St. Anne's Anglican Church

St. Anne's
Exterior of the church in 2009
Denomination	Anglican Church of Canada
Website	www.saintanne.ca
History
Dedication	Saint Anne
Architecture
Heritage designation	National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	1996
Architect(s)	William Ford Howland
Style	Byzantine Revival
Years built	1907–1908
Administration
Province	Ontario
Diocese	Toronto
Deanery	Parkdale
Parish	St. Anne's, Brockton
Clergy
Rector	The Rev. Don Beyers
Honorary priest(s)	The Rev. Dr. Stephen Drakeford
Curate(s)	The Rev. Hannah Johnston

The painted ceiling, showing stars, inside the dome of the Byzantine-style St. Anne's Anglican church.

St. Anne's Anglican Church (also known as St. Anne's, Gladstone Avenue, St. Anne's, Brockton, or the Group of Seven Church) is a historic Anglican parish church located in the Brockton Village neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario.

Established in 1863, the present church building, a National Historic Site of Canada, was constructed in 1907–1908 in the Byzantine Revival style, unique for an Anglican church. The interior of the church is decorated with murals by members of the Group of Seven depicting events of the Old and New Testaments which date to 1923. The artwork by J. E. H. MacDonald, Frederick Varley and Franklin Carmichael is a unique example of religious works by the circle, known for their landscapes.

The building was severely damaged by fire on Sunday, June 9, 2024. The interior and artworks, including the Group of Seven murals, were destroyed.

History

The first church was built in 1862, which now serves as the church's hall. It was established in 1863 as the parish for the hamlet of Brockton and is one of the seven (formerly twelve) parishes of Parkdale Deanery.

In 1906 Canon Lawrence Skey oversaw the building of a new church to better fit its increasing congregation. In 1907 a competition was held for the design of the new church, and was won by William Ford Howland. The church was built in the Byzantine Revival style. St. Anne's is constructed of concrete and brick and has a cruciform plan with a distinctive central dome, 21 metres (69 ft) in height. Other architectural features include two domed bell towers, a half-domed chancel and arched transepts. It is the only Canadian Anglican church built in the Byzantine style. The property is protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement. The property is also a designated building under the Ontario Heritage Act and it was designated as a National Historic Site by the Government of Canada in 1996.

Group of Seven

In 1923 Canon Lawrence Skey commissioned artwork for the interior; the project was led by J. E. H. MacDonald, one of the founding members of the Group of Seven. MacDonald assembled a group of Canadian artists, which included fellow Group of Seven members Fred Varley and Franklin Carmichael, as well as Thoreau MacDonald, Neil Mackechnie, Arthur Martin, S. Treviranus, H. S. Palmer and H. S. Stansfield. Together they created more than a dozen murals and large paintings. The group also included sculptors Frances Loring and Florence Wyle, who created medallions and the reliefs of the four apostles.

Fire

On the morning of June 9, 2024, a fire broke out in the building at around 8:00 a.m. EDT. The four-alarm fire was knocked down by 9:30 a.m. that morning. The central dome of the church collapsed during the blaze, with no reports of injuries. The building and its artifacts were declared to have been "completely destroyed" by the fire.

External links

• St. Anne's Anglican Church at the Ontario Heritage Trust website
• St Anne's on Lost Rivers.
• Historical plaques of St Anne's Church
• saintanne.ca Church Website