Christ Church Millarville

With this post ends a special series. Seen through eyes of wonder, we take in the last of three little churches documented by the Team, belonging to Meota Parish. This one’s beautiful (they all are) and in addition is the most senior of the group. It’s been around over a hundred and twenty years…how the world has changed in that time. Yet here’s a constant, this little chapel, a special place of peace, solace and refuge, its purpose then as now unchanged. Amid rolling hills and a patchwork of fields, there over a rise and around a bend, a welcoming sight. This is Christ Church (Anglican) out near Millarville Alberta.

The building dates from 1896 and sits on land donated by a local rancher…who also happened to be a reverend in the Church of England (as the Anglican Church was called then). It’s made of logs and is rather interesting in its construction. In a world where they’re typically horizontally aligned, here they placed them vertical. And with that it was made a one of a kind. Throw convention out the window and we’ll be fans. It’s said this unique form, when first built, caused some concern. This area gets blasted by powerful winds and fear was one day a strong gust might take it out. It’s been long put to rest….see how well it’s holding up! Standing strong and straight, it’s a testament to those who constructed it long ago. Good work Mr Shack and Mr Watt.

There’s a definite Gothic Revival feel to the building. It’s laid out in a semi-cruciform shape (one part of the crossbar is larger than the other) and aligned northwest-ish/southeast-ish. Central to it all is one large hall, wonderfully decorated, with additions leading to a entryway on one side and a storage room on the other. A rough tally tells us there’s seating for maybe eighty or so folks. Give or take.

As always where the windows are of stained glass, there’s a soft glow inside. It’s pure magic. Those deep wood tones, those roof beams…it’s all so rustic. But this is Cowboy County after all so it’s very fitting. Come Sunday Service, we bet pickups out number all others out in the parking lot and it wouldn’t surprise us to see some pulling stock trailers. And proper church attire is a must, the best ropers shined up, things plaid, embroidered, fringed and boot cut and the finest bolo ties and stetsons ever seen (the latter always respectfully removed on entering, old school style). These are just like working duds, only more decorated and free of trail dust and horse poop.

It’s suggested the bell tower, or perhaps the current bell tower, was a later addition, put in about 1930. It’s further said that the bell came from a building in Calgary, one owned by the Hudson Bay Company. Just what a department store was doing with a bell in the first place, and why they donated, has us curious…but we quickly have an answer. From wroot.ca: “The bell was donated by the Hudson’ Bay Company, after it was discovered in the Alexander Corner building (being torn down?) in Calgary during the construction of the new HBC (store).”

The building is very much original and old photos show it looking much as it does today. It’s received regular maintenance and the the care and love given it, shows.

A Flower Festival fundraiser held here, has been a yearly custom for some six decades. When in swing everywhere on the church and grounds, it’s amazing floral arrangements. We’ve seen the photos and it’s wow. Even on our visit we were impressed by all we saw here, inside and out. A little dash of Mother Nature is never a bad thing.

There’s a cemetery on the grounds, not uncommon for rural churches, this one dating back to the 1920s. Lots of old pioneers and those that followed, have been laid to rest next to Christ Church. Many of the names seen are on the grave stones, no doubt, are duplicated on current membership registers. Lots of families in the area go back a long time, to when the church was new, and who generation after generation have attended services here.

Interestingly the area in and around is little changed from the old days in spite of being in close proximity to a city over a million in size. It’s still farming and ranching country and always has been – the region’s perfect for that. If you could find a really tall ladder, say some thirty stories in height to clear surrounding hills (and did not have Acrophobia) you’d see good old cosmopolitan Calgary just to the north. Once it got dark, we could see its glow over the horizon.

For the area, Christ Church is old. It was not until after the turn of the twentieth century before settlers really started pouring into many rural parts of the province and so here something even a century or better in age is considered ancient. In Europe, it wouldn’t even register. On a trip to Spain, we regularly visited and stayed at places two or three hundred years old with some over a thousand. Once church was from the 800s.

The building appears in the popular cowboy themed show, CBC’s Heartland, that films extensively in general area.

Christ Church and the others spoken of before, so St James in Priddis and St George’s in Turner Valley collectively make up Meota Parish. They’re a dedicated group and each building is impeccably cared for and services well attended we’re told. You’ll not see devotion and commitment like this often and for that it’s hats off and a slow clap to those behind the scenes. Bravo, may you flourish for all time. Want to know more about the name Meota? We think we found the answer – read about it here: St George’s Turner Valley.

The Anglican Church is Canada goes back many hundreds of years. Formed out of the Church of England in Canada (in the mid-1950s) there are over a million and half practitioners of the faith presently. So before the name change Christ Church Anglican was Christ Church of the Church of England in Canada. A bit of a mouthful that last one…as though we wrote it!

We visited all three at our favourite time of day to photograph, those special moments around sunset, the magic hour as it’s often called in photography circles. The light is so agreeable then, as it was here, soft and muted. It’s a time of peace and tranquility too, and seems perfect when shooting historic places such as this. Christ Church and the others all photographed beautifully.

As we close out this three-parter, we’d like to thank everyone who accommodated us, Reverend Gordon in particular, who tolerated our antics over two evenings. I’m sure he had better things to do, but yet seemed more than happy to host us.

One more thing of note, Meota Parish’s three churches will be appearing in out upcoming book from Summerthought Publications. The official title and cover will be released soon. We’re not quite ready yet. Publication is set for spring 2021. Stay tuned, it’s going to be a wild ride, a look at some fifty to sixty of our favourite historic and abandoned subjects. There will be lot of photos and we’ll babble on incessantly about what’s seen.

Here’s some suggested Google search terms if you wish to know more about today’s subject: “Meota Parish”, “Meota Parish Flower Festival”.

Till our next post, stay awesome and please comment below the photos!

They’re saying…

”I always enjoy the well written articles and excellent photography” Darrell Griggs.

The other two…
St George’s Turner Valley.
St James Priddis.

You’ll like these…
Hillhurst United Church.
Spaca Moskalyk Church.
St Joeseph’s Church Courval SK.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date of Adventure: July, 2019.
Location(s): Millarville, Alberta.
Article references and thanks: Reverend Gordon Pontifex & Meota Parish, Book – Foothills Echoes, Wroot.ca & DanOCan.com.

Welcome to Christ Church Millarville.

It’s uniquely made of vertical logs.

They love their flowers here!

Basking in the soft light.

It’s the little details that inspire.

Peace and tranquility out in the country.

There’s a cemetery on the grounds.

It’s one of three churches belonging to Meota Parish.

How the world has changed since it was built in the 1890s.

The old steeple on high.

As night falls, it’s this beautiful scene.