Cathedral Church of St. James (Toronto) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Cathedral Church of St. James

43°39′01″N 79°22′26″W / 43.65028°N 79.37389°W / 43.65028; -79.37389
Location	106 King Street East Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Denomination	Anglican Church of Canada
Churchmanship	High church
History
Founded	1797 (1797)
Dedication	Saint James the Great
Consecrated	1853
Administration
Deanery	St. James
Diocese	Toronto
Province	Ontario

The Cathedral Church of St. James is an Anglican cathedral in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the oldest church congregation in the city, started in 1797. The current church building was started in 1850 and opened in 1853. It was one of the biggest buildings in Toronto at that time.

The church was designed by Frederick William Cumberland. It is a great example of Gothic Revival architecture. This style looks like old European cathedrals. The building is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act. Since 1936, it has been the main church for the Bishop of Toronto. The church also has a choir school for boys, Royal St. George's College.

History of St. James Cathedral
- Important Funerals at St. James
Architecture of St. James Cathedral
- Outside the Cathedral
- Inside the Cathedral
Images for kids
See also

History of St. James Cathedral

View of King Street in the past. This picture shows the second church building.

The St. James church group began in 1797 in a town called York. York later became the city of Toronto. The first church building was made of wood in 1807. During the War of 1812 in 1813, American soldiers used it as a hospital. They also damaged and robbed the church.

In 1818, the church was made bigger. A bell tower was added, and its bell was used to warn the town about fires. In 1833, the wooden church was replaced with a stone building. This new church was built in the Neoclassical style.

Sadly, this stone church burned down in January 1839. It was quickly rebuilt and reopened in December 1839. In 1936, this church officially became a cathedral. The church's old cemetery was moved in the 1840s. But some unmarked graves are still under the modern parking lot.

In 1849, another big fire, called the first Great Fire of Toronto, destroyed the church again. To replace it, a design contest was held. Eleven architects from Canada and the United States entered. The Gothic Revival design by Frederick William Cumberland and Thomas Ridout won.

Construction of the current church began on July 1, 1850. The church, made of Ohio stone and brick, opened in 1853. Its first organ was built in 1853. John Strachan, Toronto's first Anglican bishop, was buried under the main altar when he died in 1867.

The current church building around the 1890s.

The tall tower and spire were finished much later, in 1873–1874. Architect Henry Langley completed these parts. When it was finished, the spire was the tallest structure in Canada. It stayed the tallest for 25 years. The tower's clock was put in one year later.

In 1889, some side areas were removed. The choir seats and organ controls were moved to the front of the church. In 1936, St. George's Chapel was opened. The organ was also updated by Casavant Frères, a famous organ builder.

Major repairs and updates were done in 1982. In 1997, the church celebrated its 200th birthday. A set of 12 change ringing bells was installed. This is the largest set of bells in North America. There are only nine such sets outside of the British Isles.

A part of the church land was almost sold to build a condominium. People were upset because this land was part of the original cemetery. After public protests, a different parking lot was sold instead. This parking lot was used for the SP!RE condominium building.

Important Funerals at St. James

The funeral for Ted Rogers was held at the church in 2008.

Many important people from Toronto have had their funerals at St. James Cathedral. These include former Bishops of Toronto and other well-known figures:

George Snell (1907–2006), a former Bishop of Toronto. His funeral was in 2006.
Ted Rogers (1939–2008), a famous businessman who started Rogers Communications. His funeral was on December 9, 2008.
Jim Flaherty (1949–2014), a former government leader in Ontario and Canada. His state funeral was on April 16, 2014.
Rob Ford (1969–2016), a former Mayor of Toronto. His public funeral was on March 30, 2016.

Only two people are buried inside the cathedral itself. They are Rev. George Okill Stuart (who served from 1800 to 1812) and Rev. John Strachan.

Architecture of St. James Cathedral

St. James Cathedral shows off its Gothic Revival architecture everywhere. This style aims for harmony and unity. Every part of a Gothic cathedral is connected. This creates a balanced and beautiful building.

Elements like stained glass windows, pointed arches, and high ceilings let in lots of light. The pinnacles and flying buttresses also help. The Gothic style makes the whole building look unified. Different parts like ribbed vaults and pointed arches work together. This allows natural light to fill the inside space.

Outside the Cathedral

The outside of the cathedral has several stone spires.

The outside of the cathedral is made of white brick and Ohio sandstone. Layers of brick create strong, square designs around the tall, narrow windows. This makes interesting shadows and shows the wall's depth. The stone spires are decorated with pinnacles and dormers. They also have round, flower-like ornaments.

The tower walls are made stronger with square and eight-sided buttresses. These supports get thinner at the top and end in pinnacles. These buttresses are highlighted with lighter stone. This draws attention to the strong points of the building. They also make the building look taller and add a rhythm to its sides.

You can see a balance between horizontal and vertical lines inside and outside the church. Outside, a zig-zag pattern runs along the roofline. Inside, a band of painted decorations runs along the top of the aisle wall. These horizontal lines balance the tall tower and spires outside. They also balance the pointed arches inside, making the building feel stable.

The tower and spire are 92.9 metres (305 ft) tall. They were once the tallest in Canada. They are still the second tallest in North America after St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York. The tower has five bells that still ring today. The chiming clock is also very special. Around 1900, St. James' Cathedral was still the tallest building in Toronto. It was often the first thing immigrants saw when they arrived by train.

The cathedral is 198 feet (60 m) long. Its widest point is 98 feet (30 m). A four-sided arch with a steeple stands next to the cathedral. It is a memorial for soldiers. St. James Park is right next to the building.

Inside the Cathedral

The large pipe organ is above the main entrance of the building.

Above the main entrance, there is a carved organ cover and a royal coat of arms. Beautiful Minton tiles are on the floor. The organ has 5000 pipes. It includes the original organ from 1853, located above the main south entrance. Trumpet pipes have been added to this organ since then. The pipes at the front of the church were added in 1916.

Inside, there are no side galleries. This allows your eyes to move freely up the tall arches and windows. The high, wooden roof has strong beams and carved decorations. This makes the main part of the church feel protected. The exposed rafters of the roof are important parts of the structure. They have wide tie-beams and decorative cornices. The elegant ceiling of the apse (the rounded end of the church) looks like stone.

The inside of the church is divided into six sections. You can see these divisions on the outside walls too. The pews (church benches) are arranged in rows of four. The front of the church and the side panels are all made of black walnut wood. The windows have thin bars that divide the stained glass. This looks like traditional Gothic window designs.

The cathedral faces north and south, which is unusual. Most traditional churches face east and west, with the altar at the east end. The church's direction was chosen by the design committee at the time. It reflected the church's meaning during a time of conflict. The pews are in central rows with aisles on each side. The comfort of the seats was not the main focus of the design.