100th Blog | sjwt

St. John's West Toronto

100th Anniversary

at 288 Humbersode Avenue

Explore Our Past

Back to Where it All Began

Interviewing Rev. Gary van der Meer, St. John’s Incumbent, Sept. 2001 – Sept. 2011

Christopher Rutty

May 27
1 min

Interviewing Rev. Gary van der Meer, St. John’s Incumbent, Sept. 2001 – Sept. 2011

Reverend Gary van der Meer, St. John’s Incumbent from September 2001 through September 2011, sat down for an interview with me on Tuesday...

Building Stories & Preparing for Doors Open

Christopher Rutty

May 21
1 min

Building Stories & Preparing for Doors Open

As St. John’s prepares to participate in Doors Open Toronto next weekend, for the benefit of the volunteers that will welcome visitors...

Christopher Rutty

May 13
3 min

Organ Legacies

The powerful sound of St. John’s organ and the story of its evolution in the church’s current Humberside home over the last century is...

Christopher Rutty

May 6
4 min

Marking the Cornerstone Centennial

This weekend, members of St. John’s Anglican Church, West Toronto, along with those who share its building and many in the neighborhood...

Christopher Rutty

Apr 29
4 min

Building Inclusivity, Part 1

St. John’s West Toronto Anglican Church takes pride in its inclusivity, in its welcoming “Open Doors and Open Minds” identity. In my...

Caspian Sawczak

Apr 29
3 min

How Many Roads Must a Man Walk Down?

It was January 15th, the Second Sunday of Epiphany. Only two weeks into the new year, with everyone – or some of us, at least – still...

Christopher Rutty

Apr 22
3 min

The Bells of St. John’s, Part 2

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St. John’s West Toronto Church’s 10-bell carillon remained a distinctive feature of its Humberside home, and of the city, for many years....

Christopher Rutty

Apr 15
3 min

The Bells of St. John’s, Part 1

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On Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924, the neighborhood around St. John’s West Toronto was treated to the melodious music of a carillon of 10...

Christopher Rutty

Apr 8
3 min

The Boy Scouts & St John’s Story

Christopher Rutty & John Webster St. John’s has a rich legacy as a partner with Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, the latter continuing today,...

Christopher Rutty

Apr 1
2 min

Opening Our Doors, 2002-2008 & 2023

It’s now official. St. John’s is opening its doors for “Doors Open Toronto” on May 27 and 28. For those unfamiliar with “Doors Open...

Christopher Rutty

Mar 25
2 min

Old News Matters, Part 2

In my first “Old News Matters” article -- I described discovering a collection of SJWT newsletters in the church balcony that dated from...

Christopher Rutty

Mar 18
2 min

Parish Partnerships, Then & Now

Looking back to the Lent 2002 edition of “St. John’s Journal,” our newly installed Incumbent, Rev. Gary van der Meer had just experienced...

Notable Women; St. John’s Missionary Nurses

Christopher Rutty

Mar 11
3 min

Notable Women; St. John’s Missionary Nurses

There have certainly been many notable women at St. John’s over its long history. Further to the celebration of International Women’s Day...

Christopher Rutty

Mar 4
2 min

Archival Adventures

Researching the history of St. John’s in its Humberside home has been supported by historic materials kept and shared by the Diocese of...

Christopher Rutty

Feb 26
2 min

Musings on May Webster, Part 2

Last week’s SJWT-100th article revealed how May Webster first found St. John’s back in December 1969. For those of us who have been part...

Christopher Rutty

Feb 19
2 min

Musings on May Webster, Part 1

Among St. John’s current congregation, one person, despite a rather diminutive stature, stands above all others in the longevity of her...

Christopher Rutty

Feb 12
3 min

Renewing a Concerts Legacy

As highlighted elsewhere in this Newsletter, St. John’s is hosting a concert by Oliver Peart on Saturday, February 18 at 7:30 pm,...

Profiling St. John’s Priests: Reverend Canon Maurice P. Poole

Christopher Rutty

Feb 5
6 min

Profiling St. John’s Priests: Reverend Canon Maurice P. Poole

Serving St. John’s from December 1964 to June 1983 The May 1983 issue of St. John’s “Parish Newsletter” reflected the sadness of the...

Christopher Rutty

Feb 5
2 min

Transitions; A Look Back to 1983

In looking back over St. John’s long history, particularly its 100 years on Humberside, the parish has experienced several periods of...

What to Tell People About Our Church? Perspectives, 2003 & 2023

Christopher Rutty

Jan 29
3 min

What to Tell People About Our Church? Perspectives, 2003 & 2023

Undertaking a 100th anniversary initiative, whether for an organization, or a seminal discovery, or a local church building and its...

Christopher Rutty

Jan 21
2 min

I Saw Your Ad in Our Church Magazine

Much of St. John’s history at its Humberside home over the past century is recorded in various incarnations of its newsletters, the first...

Christopher Rutty

Jan 14
3 min

Why We Are Where We Are

The history of St. John’s West Toronto church, like that of the West Toronto Junction neighbourhood, has been very much shaped by its...

The Father Christian Era; Dynamic & Dramatic Decade, 1990-2000

Christopher Rutty

Jan 7
3 min

The Father Christian Era; Dynamic & Dramatic Decade, 1990-2000

The recent passing of Father Christian Swayne and his well-attended funeral at St. John’s on November 1st, points to the major role he...

Year End Notes: 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992

Christopher Rutty

Dec 31, 2022
3 min

Year End Notes: 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992

In celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. John’s home on Humberside, exploring the church’s history is not only about discovering or...

Christopher Rutty

Dec 24, 2022
2 min

Christmases Past, 1992 & 1922

I recently found more SJWT newsletters in boxes kept in the church tower, including several issues of “Our Newsletter” (or “Your...

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Back to Where it All Began

Interviewing Rev. Gary van der Meer, St. John’s Incumbent, Sept. 2001 – Sept. 2011

May 27
1 min

Building Stories & Preparing for Doors Open

May 21
1 min

Organ Legacies

May 13
3 min

1/12

Interviewing Rev. Gary van der Meer, St. John’s Incumbent, Sept. 2001 – Sept. 2011

Building Stories & Preparing for Doors Open

Organ Legacies

aRTICLES

Back to Where it All Began

St. John's West Toronto

100th Anniversary

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