In Memory of St. Andrew’s Church and Cantley’s Farming Era

Cantley's 1889 Articles in The Echo of Cantley

Cantley 1889’s volunteers have written more than 150 monthly articles of local historical interest for publication in The Echo of Cantley, a non-profit bilingual organization that produces Cantley's only community newspaper.

The following article is reprinted here with permission from in The Echo of Cantley, Volume 36 no 10, May 2025.

In Memory of St. Andrew’s Church and Cantley’s Farming Era

Margaret Phillips

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the tragic demolition of Cantley’s historic St. Andrew’s United Church. It happened at dawn, with no prior notice, on May 26, 2020.

St. Andrew’s Church was more than a place of worship. For 143 years, the church was truly a place of communion for Cantley’s farm families who worked together to keep it alive. By 1877, they had raised funds then volunteered to build their church. Together, they continued to maintain it until its deconsecration in 2016.

“From our barnyard we have a clear view of the church about 500 yards distant. But on Tuesday, May 26 the leaves were out enough to partially block my view as I did morning chores. I could see a large shovel working beside the church. I got an uneasy feeling. I ran to the house and yelled at Sue to grab the phone and come with me. We arrived to see only 2 walls of the church still standing.” Bob McClelland’s Journal, 2020.

Together, parishioners also built the parish’s Orange Hall in 1904, and then again in 1954 after its devastating fire. The hall was a welcoming community centre for everyone in Cantley for more than 60 years.

In 2018, the St. Andrew’s pulpit and a pew were donated to the municipality and placed inside the townhall outside the library. The pulpit was made in 1877 by Louis Lavasseur, a wood craftsman from Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield and was refinished in the 1960s. The pews were purchased between 1903-1908 for $250 (equivalent $9000 today). The St. Andrew’s Ladies Guild held afternoon meetings in their homes to sew items for sale (especially men’s work shirts) to raise funds to buy the pews. We hope you will soon see the pulpit and pew in their new home at the entrance of the CCM’s Espace culturel (library). These special artefacts represent Cantley’s heritage. They are also memorials to Cantley’s historic church and generations of its parishioners.

To honour the memory of St. Andrew’s church, Cantley’s early farm families and our agricultural heritage, Cantley 1889 is organizing a guided walk along Chemin St-Andrew on May 31st. Everyone is welcome.

Before our walk begins near the entrance of Chemin St-Andrew, Bob McClelland will take us back in time with stories of the church, its surrounding farms and nearby sites such as early family farm burial grounds, a school and a mine. Early farmers, like the Smith family who settled in Cantley in 1831 and lived next to the church, endured unbelievable hardships and tragedy.

During our walk, Hubert McClelland will talk about his pastures and their place in a sustainable environment. Chemin St Andrew is typical of Cantley’s iconic rolling pastoral countryside. It runs alongside the McClelland pastures and down the gentle hill to the Blackburn Creek. We will stop to appreciate the significance of the creek as an ecological corridor and its importance to Cantley’s early farmers, then continue our walk admiring views of the fields and hills. Along the way, we are sure to hear more tales about life in bygone times and enjoy chatting with fellow walkers.

Together we will learn more about our community’s history, our environment, and our special rural heritage. We hope you will join us.

For more information about the history of St. Andrew’s United Church:

Beside the church was the Smith House, an original 1831 log cabin with extensions added since. Small addition with door (left) was a general store, late 1800s to early 1900s. Main house (right) was the manse for St. Andrew’s,1879-1889. Smith collection.

Smith House, 2004. Brick now covers the original log and clapboard. Later addition at back is a kitchen. Smith collection.

St. Andrew’s United Church, Cantley. 1877 – 2020. Until the 1940s, there were three exterior drivesheds for horse-drawn vehicles. Photo P. Bélisle, 2015.

St. Andrew’s had special memories of funerals, baptisms, and weddings like this one of Margo Smith’s wedding, early 1970s. Photo W. Hupé.

Veterans memorial was displayed in the church honouring parishioners from World War II. Photo W. Hupé.

Parishioner and carpenter (Henry) Osler Easy installed wood V-joint interior, early 1900s. He later created the communion table (front of pulpit) in memory of his parents Henry and Dinah. Osler was father of Evelyn, wife of Cantley’s postmaster Joe Hupé. Photo W. Hupé.

Cantley Townhall, 2018. Pulpit and pew were donated as artefacts of Cantley’s heritage and memorials of the historic 1877 church and its parishioners.

St. Andrew’s had special memories of funerals, baptisms, and weddings like this one, 1952: Cantley postmaster Joe Hupé (left) and Evelyn Easy, with her parents Louise and Osler (who installed the wood interior of church). Hupé collection.

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