Posted by: Lindsay Whillans
Do you recognize the barren landscape in the black and white photo? Do those buildings still exist? This is the southwest corner of Bank Street and Cameron Avenue, likely around 1900 with the original Trinity Anglican Church and its rectory. The church has been synonymous with this address for generations of Old Ottawa South residents. Trinity was established as a mission church in 1876, which means that 2026 is our 150th year of ministry. As expected, there will be celebrations – and everyone is invited!
The first of our events is a service of celebration planned for 10:00 am on Sunday, May 31, 2026. There will be much music and sharing of memories. And cake, of course! Everyone is welcome – whether you have a past connection to Trinity or just want to check us out.
To help transport you from the 1870s back to the present, here is a glimpse at Trinity highlights through the years. To accommodate the congregation’s growth after WWI, a new, much larger church building was built on the same corner but slightly west of the first small church in the photo. This required that the rectory be moved around the corner onto Harvard Avenue, where it continues to prosper as Trinity House. The new church opened in time for Easter 1926 – 100 years ago. Then the original church building was dismantled and reassembled further south on Bank Street in the late 1920s. This became the first St. Thomas the Apostle Church, now relocated (with a new building) to Alta Vista Drive.
In March 1947, a devastating fire destroyed Trinity’s sanctuary and all of its contents, including pews, stained-glass windows and the organ. Amazingly, in a post-WWII environment with shortages of materials, funding and labourers, Trinity was rebuilt within eighteen months, thanks to an outpouring of support from the community. Trinity reopened in September 1948, but it took many more years to replace the organ, memorial windows and furnishings.
To mark Trinity’s 80th anniversary, a further addition to the building provided space needed for church and community activities. This substantial addition, opened in 1958, now serves several purposes, including housing the Andrew Fleck Capital Child Care Centre.
Trinity has evolved from a modest country church into a trusted neighbourhood mainstay. We’re now hoping that you, our neighbours, can help us rediscover more of Trinity’s past. Are there old photos of Trinity events in your family albums? Do you have souvenir programs from fundraising events of decades past? We would love to hear your stories and see your treasures.
Please join us at 10:00 am on Sunday, May 31, 2026, to celebrate Trinity’s 150th anniversary! And watch this space for details about more events planned throughout the year.
Lindsay Whillans and her husband Bob are long-time OOS residents.
Featured in the May 2026 OSCAR.