History » Founding

St Clement’s Church was founded in 1891 on Hawthorne Avenue (the name was eventually changed to St Clement’s Avenue). Created as a mission church by the congregation of St John’s Anglican Church, York Mills, their minister, Henry Osler, was in charge. This location was chosen because Anglicans were the largest denomination in Toronto at that time, and there was no church in the Eglinton neighbourhood. St John’s, York Mills was a long distance away by horse!

Our first services were held in a building behind 2501 Yonge Street—a building that is still standing. Boydell Lanbe donated the land for the church and JC Gibson was selected as the architect. The chapel for the original church had only one stained glass window—the Resurrection Window. That window, along with the altar, altar rail and paneling from the first church, are in our current chapel. After all our debts were paid only six years after it was built, the church was consecrated, and Thomas Powell became our first full-time rector, in 1897.

He and Constance Waugh founded St Clement's School to provide religious and secular training for boys and girls. That school operates today as an independent school for girls.

St Clement’s was booming in the 1920’s and our building needed to be enlarged. CM Willmot and Forsey Page designed the second church in 1925, where we hold our worship services today. The architect of our current renovations is Elizabeth Davidson.