Chapter 4 – The Parish in a Parish Church and a New Hall

In 1964 there were four services at St. Mark’s: 8:00 A.M., 9:30 A.M., 11:00 A.M., and 4:00 P.M. The membership was listed as 340 families. The projected parish size by 1986 was 850 families which would indicate a Church to seat 340 would be needed. With four services every Sunday, a full Church at the main 9:30 A.M. service, and an exploding community building around the area, it was not long before active plans were being laid for a Hall to handle the overflow. As well there was serious thinking about splitting the Parish. There was some good analysis work done in preparing for a decision. Two planning graphs in the Parish archives showing the attendance at Services in 1964 and a projection to 1986, and the total population projection for the area, were almost dead on.

George Foy hit the nail on the head in his comments for the May 1965 Crusade for Expansion. He said that the “need for more and better accommodation had passed the stage of being urgent - it is now a vital necessity.” He also added that if anyone thought he was overstating the case, they could come to the hall for a week and observe the “crowded, nay, almost impossible conditions with which both the young and old must contend.” With five nights of scouts, guides, brownies, and cubs in the week, there was no room left for anything else. St. Rita’s was a temporary solution for the Church School, but it would not last.

Regardless of whether to split or not split the Parish, the planning showed that a hall to seat 400 would be needed. The hall would be designed so that services could be held in it until a church extension could be built or a new Parish split from St. Mark’s. That gives the reasoning for the shape of the hall with a chancel like structure at the West end. As a side note, fire regulations must have changed because in 1999 the hall capacity is listed as 218, so it would not have solved the problem.

Plans for a Parish Hall on the south side of the Church, a link between the Church and the hall (integrating the portico), a choir room on the north-west corner of the Church and an office on the south-west corner of the Church were drawn up and approved by two Vestries in 1965. The plans were drawn by Balharrie, Helmer, and Associates of Ottawa dated November 1965. Jim Strutt who designed the Church was associated with Balharrie then. The general theme of the Church was carried into the hall with laminated beams of BC fir and a roof of cedar. The walls were brick. Provision was made for an entrance from the parking lot and another from Fisher Avenue. A new kitchen, a ladies’ parlour, two washrooms, a maintenance room, and a boiler room were incorporated into the plans. Some additions dated August 1966 were made to the plans. The sod turning took place on May 15, 1966 with George Foy doing the honours with our famous shovel from Bert Rump.

A Parish Newsletter from the Wardens in June 1966 gives some of the details of the huge amount of work that was being done and the difficulties of meeting deadlines:

“It is our intention to issue a Newsletter periodically to keep you informed on the progress of your Church Extension.

The majority of you are already aware that a contract was signed with Taplen Construction Limited on May 12, 1966. We turned the First Sod on May 15th. The price submitted by Taplen Construction was $90,221.00, this price remained firm for 60 days, but unfortunately by the time our negotiations with the Bank were completed the 60 day period had expired and the price was increased by $1,106.00 to cover the increase in the cost of certain Building Materials. Even with this increase in price it was still lower than that of the second lowest tender ($93,717.00).”

The hall was blessed on November 6, 1966 by Bishop Reed.

The final cost of the hall and additions to the Church was $95,000. The difference between the Taplen Construction bid and the final cost represented architect fees and changes. Because some money was left from a previously established building fund, only $88,500 (or $87,712 is another value quoted) was borrowed. The problem with the actual amount is that the money was advanced in small amounts as needed, and the paper trail is very confusing. The funds came from the Bank of Montreal on a short term basis as the Diocese planned to take over the mortgage.

A number of things happened which put the Parish into a very tight financial position and these things were something that no one at that time could foresee. The Diocese experienced a decrease in funds and could not loan any money. The Parish was left with a demand loan at the prime rate which rose from 7-1/4% to 11% over a few years. Church attendance decreased dramatically in the late 60s and with it Church income. As well the birth control pill came into widespread use in the mid-sixties so there were no kids for the parents to take to Sunday School. One more factor must not be forgotten in regard to the Parish size. George Foy firmly believed that every Anglican in the Parish area should be on the Parish List, regardless of whether or not they wished to be, and regardless of whether they attended church. The bottom line was that numbers on the Parish List did not equate to bodies in the pews every Sunday.

There was no question that George Foy needed help. A retired clergy C.J. Ryley came to the parish in 1964, however, failing health prevented him from continuing. In January 1965, William Townson came as a Curate. In 1967, Allan Box replaced him after William left for Montreal. In September 1968 the Parish reached the proverbial rock and a hard place position and the Curate position was deleted. It was a heart wrenching time.

In 1967 for the first time since the Parish became self-supporting, apportionment could not be paid in full. Only $4,151 of the $8,300 assessed could be paid. 1968 and 1969 were the worst years with $1,500 of $9,475 and $1,000 of $8,429, respectively, being paid. Starting in 1970 we began to pay more and more until 1975 when the full amount was paid again, and by 1981, all of the amounts not paid from 1967 to 1974 were picked up and paid in full.

Despite two visitations in 1967 and 1969, attendance and finances remained the number one problem at St. Mark’s. Everything was cut that could be cut. The only flexible part of the budget was apportionment and it was used to keep St. Mark’s afloat as noted in the paragraph above.

The 1969 detailed instructions for the Marksmen who hosted the coffee hour on the first and third Sundays are just as relative thirty years later. They made 60 cups of coffee using 1 pound of coffee (making sure they started with cold water). One box of plain tea biscuits, one box of chocolate chip cookies, milk/cream, and sugar were also on the Sunday menu. The only thing that would need changing would be the instructions to “make one cup of tea for Mrs. Foy only, serve in Hall.” That would have sort of cut-off the many tea-only drinkers we have today.

In 1969 the first of St. Mark’s Art Shows was held. It was put on by the Ladies’ Guild and featured local artists. The Guild took a percentage of the sale. It has been a very popular event for both the Guild and the artists. In 1999 there were 41 artists who had their work for sale.

On November 1, 1970 the Church Hall was named Bishop Reed Hall in memory of a good friend of George Foy and the Parish.

In 1970, Open was $1290, Envelope was $34,558, and total revenue was $38,928.

Sunday School attendance fell from a high of 200 in 1968 to 70 in 1971.

George Foy left the Parish in 1971 after having been the Rector for 15 years and 5 months. He went through some glorious highs in the life of the Parish and some dismal lows. David Bolton came to the Parish from Campbell’s Bay.

At that time the Parish owed $7,000 to R.B. Faith, $20,000 to the Church Extension Commission, $85,000 to the Bank of Montreal, and $13,000 on the Rectory to the Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Robert Faith, the holder of the first mortgage on the Church, died on April 19, 1968. Payments were suspended during probate of the will. In 1971, Robert’s widow, Ina Thomasina Faith, requested the amount be paid in full with all the interest owing. At that time the principal was $7,000. The Church Extension Corporation, at St. Mark’s request, offered a loan to St. Mark’s of $5,000 at 3%. Audrey Clark, a parishioner, loaned the remaining $2,000 at 3% as well. It is worth noting that the new $5,000 from the Diocese was secured by a promissory note signed by the Rector, David Bolton, and the two Wardens, Cliff Davis and Al Smith. There was obviously some understanding of our situation with the demand loan at the bank.

In 1970 five new pews were made by a woodworker in Hull, and given as memorials to the Church. The basic design used was the pews from the Seaway. When more pews were donated as memorials, and no one could be found to do the work reasonably, Lorne Bowerman started to make them. In total he made 13 pews and refinished the pew frontals. In 1999 there are 11 pews each in the outside rows, and 9 on the inside giving a total congregational seating of 40 pews, and with a capacity of 5 persons per pew comfortably, the total congregation capacity is 200. There are 8 pews in the choir, each with a capacity of 5 persons so the maximum choir size is 40. If the clergy, server, sidespersons, and organist are added, the maximum Church capacity is 250.

Connie Bowerman became Envelope Secretary in 1973 and still serves in that capacity in 1999.

The 1974 Parish List contained the names of 314 Parishioners.

The March 31, 1974 bulletin gives the order of service of 8:00 AM Holy Communion, 9:15 AM Holy Eucharist, and 11:00 AM Mattins. The Bulletin also announced that “Mens Lib has broken out in full at St. Mark’s. The Marksmen have been asked to set up a table at the Church Bazaar in the fall. So men, what can you make that we can sell? Bread boards, candle holders, keycases, tongs, and any other type of gadgetry. If you knit, sew, or smoch that’s alright too.” “Smoch” must have been have been a typo for “smock”, but if we were talking men’s lib, maybe it really was “smooch.”

St Mark’s celebrated its 25^th Silver Anniversary in 1974 with special souvenir silver coffee spoons and a Special Anniversary Agape Service on Friday, October 11, 1974 with the Bishop giving the address. There was a dance band and an open bar in the Hall after the service. That is quite a step from the 1955 admonishment on dancing.

1975 was a turnaround year for the Parish. Starting with a zero bank balance and $3,000 in bills at the start of the year, all budget obligations were met, the church and hall were converted to natural gas, the apportionment was paid in full, and at the end of the year there were no outstanding bills to be paid.

In 1975 as well, Sally Eaton and Norma Mellon started editing and publishing The Lion’s Mark. It was a regular news provider for St. Mark’s for many years.

By the mid 1970s, land costs had risen considerably so the Parish decided to sell some land and pay off most of the Hall Loan. Lot 92 on Fisher Avenue, part of Lot 110 on Normandy next to the Rectory, and part of Lot 232 next to the Church were sold for a total of $78,000. From the proceeds, a parking lot was built and $47,000 was devoted to the repayment of the loans.

As well the Diocese in 1976 loaned the Parish enough to pay off the bank loan and consolidated all our debts into one loan of $50,000 at 3% interest, a far cry from the 6% to 12% paid on the demand loan at the Bank. The Parish finances were under control again. The Ladies continued to work away at paying off the remaining part of the Hall Loan as all Parish income was needed to keep the Parish going.

In 1977 David Bolton accepted a call to Grace Church-on-the-Hill in Toronto. His last service with us was December 14, 1977.

David Bolton was replaced by the Rev. David Stalter from St. Margaret's Vanier. David Stalter’s appointment was effective April 1, 1978. He held his first service and was inducted on April 2, 1978.

In 1979 severe organ problems started to develop and coupled with the musical limitations of the instrument prompted the establishment of a new Organ Committee. Approval was given by Vestry to purchase an electronic organ for a total cost of $42,500. As with the previous organ, all the funds were to be raised outside the regular Church budget. The Choir raised the initial $10,000. In 1979 and 1980 the Organ Committee raised another $14,500 and $18,000 was borrowed from a friend of the Parish in 1980 at a rate 13%, an extremely good rate at a time when the demand loan rate was 21%. Because there was no money for building additions, Lorne Bowerman headed the volunteers who made the alterations. The only cost was materials. Attics were constructed on both sides of the halls outside the Sanctuary to provide room for the speakers. Holes running the length of the Sanctuary wall were cut in both sides of the Sanctuary for the speaker enclosure sound outlets, and speaker cloth was mounted on frames with cedar strip decorations. Leftover cedar from the speaker holes and from the kitchen in the basement was used to fill in the hole left when the Casavant box was removed. The organ was dedicated on November 23, 1980.

St. Mark’s lost one of its most distinguished parishioners and former warden in 1979 with the death of John Herbert Chapman. Under the category of “It’s a small world,” SPAR Aerospace Limited initiated The John H. Chapman Memorial Prize for distinguished scholarship in Engineering and on October 6, 1988, it was won by a member of St. Mark’s, Bob Bowerman of Carleton University, the son of proud parents Connie & Lorne Bowerman.

In 1979 a 30^th Anniversary Souvenir Plate was sold to mark the occasion. The 50^th Anniversary plates are based on this design.

In 1980 the Rev. Harry Bowkett came to the Parish as the Assistant. His untimely death in September 1981, left a considerable void in the Parish.

In 1980 the open collection was $5,648.97and the envelope was $54,749.80. The total givings including directed income was $123,394.33, of which $35, 572.07 was for the organ.

1980 was the time of the energy crunch and it did not pass St. Mark’s by. A letter from the Treasurer Lorne Bowerman in the Advent 1980 mailing lists some of the things that had been done:

“St. Mark's has been active in the energy saving field, motivated by the twin desires of trying to save national resources and money. We have been fairly successful as we have kept the fuel bill constant for five years, but we still have a long way to go in some areas.

Outside of converting the Church to natural gas, the most costly change has been the installation of the ceiling fans. They were $550 and should pay for themselves over this heating season. With the very high ceiling, it ends up that we heat the peak to about 90̊ F to keep the bottom six feet at 65̊ F.

Another significant change came with the organ installation; the ceilings in both alcove areas were reduced by ten feet, the windows removed and six inches of insulation installed. Storm doors were placed on the alcove area doors to cut down on the heat loss.

When the Church was built, double windows were placed on all areas except the very large windows at the back of the Church. When we were installing the fans, I built wooden frames and stretched plastic over them, and tacked them in place on the inside. That will have to do until we can scrape up enough to install storm windows on the outside, which at the same time should solve the leaking window problem.

The leaking Church basement windows on the hall side have been filled with concrete blocks and the remaining two windows on the North side have had double windows installed.

The Hall exhaust fan which was never used, (and indeed most people never even heard of it), has been sealed up. A tremendous amount of heat was lost up through its 18" by 24" plenum, which opened directly to the outside without any baffle at all.

Finally at the Church, we have reaffirmed the heating policy to lower day and night temperatures. Everyone can help here by making sure that the thermostat is set back if it were turned up, and by shutting the doors between the various areas. A copy of the policy is on the notice board.”

Because of continuing health problems of David Stalter, a number of Priests helped the Parish in 1981 and 1982. Among those were Cyril Earle, Roger Briggs, and Allan Rogers. In May 1982, Bishop Edwin Lackey appointed the Rev Harold Bridges as the Assistant to help the Rector. Hal’s first service was May 2, 1982. Financial assistance was provided by the Bishop as well.

The Rectory mortgage was paid in full in 1981 by a final donation of $1000 from the Ladies' Guild. Continued work by the Organ Committee and the Choir enabled the Organ loan to be retired in 1982.

The Hall loan was retired in 1982, again by the consistent support and dedication of the Ladies’ Guild. St Mark's for the first time since 1953 was debt free.

In 1983 the Parish undertook to assume the entire salary cost of Hal Bridges, a step which represented a considerable jump in the budget as David’s salary had to be paid as well. In October 1983, George Cooper was appointed as Assistant to the Rector to replace Hal Bridges, who had accepted the post of Rector of Kars-Osgoode.

On November 20, 1983 the Church was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Edwin Lackey, Bishop of Ottawa in a worship celebration that included great clouds of smoke as the mortgage was burnt by Lorne Bowerman, the man who kept saying for ten years the slogan "Debt free by "83."

David Stalter, who had fought a courageous battle against cancer, died on November 29, 1983. The Requiem Eucharist was held on December 2nd and was attended by well over 500 people. David was the first Rector to die in office at St. Mark’s.

On March 4, 1984 Gordon Worden came to St. Mark’s as the Incumbent. He was inducted on St. Mark’s Day April 25, 1984.

In 1984 the Rectory needed major work including replacement of rotting window sills and furnace replacement. A new gas furnace was installed. The needed $10,000 was borrowed from the Bank at 12%. This loan was paid off in 1986.

In 1984 one of our Parishioners, George Wilcox was named Nepean’s Citizen of the Year. George was the tireless worker who co-founded in 1980 the Meals on Wheels program, a volunteer service that brings food to seniors who can’t prepare their own meals.

In 1985 there were 320 households associated with St. Mark's, 67 students in the Church School and a Parish revenue of $135,000. The Hall roof was replaced with lo-slope shingles in June 1985 for a total cost of $6,350.

In 1985 both Wardens were changed, as had been the case in 1980 and 1983. There had to be a better system for these important posts. Marian Chapman, the then Rector’s Warden, suggested that St. Mark’s institute a four year cycle for wardens. This would have an incoming warden serve for one year as the deputy, two years as the warden, and then one year as the deputy again. The people’s and rector’s warden would be staggered so that only one warden would change each year. Because Marian had suggested it, she made the honourable decision that she would step aside after only one year. We commend the system to any church. The list of Wardens and Treasurers at the back of this section shows the rotation she started. By the way, Marian is the widow of John Chapman, a Warden in 1956, 1957 and 1958. Their son, John, is shown on the List as a Warden in 1988 and 1989. They are the first family to have given this remarkable service to St. Mark’s.

In 1987 The Rev. Greg Bloomquist and his family moved into the Parish. Greg, who came to Ottawa to teach at the University of St. Paul, accepted Gordon Worden's offer to become Honorary Assistant at St. Mark's. He added much to the depth and scope of St. Mark’s services.

In 1987 as well St. Mark’s became computerized with a “dazzling” IBM XT (8088) compatible with 1 meg of RAM, a clock speed of 8MHz, a hard disk of 20 MB, two 5-1/4" floppy drives, a 14" monochrome monitor, and a Toshiba 321 dot matrix printer. The cost was $6,000 for the computer, software, and desk, and was financed by a personal loan. The computer and monitor were replaced in 1997 by a second hand 286 with a SVGA colour monitor and 40 MB hard disk for $100. That is quite a dramatic increase in technology matched only by the dramatic decrease in cost.

The needs of our aging buildings now became apparent, and in 1987 Vestry approved the re-roofing of the Church and the upgrading of the windows for a cost of $52,000. The windows were replaced for improved energy conservation. St. Mark's was informed that our building no longer met safety requirements, and planning began to rectify the problems. There was a three year time limit.

In 1989 the Church furnaces had to be replaced - a bigger job than expected since asbestos had been used as insulation. Len Ward, the Property Chair, did yeoman service in arranging for the complicated installation which changed the Church from hot water to forced hot air heating. As well, rather that one large furnace, three smaller furnaces designed for houses were installed as they were cheaper, easier to maintain, and did not require complicated inspections. One furnace heated the left side of the Church, one the right, and the third did the basement. The total cost was $44,856. Financing would be through an increase of the Bank demand loan for Shingles and Panes by $32,000, at the current loan rate of 15.25%. The Shingles and Pane loan stood at $20,000 at that point. John Chapman suggested that personal loans were one method of reducing the staggering interest load.

The furnace and shingles and panes loans were consolidated in 1989 with no interest personal loans from Parish members. That was a remarkable feat! On January 1, 1990 we owed $29,000 on these loans and during the year reduced them to $24,000.

In an unusual fund raising venture, Judy Darling and Dave Roberts organized the first of the Talent Auctions on April 27, 1990. The most amazing part of the venture was the tremendous talent that came forth to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. It subsequently became a Parish event looked forward to with pleasure.

Did the shingles, panes and the new furnaces work? The Treasurer Dave Stewart in his 1991 report to Vestry stated:

As an aside, it is interesting to note that our 1991 natural gas heating costs for the Church and Hall were 42% lower than 1988 despite the increase in energy costs and the GST. The new furnaces certainly seem to be doing their job efficiently.”

In 1990 Gordon Worden accepted the Bishop's appointment to St. James', Carleton Place.

On September 2, 1990, David Lethbridge was appointed Rector. He was inducted on November 21, 1990.

During 1990, John Kirby, the Chair of the Aesthetics Committee, got a lead on a brass lectern and an altar that was stored in a barn for St. Thomas’, Stittsville. Apparently, they came from one of the Seaway churches and it is remembered as St. David’s Church in Wales, Ontario, which was drowned by the Seaway. Both items were cleaned and refurbished and are in daily use in 1999. By the way, the other two Anglican Churches that were part of the flooding to make way for the Seaway were Christ Church, Moulinette and St. George's, Mille Roche. Gordon Worden’s good memory supplied those details.

During 1991, planning was begun to bring St. Mark's up to provincial safety requirements. The main problems were the fireproofing and ease of exiting from the basement. The wooden stairs and cedar walls of the 50s did not meet the standards of the 1990s. Part of the basement could be blocked off to restrict the number of occupants and that solution was examined. In the end it was decided to retain the capacity of the basement by having the stairs and Choir Room alcove walls, leading from the basement at the west end, covered with fire code thickness gypsum wallboard, and by replacing the stairs that emptied into the back of the Church with a new hallway and stairs leading from the south basement wall, with a door directly to the outside from a vestibule.

There was not much opposition to the fire code changes. It was something that had to be done to bring us up to safety regulations. We just could not envision putting at risk our young children and youths who were the prime users of the lower level.

However, nothing is simple in life. A vocal group had been active for a few years to change the Chancel and move the altar forward and place the choir at the back facing the congregation rather than facing each other part way back to the Chancel in the Anglican tradition. A number of low-cost experiments were tried with the altar, choir stalls, and chairs moved around the area. Each experiment met with cheers from some and absolute horror from others. It was very clear to many that if left on its own, the re-design of the Chancel would not get the necessary approval. The supporters managed to tie the changes to the fire code changes and keep it tied. Another change that could be put in place with the fire code changes would be to take the end of the Link and convert it to a chapel. There was little opposition to this change and it gave a place to put the old cedar altar and its many fine frontals that had been made through the years. On December 31, 1991 the Committee doing the changes contracted with Temprano and Associates to prepare two costed proposals based on the needed fire code changes and Chancel Experiment number 2. The Chancel changes also included a new sacristy created in the south alcove outside the office.

In March 1 1992 Vestry approved plans designed by Temprano and Associates. It was not without its pain. Those opposed put a number of amendments forward to only do the fire code changes, but each motion was defeated. By the time the main motion was voted for most of those opposed had left the meeting and the motion passed 44 to 7. At the start there were 81 at the meeting. For those against, it was a bitter defeat. Some ceased to give money to the Church, but instead directed their givings to mission. It still surfaces in 1999.

Ground was broken by Judy Darling on June 21, 1992 using the famous Bert Rump shovel. Work went quickly and was well done. In November 1992 Archbishop Edwin Lackey rededicated St. Mark the Evangelist, including our new Peace Chapel.

In 1994 our Honorary Assistant the Rev. Dr. Greg Bloomquist announced his decision to work towards building an Anglican Community in Barrhaven, through our sister Church, St John the Divine on Slack Rd. Fortunately, the Rev. Dr. Frank Peake moved into our area and became the new Honorary Assistant. Frank is a historian and retired university professor and brought his many historical insights to the Parish. Frank authored the Centennial History of the Diocese in 1997 in his book.

In 1994 the Financial Stewardship Action Team (FAST) racked their brains to think of ways to raise funds. From their efforts came the Renovation Raffle, FAST Times newsletter, Debt Board, Fifth Sunday Fivers, Electronic Fund Transfer EFT (pre-authorized deposits), Canadian Tire Coupon Box, Talent Auction, and food vouchers. All of their suggestions proved to be winners. There were 30 in the EFT part when the first automated deposits were made in January 1995. The food voucher program, also called Dollar for Dollar, is a method where vouchers are purchased from National Grocers and Loblaws and used as cash in the stores. The Church buys them at a discount. It returns about 3% which in 1998 was about $2,000. Kudos to Glen McGill, Bobbi Cain, David Lethbridge, Mike Perkin, Dave Roberts, and Bob Temple for good work.

In 1996 Lorne Bowerman put St. Mark's on the Internet using Freenet as the Internet Service Provider. St. Mark's was the second Anglican Church in the Diocese to have its own web page. St. Matthias had been put up a few months earlier by a teenage member. The Vestry Report notes that it was through trial and error, and with the help of many, that it happened. There was no on-line help, books had not been written yet, and there were no guidelines available on the server.

David Lethbridge established a Scholar-in Residence position in 1996 with Greg Bloomquist filling the position. The Parish was very pleased to have Greg associated with us again.

In November 1996, David Lethbridge retired. He was replaced by Roger Steinke on January 1, 1997. Roger was inducted as Incumbent on January 26, 1997.

The winter of 1996/97 will be remembered as a time of leaking roofs. Pails-full came in through the Link ceiling and the two sides of the Church. As could be expected it was driving the Property Chair, Dave Whitman, crazy. At the April Parish Council meeting it was decided that something had to be done. The Batten-Sears consulting firm was hired to examine the roofs and make recommendations. Core samples were taken over the Hall, Link, Church sides, office, and choir room. Much to everyone’s surprise, they recommended as first priority that the Hall roof be replaced. Their reasoning was that the fibreboard underneath was saturated and it would not be long before it leaked. There was no indication of that inside the Hall and the Hall had been re-shingled in June 1985, just ten years earlier. Except for the Office and main peaked Church roofs, everything else leaked like a sieve.

One complication that was not expected was that low slope shingles were no longer being manufactured and the only effective alternative was the expensive modified bitumen membrane. It would be used on the Hall as well as to replace the tar and gravel roofs on the Link and choir room. Batten-Sears strongly recommended the modified bitumen membrane method as well as installation of insulation on the roofs. They advised that the earliest start date would be the last of September for the roof covering as the contractors were busy on schools during the summer period. The money would be needed by about mid-October.

The Electoral Vestry in June 1997 authorized the hiring of the engineering consulting firm of Batten-Sears to outline specifications for tenders, call tenders, and supervise the work. The Vestry also set up the Funding team chaired by Lorne Bowerman with Bobbi Cain, Cynthia Greer, Georgia Roberts, Bill Slaughter, and Yvonne Temple-Vermeulen as members.

The Committee estimated that $75,000 was needed for the total job. They looked at borrowing money, but the only asset that could be mortgaged was the Rectory, it was mortgaged already for $110,000. Selling the Rectory would not help as most of the sale price would be needed to pay off the mortgages. As demonstrated with the Hall furnace, a good letter sent out from the Wardens would bring in about $15,000. It was too much for personal loans. It was hard to go into more debt.

Earlier in May, Lorne Bowerman examined the record of the givings (Connie was the Envelope Secretary) and looked at possible ways of raising funds through an every member financial campaign. In the end he suggested that rather than giving everyone the same amount, every parishioner would be given a suggested specific amount of either $100, $500, $1000, or $5000. No one would be given an amount less than $100. Lorne made the initial allocations and it showed that if the suggested amounts were all given, $131,100 would be received. One concern was that it would offend parishioners and they would leave the Parish. Although Lorne made the initial allocations, Connie Bowerman went over them and changed them if she thought they needed changing. The Fund Raising Committee had doubts, but it was worth a try. There were not many options available. Just in case it did not work, the Treasurer was asked to get a Line of Credit for $25,000 from the Bank.

A Special Vestry met on September 7^th and approved the complete project and fund raising plan. The Wardens’ letter was sent the next day on September 8^th. A letter from Lorne Bowerman with specific amounts was available for pickup on Sunday, September 14^th. Those not picked up were delivered or mailed the next day. Visitors were organized and trained to collect the envelopes during the week of September 21^st to September 28^th. Every parishioner was asked to place his or her donation in an envelope, seal it, and give it to the visitor. The visitors did not have to talk specific amounts as they did not know who had been allocated what amount. Only Connie and Lorne knew the specifics and they would record all the donations and make the deposits using bank names only so that no one could find out who gave what amount.

The money started to be delivered to the Bowerman’s home or the Church as soon as the letters were delivered. Those who gave early all had the same request - no visit please. Lorne commented that a new way to raise funds would be to threaten everyone with a visitation and they would pay up to prevent it. They started making daily Bank deposits. By the time the official visitation was supposed to start, over $41,098 was donated. By the end of September, $78,698 had been raised. It was spectacular! Just to put it into prospective for future generations, the yearly budget was about $140,000, so over one-half of the amount was raised in two weeks. It was an ear-to-ear grinning time for the whole Parish.

Equally satisfying was the choice of Simluc as the Contractor. They did a first rate job on the project. They installed 4" of foam insulation on the Hall roof, held in place by a lattice work of two layers of 2"x4" and covered with pressure treated plywood. The entire roof received three layers of modified bitumen membrane, all glued together with hot asphalt. The Church side roofs, Link, and choir were covered with 2" foam insulation, fibreboard to make a slope, and then covered with three layers of modified bitumen membrane. The only problem area was in front of the windows. There was insufficient depth to allow for any drainage so ponding may occur. If the windows are ever changed, an extra 25 cm or so should be left at the bottom to permit sloping.

Lorne Bowerman repaired the Link and Choir Room ceilings for under $100.

If we had to do it all over again, we would have done the Office roof as well.

Two objected strongly to be given any amount, but contributed. Two asked to be removed from the Parish List. The hardest responses Parishioners had to write were not the cheques, but "I cannot at this time because..." Many times Lorne and Connie heard how they thought long and hard over the amount suggested and in the end concluded that St Mark's was an important part of their life, and they met or exceeded the amount suggested.

There were 275 on the Parish List at the end. Two had requested removal, and three others had moved without notifying the Parish. For the different amounts, the response were:

• Of the 7 who were given $5000:
  2 gave $5000 and 4 gave less for an average of $2583
  
• Of the 58 who were given $1000:
  29 gave $1000, 2 gave more, and 19 gave less for an average of $814
  
• Of 47 who were given $500:
  24 gave $500, 7 gave more, and 11 gave less for an average of $485; and
  
• Of the 163 who were given $100:
  49 gave $100, 28 gave more, and 17 gave less for an average of $143

Note that a significant number gave more than the requested $100, which would indicate that a target of $150 or $200 might have been more of a stretch. There were 32 who indicated they were unable to give at that time (for very valid reasons as their notes and calls indicated) and 29 of the 275 would not respond with a yes, no, or maybe.

Although the campaign was closed on December 31, some donations still came in. However, the impetus was gone because the goal had long been passed. The total amount raised was $93,508.26. The total re-roofing cost was $72,947.73. The extra $20,560.53 was earmarked for the existing loans and was paid in 1998.

That type of campaign could only be done every twenty or so years, and the reason would have to be one with universal appeal such as the roof, the furnace, or to repair major structural damage.

Did the insulation work? For the first time, snow remained on the Hall roof all the next winter. The September 1997 to August 1998 natural gas usage was down to 12,056 m³ from the usual 17,000 m³ of the period from 1993 to 1997. The year was 14% warmer, but the actual decrease in gas usage was 30%. And by the way, the fibreboard under the centre south roof of the Hall was completely saturated, so the Consultant was dead-on.

In 1997 the first Alpha Course was run at St. Mark’s under the guidance of Judy Darling. There were 35 people and 8 leaders in the first course. Judy Darling, Roger Steinke, Mike Perkin and Gail Stone joined over 600 at a two day conference at the Cathedral to learn about running an Alpha Course. The course has as it motto, Make a Friend, Be a Friend, Bring a Friend to Jesus.

The year 1997 saw the first arrival of a new Parish Newsletter called St. Mark’s Matters. It evolved from the FAST Times. It aims to publish four times each year.

One of St. Mark's talented parishioners, Judy Darling, was elected Lay Secretary of the Synod in 1998. Judy also served as the Chair of the Diocesan Budget Consultation Management Committee, as a member of the Diocesan Executive Committee, the Synod Management Committee, Parish and Diocesan Services Committee, and the General Synod's Information Resources Committee.

As had been the custom for many years (no exact starting year found), Bobbi Cain produced a list of veterans associated with St. Mark’s for Remembrance Sunday in November 1998. The 1998 list is reproduced starting on page 66.

A suitable Biblical verse was chosen by the Anniversary Committee from Leviticus. Chris Dicks set this to music and it was used on many occasions in Anniversary celebrations. The music is included on page 68.

An e-mail from the Diocese of Ottawa February 19, 1999 prompted Lorne Bowerman to mount the first of the three Dot Kirby Memorial Bells in a temporary portable mount and ring it on March 1, 1999 at 1:00 PM. It made a joyful noise. It was the first time that the bell had been rung at St. Mark’s. The e-mail said in part:

On March 1, 1999, the "Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction" becomes international law. We don't want this occasion to pass without people taking notice of what we have accomplished - and what we can accomplish when we join together to create a more just and peaceful world. For this reason, we are joining other organizations around the world and across Canada in making a "joyful noise" on March 1. At 1 pm, the carillon bells on Parliament Hill will be joined by city halls, churches, mosques, taxis, and individuals across the country.”

An advertising supplement to the Ottawa Citizen in March 1999 featured another one of the many contributions of St. Mark’s to the religious life in Eastern Ontario since 1989. Sandy Stinson, one of the organizers from the Parish, phoned the Citizen to check on a possible ad for the Choir Camp, but at $400, it was way beyond the capabilities of the Camp and the Choir. However, the Editor asked Sandy to forward her some information and she decided to feature the Camp. That was a stroke of luck and good management by Sandy. The story gives the details:

A Camp that Sing's
The Choir Camp is a little one-week overnight camp with a loud voice.

The Choir Camp was founded in 1981 by Trinity Anglican Church in Cornwall, to provide boys and girls with an enjoyable experience. The aim was to combine a love of the outdoors with socializing, making new friends, and pulling together as a group to achieve a common musical goal.

Campers take part in a daily round of sports, swimming, arts and crafts, campfires, campfire stories, and, of course, choir practice.

While the camp is now sponsored by St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ottawa, its tone is non-denominational, and the repertoire focuses on religious music from many different cultures and countries. Campers and volunteer staff are drawn from a variety of churches from Ottawa down to and including Cornwall.

The five-day overnight camp is located at Camp Tsotahoteh, the Boy Scouts' camp on the St. Lawrence River at Cornwall.

Camp starts Wednesday August 18^th and the closing service, where the campers perform the songs they've learned, is held in Ottawa on Sunday August 22^nd.

Each year the activities centre on a different theme; the theme for this year is BELLS. Previous themes have included tall ships, Celtic traditions, Aztec traditions, and medieval times.

Although the 1999 fee has not yet been set, it usually runs to $125 for the five days and four nights.

The camp welcomes all girls and boys, ages eight to 14, and ability to read music is not necessary. For more information, please contact St. Mark's Church at 224-7431.

On Easter Day 1999, April 4, needlepoint bench covers were blessed in loving memory of Brian Roy Morphew and Ethel & Ernest Rooke. The needlepoint was done by Jackie Sorfleet and her sister Josie McCarthy. These were a matched pair for the ones dedicated on April 26, 1998 in loving memory of James Bowman Dick and Evan Hugh Andrew. Josie counted the stitches in one for interest and the answer was astounding: 116,800 in each of the four bench covers. It is beautiful work that will be admired for years to come. Much earlier, sometime in the 80s, a bench cover was made for the Bishop’s Chair by Jackie in memory of Madge Langley.

In May 1999 Heather Rice resigned as organist to broaden her musical talents. No new organist had been hired at the time of writing. While the search was on, an old friend of the Parish, Don Marjerrison came back to help.

In March and May of 1999, Institutional Promotions of Canada (IPC) came to photograph the Parish as part of the 50^th Anniversary events. It was the first time that it had been published in full colour, and in addition, it was the first time that the photographic recording had been twinned with digital technology so the viewing could be done at the same session. In what will be a well-remembered humourous incident, when the proof of the book was received from IPC, low and behold there was the picture of Alan Steinke in the Rector’s spot. It arrived on Alan’s 16^th birthday so it was a present that he will remember. He was all for leaving it, but for future generations, the picture of his father was substituted.

A survey was done in April and May 1999 on what to do with the gift of the Dot Kirby bells. The June Vestry received the results and made the decision, based on the results, that a suitable tower would be erected only after the present debt of $70,000 had been retired and when sufficient funds had been raised to cover the full cost of the tower.

Written by Lorne Bowerman with help from
Norma Mellon, Marian Chapman, Joy Bowerman, Gordon Worden, and many others.