4/10/11

1890 Deep Cove Road

Posthumous
Deep Cove United Church
Deep Cove, North Vancouver, B.C. Canada

The history of Deep Cove United Church was reported in the August 16, 1987 North Shore News,  "Church in Transition" and the Deep Cove Heritage Society pamphlet,  "Deep Cove United Church 1937-1976".

"The United Church began in Deep Cove in 1937 when a young bride by the name of Doris Smith and her husband moved to Deep Cove. She started a Sunday School on Main Street (...in the Dance Pavilion...) and a student minister, R. M. Warne, held church services.

"After a period of time, the school and services moved to the Legion Hall (...at the corner of Caledonia and Gallant)...Both the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches also held services at the community hall during the same period.

"In 1943 services were moved to the fire hall, which later became the community hall. The Rev. Cameron served as the first full-time minister from 1942 to 1947. Eighteen ministers in all have served the church over its first 50 year period.  The little white church at 1890 Deep Cove Road has been home to a church community of approximately 150 families since a dedication of the church was conducted by Rev. H. Vessey, May 25, 1952.

                     The original corner stone of the Deep Cove United Church

"...the church congregation closed the last day of service July 26 (1987) with a celebration and re-dedication.  The congregation has moved to a temporary location at 971 Berkley Rd.  Plans are underway to construct a new church at the ecumenical centre planned, by the District of North Vancouver in conjunction with the Parkgate Centre, for the corner of Mount Seymour Parkway and Indian River Road."

The church actually moved to 1200 Parkgate Ave. and became Mount Seymour United Church.  It opened its doors April 30, 1989. 

North facing original window

Beamed ceiling of original sanctuary

Original sanctuary pew

(Made by  congregation member Gustave Muri, 

as told to SW by his daughter 4/2015.)

Today the original church building on Deep Cove Road is "My Little School" Montessori School offering full time daycare and out of school care.  Some of the features of the original United Church can still be seen: the original corner stone, the large north facing window, the beamed ceiling of the sanctuary, and two of the original pews.

The original wooden cross from the  was refinished by James Fulton and put up for a Lenten service in 2005 in the Sanctuary at Mount Seymour United Church. (See Blog Post 8/17/14.)   As the story goes, after Lent Dermott McInnes said, "It looks good" and so it stayed."(REFS. d.)



Note: For more information on Deep Cove see April 3, 2011 Blog Post.

Photos: Taken at My Little School in March 2011 by Suzanne Wilson.
Reference 1: North Shore News, August 16, 1987, "Church in Transition".
Reference 2: Deep Cover Heritage Society pamphlet, "Deep Cove United Church
                        1937-1976".
References: Received from Mount Seymour United Church files:
                                   a."Seymour Heights United Church-Service of Dedication- 
                                                         Sunday, September 13th, 1959."
                                    b."History of Seymour Heights/Mount Seymour 
                                                         United Church"
                                    c."Mount Seymour United Church, North Vancouver, B.C. 
                                                         10th Anniversary Sunday, April 18, 1999"
                                    d."Mount Seymour United Church 25th Anniversary
                                                         Celebration May 4, 2014 From 1989: To 2014

(Note: These references are on file at the North Vancouver Archives.)