About Us

St. Lawrence Anglican Church is a new Parish to the Ontario Diocese. We were formally two parishes in the city of Brockville, St. Peter’s Anglican Church and Trinity Church of Brockville. At a special vestry in 2005 we agreed to amalgamate. In 2006 it was decided that the former St. Peter’s Church would be the new home for the newly formed parish. The parish operates an Outreach centre from the former Trinity Church. In 2007 Bishop George Bruce the Bishop of the Ontario Diocese officially renamed St. Peter’s Anglican Church “St. Lawrence Anglican Church”. The building has been a long outstanding land mark in the city with its tower being a prominent sight in the city’s skyline from all directions. The Parish of St. Lawrence is new but the history of the building is extensive. Some of this history is captured below.

The St. Peter’s Parish was founded in 1814. The first incumbent of the mission of Brockville, Augusta and Elizabethtown was the Reverend John Bethune.In April 1825, land was granted and the Church was dedicated in 1831.

Additions were made through the years. The Transepts and Chancel in 1853 - with donations from Queen Victoria and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In 1854, John Travers Lewis became the sixth Rector and in 1862, at the age of 36, was consecrated first Bishop of the new Diocese of Ontario.

The organ is a three manual Cassavant from 1933, incorporating pipework from the church's first organ, an 1879 Warren. In 1983, Cassavant carried out extensive renovations, bringing the organ to a total of 53 ranks, including the addition of a trumpet en chamade.

In 1956, the new Christian Education wing was dedicated in memory of Bishop Lewis and the Reverend John Bethune.

Since 1960, the congregation has been accompanied in its worship by a choir of Gentlemen & Boys. This choir has achieved local and wider recognition by its extensive tours in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Parish celebrated the sesquicentennial of its founding in 1964 and of its dedication in 1981.

The present incumbent is the twenty-third Rector, the Rev. Canon Michael J. Read with Fr. Doug Richards as Associate priest. We are very proud of our beautiful old church and invite all those visiting with us to inspect it more closely.