Foundations of Faith: Historic Religious Buildings of Ontario

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

More than forty early Ontario places of worship are discussed in this
interesting work. Although Protestant and Roman Catholic churches
predominate, meeting houses, temples, cathedrals, synagogues, a shrine,
an Islamic centre, an open-air worship site, and a private memorial are
included in the selection.

Although the author specifies the book is “neither a religious book
nor a history book,” its appeal is mainly to those interested in
social history. Religion—regardless of faith or denomination—was a
significant factor in the lives of Ontario’s settlers and early
residents. The church or other place of worship often dominated the
architecture of early Ontario settlements. It united the community and
was central to all aspects of life, from birth to death.

Holroyd’s work is a labor of love. She visited each site for research
and local color and to gain a sense of the building’s presence.
Undoubtedly it is this direct contact that is responsible for the
book’s charm. Holroyd is able to communicate each building’s
atmosphere and idiosyncrasies. She writes with the authority of someone
who has sat in the aged wooden pews, experienced the light pouring
through the stained-glass windows, felt the calm that dwells in these
sacred places.

In the short essay on each building she limits her remarks to what’s
interesting: architecture, setting, founders, traditions, changes,
furnishings, etc. This variety avoids the potential monotony in
describing yet another church.

While there are other works available on Ontario’s pioneer churches,
they tend to be albums with a minimum of information. In Holroyd’s
work the small black-and-white photos are secondary to the strong text,
which gives valuable insights into the province’s social history.