The Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Ottawa

The Church of Saint John the Evangelist is an Anglican temple in Ottawa. Its history goes back to the 19th century to a church built in 1853 for Anglican soldiers posted in Bytown. In 1861, it was replaced with a small Chapel of Ease whose name was then changed to Saint John's in 1871, courtesy of Bishop John Lewis, who wished to set up a pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Ontario.

In 1889, an uproar broke out in the neighbouring Saint George’s Church on liturgy, following which a group of thirty people left the congregation with a plan to build a church of their own. Architect Mr. J. Hames was hired to do the design and the construction got underway with the cornerstone laid on October 21, 1890. Within a year, the church was completed and sanctified as Grace Church.

In 1912, a terrible fire ravaged Saint John’s church. After that, Saint John’s and Grace Church were merged in 1913 to form what's since been known as The Church of Saint John the Evangelist. The interior of this church is clad totally in wood and embellished with several stained-glass windows, while the outer walls feature brick- and stonework.

The Church of Saint John the Evangelist has been long known for its benign attitude toward gay people. Its first rector, Canon Gorman, had a son who was gay, and was much loved and well remembered by the parishioners. Gay people were energetic members of the local community in the 1960s and 1970s. When the epidemic of AIDS stroke in the mid 1980s, the gay community were given full support by Saint John’s.

Saint John’s is equally dedicated to both prayer and the community work. Its activities include arranging political meetings, organizing concerts, housing art festivals along with many other events beneficial to the whole community.