St Andrew’s Rectory is Canada Strong

The Canada Strong Pass encourages Canadians and travellers alike to explore the treasured places that contribute to our national identity. Exemplified in every national park and national historic site is the strength of Canada, from legacies of resilience, the power in community, forces of nature, the fortitude of architecture and even physical feats. Parks Canada invites you to celebrate the significance of these places through sharing stories of strength, respecting the wild beauty of nature and using the Canada Strong Pass to the fullest.

Building community is strength, and Parks Canada is proud to say that St Andrew’s Rectory National Historic Site is Canada Strong.

In the mid-1800s, the Red River Settlement had a growing population consisting of Métis and First Nations peoples, and Europeans. With the establishment of Lower Fort Garry in the 1830s, the surrounding area took on the identity of the Rapids, a place where many Hudson Bay Company officers retired to enjoy the endless skies of prairies. Like many communities, religion played an important role and soon a church was erected to serve the area. In 1849, the Gothic Revival-style St. Andrews on the Red was founded by William Cochran, who would act as the rector for the newly named St. Andrews region.

With the new church, the region needed a place for the rector to live and support the parish from, leading to the building of St. Andrew’s Rectory beginning in 1852. Two stories, five bedrooms, on a prominent hilltop location; the house stands as a beautiful example of the architecture used in Red River at that time. Just like the population of the region, the design came from a mix of influences, including the Scottish roots of Duncan McRae, the stonemason and architect of the building.

McRae was no stranger to the architectural landscape of the Red River, having come to Manitoba under contract with the Hudson’s Bay Company to work on both Upper Fort Garry and Lower Fort Garry. As a stonemason, he was also familiar with the geological landscape. His work on forts, rectories, churches and schools often featured locally quarried limestone.

Quarrying for this limestone would have employed men living in the region while others assisted in the construction of the buildings made with this iconic Manitoban stone. In the stone buildings that dotted the settlement, these men could see the fruits of their labour.

However, building a structure is only one step in building a community. Following the establishment of the parish, the community continued to grow. In the metaphorical centre of it all, St. Andrews on the Red became the religious heart of the area for Anglicans. With St. Andrews as the church of many a Hudson Bay Company officer from nearby Lower Fort Garry, the Rectory hosted social occasions and was a place to discuss current events in the settlement. By 1880, St. Andrews established its own local government.

To this day, St. Andrews takes pride in the collection of limestone buildings that define its history, including St. Andrew’s Rectory. The building is now home to the St. Andrews Heritage Centre, a place that preserves the history of the community through exhibits and displays focusing on the hardships and achievements of the residents of St. Andrews. Programming is led by the St. Andrews Heritage Committee, a dedicated group of volunteers that continue to keep the spirit of community alive in the Rectory with events and experiences for all ages.

This sharing of history, culture and time continues to build the community that has defined this region for more than 170 years. Like the limestone used to build the rectory, the foundation upon which this community is built will last long into the future, making this site Canada Strong.