Our History
Where We've Come From
The Coxheath Hills Wilderness Recreation Association was gifted the former Knox Church and Hall, and this has allowed us to expand the programs and activities we can offer to our community.
The Centre required a very considerable amount of work to transform it into the valuable community asset which it has become. Thanks to grants from various levels of government, community minded businesses, a dedicated Board of Directors, and a very willing group of dependable volunteers, we were able to renovate the space into a beautiful piece of community infrastructure.
Currently
The Coxheath Hills Wilderness Recreation Association was very fortunate to have been gifted both of the buildings which were the former property of Knox United Church. The Association is making very good use of the infrastructure. After having completed a major renovation on what is now the Coxheath Hills Community Centre, the group turned its attention to the former Knox United Church, which has been renamed as the Coxheath Hills Cultural Centre.
For several years now, the CHWRA has used the Cultural Centre to host various fundraising events, not only in support of our own operations, but also to help other worthy organizations like Hospice Cape Breton in the important work they do. These events have consistently been well attended, selling out very quickly.
As a result of having these extensive renovations completed, the Coxheath Hills Cultural Centre will now provide our community with a much-needed venue for cultural, educational and social activities, along with lectures, presentations and other events. It will provide an ideal space for up-and-coming performers to develop their skills and comfort level with an appreciative audience. (Incidentally, the acoustics are quite amazing!) We also plan to have the Centre serve as a stunning venue for smaller weddings. The Centre will serve as a gathering place, wherein we can provide and share in activities and events which are wanted and needed, but which have been sadly lacking in our area. Attendance at events held at the Cultural Centre previously, has clearly shown that this Cultural Centre is definitely needed, and will certainly be a valuable long-term addition to our community.
History
In 1895 Knox United, a lovely little country church, was built by community volunteers, incorporating the gothic architectural style. Descendants of the MacKenzie, MacAulay Patterson and Collier families are still members of the congregation over 100 hundred years later.
In 1929 with the arrival of Rev. Dr. John Pringle, Knox United Church became his special responsibility. He served the congregation until his death in 1935. He had a huge influence over his congregation and the entire community. Dr. Pringle served in Dawson City during the gold rush and it is said that the famous Yukon poet Robert Service referred to him as the “sky pilot” in one of his well known poems. He also served overseas as a chaplain during World War I.
The lovely little country church was constructed by local residents of the rural communities of Blackett’s Lake, Coxheath, Howie Centre and Portage. Knox was a Presbyterian congregation until the Act of Union in 1924 when it joined the United Church of Canada. For decades, the large congregation was under the wings of St. Andrew’s United Church in Sydney which provided ministerial services to Knox. In those earlier days, Knox was known as the “outpost”.
As stated earlier, number of years ago, the congregation decided to donate the church hall to the Coxheath Hills Wilderness Recreation Association, an organization with goals that appealed to the congregation. As it turned out, the Regional Municipality would not allow the section of land to be divided, so we gave the group the church building as well, with the understanding that as long as the congregation continued to exist, the church building would be available to them. This arrangement has worked extremely well, and both groups are very pleased with the decision.
The building hosts numerous concerts throughout the year, including Christmas, Summer Solstice and Jazz. We still host several weddings each year and the church is frequently photographed in all seasons of the year. Recent major renovations have modernized the church building while maintaining its historical significance.
The congregation still meets every Sunday morning at 9am, from September to the end of June. While numbers are dwindling, the congregation is a very determined group, and they don’t foresee a dissolution of congregation in the near future. In fact, a group of Korean Presbyterians have been using the sanctuary to hold their weekly services as well, and they have been welcomed with open arms. It is very interesting to see the church harking back to its presbyterian roots.
Renovation Project
The building was in very good condition considering that it was built in 1895. There were, however, some issues which needed to be dealt with if it was to truly become a hub of cultural activity in our area. The former church was not insulated, the lighting was not up to date, the roof needed work, the pews were very uncomfortable and, in short, much work was required to bring it up to the standard envisioned for a quality Cultural Centre.
The CHWRA developed a multi phase renovation plan which began with the installation of a new metal roof several years ago. This was followed up with the major renovation project which was recently completed, and which resolved most of the issues, thereby transforming the building into a beautiful, multifunctional cultural centre which will serve our community well for decades to come. There remain some upgrades which the Association has planned for the building, and these will be undertaken as the opportunity for funding support arises.
The Association owes a great debt of gratitude to our provincial, federal and municipal governments for their financial support of the work we have accomplished over the years. Local businesses have also gone above and beyond in their support of our many projects, and we are thankful for that as well. We are also grateful for the numerous volunteers who can be counted on to help out with the numerous tasks which are part and parcel of the functioning of our organization.
