St. Andrew's Church (Presbyterian)

Story

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.HistoryCreationSt. Andrews is Ottawa's oldest Protestant Presbyterian Church in Canada congregation Nicholas Sparks donated land in 1827, which permitted the construction and opening in 1828 of the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.The church was founded for, and built by, the Scottish and Irish labourers who were constructing the Rideau Canal for Montreal's John Redpath and their own Thomas MacKay. The location on Wellington Street was purchased for 200 pounds sterling and the church was built during lulls in the construction of the canal.As Ottawa had no Anglican church at the time, St. Andrew's argued that it should be considered the established church in the city, as the representative of the Established Church of Scotland. The advantage of being so recognized, was the rights to clergy reserves. The authorities agreed to the request, and in 1837 the church was granted a large glebe to the south of the city. This area stretching from Bronson Avenue to the Rideau Canal later became the neighbourhood known as the Glebe.