St. John’s Celebrates 100th on Humberside in Successful Event in Partnership With the West Toronto Junction Historical Society
By Christopher Rutty
A special event in partnership with the West Toronto Junction Historical Society was held at St. John’s on the evening of December 7 to showcase and celebrate the church’s centenary on Humberside Ave. An audience of about 50, plus 16 participating via Zoom, gathered for an evening of socializing, snacks, historical displays, and to absorb a richly illustrated presentation by historian, Christopher Rutty, titled, “St. John’s West Toronto & The Junction: A Century of Faith, Community and History on Humberside”
The presentation was followed by an opportunity for questions and especially for members of St. John’s, long-term and more recent, to share their perspectives on the history of St. John’s and what their time at the church has meant personally and to the community. Thank you Bradley Hitchcock, May Webster, Carrie Cardwell, Andrea Rutty, Alie Rutty, John Spragge and Mother Alexandra for stepping up to the microphone. A member of the WTJHS, Gib Goodfellow, who was also a long-time member of St. John’s in the 1960s-70s, including as a warden in 1971-72, also shared some interesting personal and historical perspectives about St. John’s.
Although the event was spearheaded by Chris, it wouldn’t have happened without enthusiastic support from the WTJHS, particularly Ward Noble, Richard Lundeen, and Dave Muir. Thank you especially Hope Humphry and Barbara Titherington of the WTJHS, who facilitated treats and refreshments. Thanks also to Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi for providing King Slice pizzas and to everyone who helped at the snacks table and with clean-up. Thank you also May Webster and Andrea Rutty for helping with setting up historical displays. Andrea also secured a display case which remains set up near the main doors of the church with a varied collection of historical items on display. Thanks to Mother Alexandra for support of this event and the SJWT-100th effort. Thank you, Greg Los, for manning the Tech Desk. And special thanks to Michael Taylor for technical and other support for this event, plus for other initiatives undertaken during the SJWT-100th year. Michael will be assembling a video of the event that will be shared via the sjwt.ca/100th website.
Included here are some photos taken at the event by Richard Lundeen and Ward Noble of the WTJHS, Graham Venney (Alie’s partner), and Christopher Rutty.
St. John’s West Toronto and The Junction:
A Century of Faith, Community and History on Humberside
Thursday, Dec. 7, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Register in advance for this meeting:
Register for the West Toronto Junction Historical Society Meeting Zoom Link
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
St. John’s West Toronto, 288 Humberside Ave (corner of Quebec Ave.), Toronto, ON.
Join a special meeting of the West Toronto Junction Historical Society, in partnership with St. John’s West Toronto Anglican Church, to celebrate its centenary on Humberside Ave and 142 years in the Junction.
Historian Christopher Rutty will present on St. John’s story, evolution, and community impact within the Junction.
Over the past year, Christopher has led an effort to collect, document and share the history of St. John’s West Toronto, focusing on the story of its third church building over the past century, located at 288 Humberside Ave. at the corner of Quebec Ave, just west of High Park Ave.
Through the historical lens of St. John’s, one can explore the development of the Anglican Church in Toronto and St. John’s pioneering role in it, against the backdrop of the Junction's evolution.
This occasion will be more than just another meeting of the WTJHS, the last few of which have been held in an in-person-Zoom hybrid format at St. John’s. It will be an opportunity for a historical and social event for members of St. John’s, the WTJHS, and the local community to celebrate the 100th anniversary of St. John’s home on Humberside.
There will be food available along with some surprises, with admission by donation.
Further details about the event, including registration for the Zoom link, will be posted soon at,
and at
To learn more about the history of St. John’s West Toronto, visit,
