Our Earliest Choir Photo

Our Earliest Choir Photo
This choir photo was found by Ruth and Don Bark in a farm house in Caledon Township that had belonged to the Amey family. Sybil and her sister Delta were both born in Orillia, the daughters of Alfred Edward Amey and Mary A. Wright.

The stained-glass window in the background was installed here at St. James’ in 1906. The Rev. Canon Greene, front row center, left Orillia in 1911. Church yearbooks recorded Miss Amey as a choir member from 1905 to 1907. We no longer have copies of the later yearbooks but know that Sybil did not leave Orillia until about 1913. Delta was a school teacher in Orillia until 1916. 

Which sister sang with the choir? What year was the photo taken? Can you help us identify any of the other choir members from your old Orillia photos? Do you have any photos or stories that you can share with the St. James’ Heritage Project? We hope to start publishing the first family stories in a binder in the church library in November.

The Orillia Museum of Art and History will be publishing some of my other local history mysteries on their facebook page. Some will be related to St. James’.

by Fred Blair

Restored oak lectern

The recently restored oak lectern, in the photo, has a brass plaque with the words “Alexander Fraser donated 1890.” Who was he?

Alexander was the son of Henry Fraser, an early Scottish settler in Orillia. In 1836, Henry signed the petition for a church in the village and Alexander was born in the same year. By 1841, when St. James’ was established, Henry had built the first inn with a wharf for steamships to dock at Orillia. About 1856, Henry had an inn at Price’s Corners and was planning the construction of a luxury tourist hotel on the land where the Champlain Monument stands today. He ran out of money before he could complete his 3-storey brick building and had to sell it to the government. It became the Orillia Lunatic Asylum. Henry moved to Barrie and ran hotels there.

Alexander became a livery stable keeper in Barrie and returned to Orillia sometime before 1890. He continued his stable business but also became a mail carrier. Alexander’s daughter, Isabella (Bella) Fraser, was an active leader at St. James’ in the Girls’ Auxiliary and Chancel Guild. The family remained in the community until 1914 when Isabella married and they moved to Cobalt. The Rev. Canon Richard W.E. Greene returned that summer to perform the marriage ceremony.

by Fred Blair