Parish History

​

St Barnabas Church is the Anglican Church in Deep River, Ontario. The uniquely designed brick and glulam arched structure is in a forested area on the edge of town with its design being described as Modernist. Prior to 1959, services were held in several locations beginning with the Defence Industries Ltd. dining hall.

 

In 1946, the Defence Industries Ltd. townsite in Deep River was being developed and soon enough, church services were being held regularly in the dining hall. As the town grew, so did the congregation and services were moved to the new Cockcroft Community school the following year. The congregation was eventually named St. Barnabas', Deep River and by 1948, services were held in the Assembly Room of the Community Centre. In 1952 the National Research Council of Canada oversaw most of the planning and building in the community and built a church in Deep River for the St. Barnabas and Community Church congregations. They paid nominal rent for its use until the Rector and Wardens of St. Barnabas purchased the land for their church from Atomic Energy in 1959.

 

St. Barnabas', Deep River was dedicated by Bishop Ernest Reed on January 29, 1963. Over the years St. Barnabas’ became a gathering place for smaller neighbouring congregations like that of St. Oswald's, Chalk River which merged with St. Barnabas' in 1977. Repairs were made to the church roof around 1995 and in 2020 it was completely replaced. Further repairs on the church arches, known as “Glulam” (glued laminated timber) arches, were completed in 2008. A later addition was added in 2014 to provide the church with offices, a larger narthex, and nursery to give us the St. Barnabas Anglican Church we know today.