Saints ( Sam & Alex Hann, Cadence & Tenor Young)