Provincial Heritage Site No. 101
This is one of the oldest buildings in Winnipeg, and the oldest surviving wood frame church in western Canada. In 1850, the Bishop of Rupert’s Land, the Right Rev. David Anderson, instructed Rev. W. H. Taylor to establish a church for the settlement that was expanding westward along the banks of the Assiniboine River.
The cornerstone of the church was laid on June 8th 1853, and by the end of the year it had been completed. The site, on high ground, was chosen for its association with deliverance and shelter after the devastating spring floods of 1826 and 1853. Consecrated as St. James Church in 1855, it became the focal point of settlement and gave its name to the surrounding area.
Although a larger church was built nearby in 1922 as a replacement, the old St. James Church continues to be used for supplementary summer services and weddings.
Included in Testaments of Faith, Manitoba’s Pioneer Churches