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Seabreeze United Church

History of Seabreeze United Church

In 1897, a small wooden church was erected on the east shore of Ten Mile Bay. James Gideon Burk and his wife Harriet generously contributed land for the building, as well as the adjoining graveyard. As a result, parcel #903 was transferred to the Methodist Church of Canada, and the church lot was established. The construction of the church was made possible by the hard work and contributions of local families. Over the course of two years, from 1896 to 1897, the Irwins, Robsons, Burks, Hamiltons, Dales, Chevaliers, Boothbys, and Dillons, who were among the pioneer families of Ten Mile Bay, donated lumber and supplies, and volunteered their labor.

After church union in 1925, the United Church of Canada assumed ownership of the property, and the church was renamed Birkendale United Church. The church's name was later changed to Seabreeze Community Church in 1963. One of the most significant changes to the church's appearance occurred during this time, when the interior was extensively renovated by a group of enthusiastic cottagers. The Gothic-style hand-carved oak woodwork, which had been removed from Toronto's Deer Park United Church during its major renovation, was used to create a new chancel wall, rail, pulpit, and window trims. Donations of materials and money from the community helped furnish the flooring, wall curtains, embroidered pulpit cloth, bible book mark, wooden cross, and collection trays.

In addition to the renovations, a new coat of paint, a signboard at the road, planter barrels, a new porch and roof, and a bell tower were added to the church. A gifted "tanker" bell from a decommissioned freighter was installed in the bell tower, which was constructed to mark the centennial celebration of the church in 1997. This celebration also saw the Lake of Bays Heritage Award presented to the church in recognition of its 100-year history.

The Seabreeze Community Church continues to serve as a centrepiece for the beach, supported by an active church committee devoted to supplying its programs, and the cottagers who attend. Though the cemetery is inactive, it serves as a testament to the church's past through the markers and gravestones that tell the history of the early church. We invite you to view historical images of the church and its surroundings, and to appreciate the rich history that continues to live on through the Seabreeze Community Church.