Chalmers
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In 1855, Bytown's name was changed to Ottawa and two years later it was declared the capital of the United Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. The incoming population contained a good proportion of Presbyterians, so the two existing Presbyterian churches, St. Andrews (on Sparks Street at Kent) and Knox (on Daly Avenue near Cumberland Avenue) had a challenge to meet. At a Knox Church Congregational meeting in August 1865, a small number of members volunteered to found a new church, and were assured of the goodwill and help of the people of Knox Church in their new sphere of endeavor. On August 27, 1865, the new congregation, numbering 19, met in a hall on Sparks Street. Next evening a congregational meeting planned their steps into the future. Things went very well and Bank Street Presbyterian Church was opened in 1868, at the corner of Bank and Slater Streets.
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The first pastor was The Reverend William Moore who served with great distinction until 1902. From the beginning there was a Sunday School and in 1890 a new building was opened for that purpose. The Bank Street Presbyterian Church grew and prospered until by 1909 a larger building was needed. The location at Cooper and O'Connor Streets was approved and the new church was built. The cornerstone was laid in 1912 and with the opening in 1914 the new church was to be called "Chalmers Presbyterian Church."
In 1955 a disastrous fire did extensive damage to the church sanctuary and entirely gutted the rest of the building. However, construction was undertaken and Woodside Hall and the Memorial Chapel were added.
At the time of Church Union in 1925 Chalmers welcomed groups from other congregations, so it has always been a "uniting church." In 1962 Dominion Church accepted the invitation of Chalmers to join with them. The two congregations had always been good friends, exchanging summer services and being interested in each other's programmes. In our Dominion-Chalmers United Church of today we are the heirs of the finest traditions of Methodism and Presbyterianism. It is a happy, working amalgamation that continually seeks to play its role in downtown Ottawa.
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