St. Stephen’s Anglican Chapel in Vankoughnet has been acquired by the Town of Bracebridge from the Diocese of Algoma.
The building, which has a cemetery on the one-acre property, is located at 1217 Vankoughnet Rd. and will be donated to the town by the diocese.
According to a May 7 report by Andrew Marshall, fleet, yards, and facilities foreperson for the town, it was built in 1891, which he adds makes it one of Bracebridge’s oldest buildings. Since then, he says the building has largely been maintained by residents and visitors through donations.
The process to transfer the property started in June 2022 when the Diocese announced it was looking to deconsecrate the building. “Upon the announcement of the scheduled deconsecration of the chapel, the community formed a group called the Friends of St. Stephen’s with the goal of saving the building known as St. Stephen’s Anglican Chapel and maintaining it as an active part of the community,” explains Marshall.
David Hudson was part of the community group and sent a letter to council in Oct. 2023 petitioning them to look into acquiring the chapel.
Coun. Barb McMurray represents Oakley Ward, which is where the church is located, and said it’s impressive to see the building in such good shape well over a century after it was built.
A report by Stephenson Engineering concludes the building is in “good condition.” They note that window refurbishment and minor wall finishing repairs will be needed in 2026 but, other than that, no other improvements will be required until 2029.
However, McMurray jokes that, because of its age, the facility isn’t insulated. “It’s closed from October to May anyway,” she added. McMurray said they may install portable heating if they decide to open it up around Christmas.
“The community is very excited that it’s going to stay in the community,” she said.
Mayor Rick Maloney added the building is an important landmark and seeing the community rally around it has been inspirational.
“I want to acknowledge the work of the community of St. Stephens in their efforts to save what is absolutely a gem of a chapel in the village of Vankoughnet,” he said.
Maloney added that with the help of the Oakley Village Square Committee and town staff, he knows the building will be well maintained.