This Anglican church, located at the corner of Sunset Avenue and Grey Avenue in Grand Marais, in the Rural Municipality of St. Clements, was built in 1896 on land donated by George Rupert and Alex Knott. The structure is architecturally significant because of the materials used in its construction: black poplar logs with dovetailed ends and local fieldstone with mortar. The pews, holy table and shelf were made by Jim Raven, a one-armed carpenter from nearby Scanterbury. Canon George Smith of St. Peter’s helped to raise the money to buy the first organ in 1914.
The church underwent several changes after 1930. In 1931, a chancel sanctuary and two vestry rooms were added. The old tower and porch were disassembled and a square belfry and front porch were built on a concrete foundation. A bell inside the belfry is said to have come originally from the first Winnipeg fire hall, and was later used in the Grand Marais School No. 1825. Surrounding the church building is a small cemetery containing the graves of local settlers.
The congregation moved to a new church nearby in 1963. The original church was reopened as a community museum in 1970. It remained open for three years, later being opened on request, and was eventually closed. Recent initiatives have raised funds to reshingle the roof and repaint the exterior.
Further restoration work in 2021 entailed removal of the front porch.
St. Jude’s Anglican Church (May 2011)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
St. Jude’s Anglican Church (November 2016)
Source: Desirée Rolfe
St. Jude’s Anglican Church (October 2020)
Source: George Penner
St. Jude’s Anglican Church undergoing restoration (November 2021)
Source: George Penner
St. Jude’s Anglican Cemetery (October 2020)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.54123, W96.62282
denoted by symbol on the map above
St. Jude’s Anglican Church by Donna G. Sutherland, St. Clements Heritage Advisory Committee, Designation Project, July 2009.
We thank Christine Stewart, Rev. Judith Whitmore, Desirée Rolfe, George Penner, and Glen Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 May 2023
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