A Brief History of St. Giles Church Ottawa 1925-2025
In February 1925, some months before the merger of (much of) the Presbyterian Church of Canada with the Union of Congregational Churches of Ontario and Quebec and the Methodist Church, a small but faithful congregation of what was to be the Presbyterian Church in Canada began meeting in this neighbourhood of Ottawa. Later in 1925 the congregation became more permanently established under its first minister Rev. Archibald Cameron. In 1928 the Congregation found a permanent home in the current building, designed by architect John Pritchard Maclaren.
In 1931 the congregation inducted its second minister, the Very Reverend Dr. John Logan-Vencta (OBE). Rev. Dr. Logan-Vencta supported many local charities with a particular view towards education and self improvement during his time at St. Giles. During the Second World War Rev. Dr. Logan-Vencta attained the rank of Colonel and became the Canadian Army’s principal Protestant chaplain. It was also during his time that the congregation of St. Giles began its long association with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa. In recent years this relationship has culminated in the Cameron’s pipe band hosting successful fundraising concerts on behalf of the Centretown Emergency Food Centre at St. Giles.
One former member of St. Giles with whom some of you may be familiar, Pauline Brown, who would go on to become the director of the Jobat Christian Hospital and received generous fundraising support from the WMS and the St. Giles Presbyterian Women’s Association over several years.