Where is Saint George's?
The church is located in the north end of Halifax, Nova Scotia,
which is on the eastern coast of Canada. More detailed information
can be found by clicking here.
When was Saint George's constructed and who designed it?
Construction started in 1800. The concept came from Edward Duke
of Kent, but the architect is not known.
Why is the church round?
Edward, Duke of Kent, was fascinated with round structures and
encouraged the parish to be daring in building a new home for
itself.
What is St. George's relationship to the Little Dutch Church?
Originally, the Little Dutch Church (LDC) was a chapel of St.
Paul's Anglican. The LDC was consecrated to St. George by the
rector of St. Paul in 1760. Although the LDC was a Lutheran congregation,
it had no pastor and so communion was celebrated twice yearly
according to the Anglican rite. The Reverend Bernard Houseal (a
Lutheran pastor turned Anglican) took a position at the LDC from
1786-1799. The congregation prospered under his leadership and
in 1800, a new church was needed. In that year, construction of
the Round Church began.
Why is the church a national historic site?
Because of its unusual design and its role in the history of
Nova Scotia.
Tell me more about the Anglican church.
There are Anglican Dioceses and Parishes around the world. The
Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) comprises 29 dioceses and stretches
from the Pacific to the Atlantic, as well as to the very far north.
Saint George's is part of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince
Edward Island.
How many services take place each week at St. George's?
Morning, Noon and Evening Prayer are said each day of the week.
Holy Communion services are Monday evenings, Tuesday mornings,
Wednesday morning and Friday noon as well as twice on Sunday.
Compline is said on Monday evenings after the Julian gathering
and sung on Sunday evenings.
How is the church involved in the community?
The church has a 200 year history in this community. At present
this involvement takes the form of daily services open to all,
an active inner city youth mentoring program (Saint George's YouthNet),
a Saturday Soup Kitchen, involvement in the Inner City Initiativ,
Inner City Education Advisory and Jospeh Howe School Breakfast
Club. The Restoration Quilters make crib quilts for children in
crisis and collections at the church are often donated to local
and international projects. For more about the church's involvement
in this area, please see Outreach and the Rector's Lecture.
When was the fire?
The fire was discovered by Greg Videtic after evening prayer
on Thursday June 2, 1994.
How did the fire start?
It was started by children in the basement of the church.
What was the extent of the damage?
Just over one third of the church was destroyed. The rest was
significantly water and smoke damaged. Aftert the fire, the church
was covered with tarps; items of brass, including a smoke burned
cross, and stone plaques, were removed.
Why did the parish decide to rebuild the church?
There were lengthy discussions after the fire regarding the possibility
of rebuilding. In the end, the parish decided to rebuild the
church because of its architectural and historic significance
as well as its commitment to its north end community. The parish's
many outreach initiatives are a testamant to this commitment.
How long did the restoration take?
The initial phase was completed in six years. The new organ,
marking the second phase, was installed in 2002.
How did the church pay for the restoration?
The church is a national, provincial and Municipal historic site,
so $2 million was available from government. The remaining $2.75
million was raised from individuals, churches, foundations, corporations,
special events, etc. Parishioners gave generously.
Who designed this web site and why?
The "Church and Community" web site was designed
in the Saint George's YouthNet office as a project of YouthNet.
Young people who take part in YouthNet's lunch-time drop-in
helped with the Outreach and YouthNet pages - on ongoing project.
As a whole, the web site celebrates the history and long relationship
of Saint George's parish in this community. Thanks are due to
Industry Canada Digital Collections for making this project
possible. Additional credits are
listed here.
You can also view profiles
for the development team by clicking here.
How do I use this web site?
Detailed instructions regarding the site
navigation are available here.
