Church Background
St. Andrew’s United Church, founded in 1875, is
located in the rural village of Chalk River, Ontario (now part of the
amalgamated municipality of the Town
of Laurentian Hills - total population approximately 2,800) in the Upper
Ottawa Valley two hours NW of the nation’s capital.
Historically a lumbering and railroad village,
Chalk River is a quiet community of 900 with an active local Legion and Lions
Club (the Lions run a popular local banquet hall). Local amenities include a
newly refurbished, lighted baseball diamond which is seasonally very active, a
municipal playground, Nursery School, Corry Lake Beach, direct access to the
Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club’s trail network and is only a few miles
away from world-famous Algonquin Park. There are two restaurants in town, a
Butcher Shop-Grocery, Convenience Store and a locally-owned service station -laundromat,
as well as several cottage industries.
The congregation is comprised of 90 families from the
village and surrounding area where the principle employers are Atomic Energy of
Canada Ltd. (Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories) and Canadian Forces Base
Petawawa, located in the adjacent town of the same name (18 km, pop. 15,000). In
recent years there has been a steady influx of military families owing to recent
expansions at the local Military Base which is now one of the largest in the
country. Petawawa has many
retail/banking/recreational amenities including a cinema on the base.
The Town of
Deep River, (10 km, pop. 4,600) is the main local source of social,
educational and health agencies (North Renfrew Family Services, Deep River and
District Hospital, Renfrew County and District Health Unit Sub-Office), retail
stores and other businesses, three banking institutions, public schools (2) and
a fully-equipped high school (including an indoor pool, theatre, two gymnasia).
Deep River also has a very active association of local clubs (from Fencing to
Musical Theatre) and boasts a 500-seat hockey arena, Curling/Squash Club,
marina, Tennis courts, 9-hole golf course, ski hill, cross-country ski trails,
among other amenities. The Ottawa River, a kilometre wide at Deep River is a
very popular summer recreation area with several beaches on both shores.
The City of
Pembroke (40 km, pop. 15,000) is the Valley’s ‘metropolis’ and
contains many of the usual amenities, including a multiple-screen cinema,
Drive-In, two shopping malls, several golf courses, and an active downtown
retail core, among other features including a full-service General Hospital.
There is an Upper Ottawa Valley campus of Algonquin College with a vast offering
of programs including evening courses and credit courses from Ottawa University.
The local airport has daily flights to and from Toronto.
The city of Ottawa is about two hours away by car,
Toronto five and Montreal about four.
St Andrews United Church, Chalk River
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