"Flagship of Kokanee"

History of St. Saviour's Pro-Cathedral and the Anglican Churches of Kokanee and Kootenay Lake

By Jonn Lavinnder

PRESENTATION — Author Jonn Lavinnder presents a copy of "Flagship of Kokanee" to Archbishop John Privett at St. Saviour's Pro-Cathedral

Many churches in the diocese of Kootenay have written and published their histories, especially as many have celebrated a 100th anniversary in the last decade. These histories have been published in many formats, including one-page flyers, 80-page spiral bound publications, and perfect bound soft cover editions. As parish secretary of St. Saviour's Pro-Cathedral in Nelson, I was surprised to find that St. Saviour's, having had a rich diocesan history, only published a modest profile as part of its centennial project. Over the years several parishioners and clergy had started, but had left partially finished histories of the church: F. W. Leno, the Rev. T. L. Leadbeater, George Addie and Jim Smith just to mention a few. Peter and Jane Fowler revisited the gathering of parish history in the late 90s, involving past and present parish members in the process of telling the Nelson and area story.

Being in the unique position of having access to parish records and my past experience in publishing, I felt duty bound to collect, edit and complete these contributions. Compiling journals, articles and gleaning church committee minutes became part of my stewardship contribution. This material was published on the St. Saviour's Website. Over the past five years many contributors have added their input, such as the descendants of past Deans and Rectors. On one occasion, the grandchildren of the first Missioner to Kootenay Lake brought photographs to my office. Apparently, they had disembarked from the ferry at Balfour, stayed at the Balfour Beach Inn and came to visit St. Saviour's in Nelson. Unfortunately, they were not aware that the little church over the road from the hotel in Balfour was, in fact, St. Michael & All Angels, the first church in the area that their grandfather had helped build. The Rev. A. J. Reid had left the area when St. Saviour's was built several years later. This experience, and others like it, involving people coming from abroad to discover their history, made me realize the importance of readily available accurate documentation.

In addition to personal journals and church minutes, newspaper articles were an important source for this history. The Miner and especially the Nelson Daily News played a major role in keeping the story alive. The research over the years of archivist Shawn Lamb and Greg Scott from Touchstones Museum has been greatly appreciated by readers of the Nelson Daily News. Articles about Free Masons parading down the main street of Nelson and laying the cornerstone conjure up the past in a way that is very different from life as we know it. A review on the performance of T. S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral" brings an awareness of community involvement in church life that has almost disappeared. Anglicans have been great "Thespians."

This book incorporates the histories of St. Andrew's, Willow Point; St. Mark's, Kaslo; St. Mark's Nukusp; St. Michael, & All Angels, Balfour; St. Matthew's, South Slocan; Redeemer, Fairview; and St. Stephen's, New Denver (churches formerly part of the Kokanee Region), as well as articles and papers written about St. Saviour's. The title "Flagship of Kokanee" came from Archbishop John Privet in a communication referring to St. Saviour's role in the Kootenay Lake area.

"Flagship of Kokanee" St. Saviour's Pro-Cathedral, The Anglican churches of Nelson, Kootenay Lake & Area, 1890 - 2009, compiled & edited by Jonn Lavinnder, ISBN: 978-0-9865149-0-6, perfect bound, 182 pages, cost $30 plus shipping. Profits from book sales will go to the St. Saviour's restoration fund. Contact St. Saviour's Pro-Cathedral, 723 Ward Street, Nelson B.C. V1L 1T3 or email stsaviours@netidea.com.