St. Christopher's began as Inglewood Mission

A mission house for a Sunday school, constructed in 1933 on land purchased during a depression era tax sale, was the origin of the parish of St. Christopher's, now the largest in West Vancouver.

Photographs and stories of the parish's early years have been collected by Elinor Martin, who produced the book with help from fellow parish archivist Margaret Ramsay recently.

The 70 years of parish history include support for the mission on Inglewood from nearby St. Stephen's, and the early formation of the Inglewood Women's Auxiliary, made up of mothers of the Sunday School children and other women living in the neighbourhood.

The Harvest Thanksgiving Service in October, 1941, marked the first church service at the mission, and agitation grew for its conversion into a parish. A new rector at St. Stephen's saw no need for a separate parish, and proposed instead closing the mission. But Bishop Francis Heathcote sided with the Inglewood group, and shortly after the Second World War established the parish of St. Christopher.

Accepting the bishop's decision graciously, the wardens and vestry at St. Stephen's presented a cheque for $500 to start a building fund, and construction of a parish hall began in 1947, and the current church building went up in 1956.

Martin's book, generously illustrated, brings the story up to the current century, and is available at St. Christopher's, 1068 Inglewood, Avenue, West Vancouver, V7T 1Y3, 604 922-5323.