First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto
First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto | |
---|---|
Front entrance of the congregation's previous building at 175 St Clair Ave. | |
![]() | |
Location | Toronto |
Country | Canada |
Denomination | Canadian Unitarian Council |
Website | www |
History | |
Founded | 1845 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Completed | 1950s (1993 extensive renovations) |
Clergy | |
Minister(s) | Rev. Shawn Newton and Rev. Lynn Harrison |
The First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto is a Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is affiliated with the Canadian Unitarian Council. It is the largest of six UU congregations and fellowships in the Greater Toronto Area.
History
The congregation was founded in 1845, the second in Canada after the Montreal congregation. The congregation originally operated in a building on George Street then but moved to 216 Jarvis Street in 1854. In 1952, eight parishioners founded the Elizabeth Fry Society after hearing a speech by Agnes Macphail. In 1949 the congregation moved to its last building at 175 St. Clair Avenue West. The congregation is currently on the move, temporarily meeting at Oakwood Collegiate Institute while the new building at 473 Oakwood Ave is being renovated.[1]
Building
In 1993, the building underwent extensive renovations. The main space, named Sunderland Hall, was changed from an east-west to a north-south orientation. Workman Hall, which used to back on to Sunderland Hall as a disused stage was remodelled as a separate space and meeting area. Office and classroom spaces were updated and expanded. An airy narthex was added on the side of the building facing St. Clair including a tower with a stained glass window commissioned for the renovated building. The work is entitled Radiance, Reflection, Revelation by artist Sarah Hall. It was later nominated for the Ontario Arts Council's Jean Chalmers Award as the single largest commission for a stained glass work in the Toronto area.[2]
In September 2007, the city's heritage preservation committee proposed that the building be designated as a heritage property along with eight other church properties in the neighbourhood. At the request of the church's board of trustees, this designation was deferred until the church members could confer on the matter.[3][4]
Governance
The congregation is led by a nine-member Board of Trustees including two Co-Presidents and a Vice-President. There is also a Treasurer, considered an ex-officio Board member. Trustees are elected by the congregation to three-year terms with the possibility of one renewal.[5] Minister(s) of the church are considered as employees and are not members of the Board (although they frequently attend board meetings). The Board is responsible for forming policy, making decisions on behalf of the congregation and monitoring the congregation's operations within those policies. All Trustees are volunteers.
The congregation holds annual meetings to elect new Board members and review and approve the annual budget.[5] Other issues affecting the entire congregation are also voted upon, as the need arises, at special meetings of the congregation.
Members
One of the prominent founding members was Joseph Workman, known as the "Father of Canadian Psychiatry". Other notable members include:[6]
- Arthur Lismer, a painter, part of the Group of Seven
- Sir Francis Hincks, politician
- Emily Stowe, the first female doctor to practise in Canada
- William Dennison, the mayor of Toronto
- Donald Macdonald
- Michael Cassidy, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party.
References
- ^ "Building Our Home – First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto".
- ^ Heritage Designation Proposal. 2008. Toronto Preservation Board
- ^ St. Clair Avenue West Church Survey – Inclusion of Nine Properties on Heritage Inventory. September 27, 2007. Toronto Preservation Board and Toronto and East York Community Council. [1]
- ^ Letter to Preservation Board on the Heritage Designation. December 3, 2007. Richard Kirsh, President, Board of Trustees, First Unitarian Congregation. [2]
- ^ a b "First Unitarian Toronto - Elected Officials".
- ^ "First Unitarian Toronto - History of First Unitarian Toronto".
External links
- First Unitarian Congregation web site
- v
- t
- e
- First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto
- Bank Street Unitarian Chapel
- Billingshurst Unitarian Chapel
- Brighton Unitarian Church
- Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford
- Brookfield Unitarian Church
- Chowbent Chapel
- Cross Street Chapel
- Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow
- Essex Street Chapel
- Fulwood Old Chapel
- Gellionnen Chapel
- General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
- Hastings Unitarian Church
- Horsham Unitarian Church
- King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield
- Meadrow Unitarian Chapel
- Mill Hill Chapel
- Unitarian Meeting House, Newcastle-under-Lyme
- Newington Green Unitarian Church
- Norcliffe Chapel
- Northiam Unitarian Chapel
- Nottage General Baptist & Unitarian Church
- Octagon Chapel, Norwich
- Richmond and Putney Unitarian Church
- Rivington Unitarian Chapel
- Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel
- Shrewsbury Unitarian Church
- Taunton Unitarian Chapel
- Todmorden Unitarian Church
- Toxteth Unitarian Chapel
- Underbank Chapel
- Ullet Road Unitarian Church
- Unitarian Meeting House, Ipswich
- Upper Chapel
- York Unitarian Chapel
- California
- First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles
- First Unitarian Church of Oakland
- First Unitarian Church of San Jose
- First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego
- Mount Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church
- Northwest Unitarian Universalist Congregation
- Pacific Unitarian Church
- Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley
- Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside
- Connecticut
- Unitarian Church in Westport
- Unitarian Universalist Church
- Universalist Church of West Hartford
- District of Columbia
- All Souls Church, Unitarian
- Universalist National Memorial Church
- Georgia
- First Universalist Church
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Temple Israel
- Iowa
- First Unitarian Church
- First Universalist Church of Cedar Rapids
- Universalist Church
- Maine
- Dexter Universalist Church
- First Universalist Church
- Pittsfield Universalist Church
- Stockton Springs Community Church
- Universalist-Unitarian Church
- Maryland
- Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
- First Unitarian Church
- Massachusetts
- All Souls Church
- Arlington Street Church
- Bernardston Congregational Unitarian Church
- Brattle Street Church
- First Parish in Cambridge
- First Church in Boston
- First Church in Roxbury
- First Church in Salem
- First Church of Christ, Unitarian
- First Parish Church (Duxbury, Massachusetts)
- First Parish Church (Taunton, Massachusetts)
- First Parish Church (Waltham, Massachusetts)
- First Parish Church in Plymouth
- First Parish Church of Dorchester
- First Parish Church, Arlington Massachusetts
- First Parish in Malden
- First Parish of Sudbury
- First Parish Unitarian Church
- First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Scituate
- First Religious Society Church and Parish Hall
- First Unitarian Church (Peabody, Massachusetts)
- First Unitarian Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)
- First Unitarian Church (Stoneham, Massachusetts)
- First Unitarian Society in Newton
- First Universalist Church (Provincetown, Massachusetts)
- First Universalist Church (Salem, Massachusetts)
- First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)
- Follen Church Society-Unitarian Universalist
- Housatonic Congregational Church
- King's Chapel
- North Parish Church
- Old Ship Church
- Second Unitarian Church
- Theodore Parker Unitarian Universalist Church
- Unitarian Church of Barnstable
- Unitarian Memorial Church
- Unitarian Society
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and the Osgood House
- United First Parish Church
- Universalist Society Meetinghouse
- Wollaston Unitarian Church
- Michigan
- Barn Church
- First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit
- Unitarian Universalist Church
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- First Universalist Church
- Peterborough Unitarian Church
- South Parish
- Unitarian Church
- New Jersey
- Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit
- Old Stone Church
- New York
- Chapin Memorial Church
- Christ Church
- First Unitarian Church of Rochester
- First Unitarian Church of Rochester (building)
- First Universalist Church
- First Universalist Church of Portageville
- First Unitarian Congregational Society
- First Unitarian Universalist Church of Niagara
- Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York
- Pullman Memorial Universalist Church
- Second Unitarian Church
- Unitarian Church of All Souls
- Unitarian Universalist Church
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Philadelphia
- Rhode Island
- Bell Street Chapel
- First Unitarian Church of Providence
- First Universalist Church
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Church of the River
- Vermont
- Cavendish Universalist Church
- Unitarian Church
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Bradford Community Church
- First Unitarian Church
- First Unitarian Society of Madison
- First Universalist Church
- United Unitarian and Universalist Church
- Unity Chapel
43°41′10″N 79°24′09″W / 43.686157°N 79.402463°W / 43.686157; -79.402463