History at 248 Ossington Avenue
A St. Christopher House Century
Chapter 6 - History at 248 Ossington Avenue
St Christopher House began operating out of the vacant Ryerson House at 67 Wales Avenue. St Chris would remain at this address from 1912 until 1973. During the past century, the House has operated out of two (former) residential dwellings, an historic bank building, Toronto Community Housing, two churches, the Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre, a neighbourhood centre and street level space in a condo development. Of these locations, with the exception of Wales Avenue, St Chris’s 248 Ossington Avenue facility has been in use the longest. The House has provided services from this site for twenty-six years, but the footprint of the building dates back more than a century.
In the late nineteenth century, the intersection of Ossington Ave and Dundas Street was considered the western fringe of Toronto. In fact, the street that would eventually become known as Ossington Ave was still just a dirt road. The only paved road in the area was Dundas St and it followed a different course. Instead of continuing in an easterly direction, Dundas St turned south ending at Queen Street. The dirt road running north of Dundas (present day Ossington Ave) was known as Dennison Street. It wasn’t until 1906 that Ossington Ave received its current designation.
A small mission church known as Wesley Methodist Church opened on the grounds of 248 Ossington Ave in 1875. The following decades saw the church experience rapid growth. The building itself was expanded several times. With average Sunday attendance recorded at two thousand, Wesley boasted one of the largest congregations in Toronto. At the turn of the twentieth century, Sunday school enrolment at Wesley numbered around fourteen hundred children. The church was active within the community. Basement space served as a used clothing depot. As well as a children’s health centre, a vocational school also operated on the premises. Growth continued through 1921 when the congregation from nearby Crawford Methodist Church merged with Wesley’s. In 1925, Wesley Methodist joined the United Church of Canada, in the process becoming Wesley United.
On a November evening in 1957, the fortunes of the church took a terrible turn. A dinner hour blaze started in the boiler room and by nine o’clock that evening, flames were so intense, according to the Toronto Daily Star, “Every fireman and piece of equipment in the downtown area was called out.” Wesley’s towering steeple, a landmark on the Toronto skyline for decades collapsed. By the time the flames were extinguished the church was unsalvageable.
It took four years for Wesley United to rebuild. The new church was considerably smaller than its namesake. The church’s once grand Dundas St entrance was now accessible from Ossington Avenue. An internal courtyard replaced the former sanctuary. Besides a new church, two additional buildings were constructed on the grounds.
Over time, changing demographics within the neighbourhood were reflected in decreased church attendance. The 1980s witnessed the amalgamation of a number of local United Church congregations. In 1983, Grace-Carmen United joined Wesley to become Wesley-Grace-Carmen. In 1988, when Wesley absorbed two additional congregations, Westmoreland United and Centennial United, the church went through an additional name change, becoming Westennial United Church.
Since its founding, St Christopher House had been going through changes of its own. By the mid-1950s, program space at Wales Ave was in short supply. To alleviate this, the library and staff residence were closed. A portion of the children’s programming was relocated to a Carr Street church. By the 1960’s, the former Ryerson House was a century old; 67 Wales was deteriorating rapidly. Eventually, the Wales Ave site was condemned by city officials, shuttered and then sold.
Fortunately programs had already begun migrating to other locations. The House’s older adult services moved it operations to Queen Street United Church. A neighbourhood centre was constructed at 84 Augusta Ave in 1973. This location would remain in use until 1985. This same year the House would make its first foray into the church at 248 Ossington.
On account of a dwindling congregation, by 1985 program space was available at Westennial United Church. Bob Ellis, one of the first St Chris staff members at the Ossington location recalled that early on, St Chris’s access was limited to one large room approximately where Adult Day Services presently operate. “That was all the space we had,” Ellis remembers, “Although we could periodically use the large meeting room [Community Hall] on the lower floor for big events or children’s programs, all the other space was (still) occupied by the church.”
Over time, St Christopher House expanded its programming at the 248 location. Century Committee member Carolyn Neblett offers unique insight into the evolution of 248 Ossington. Not only did Neblett work at St Christopher House from 1989 until 1997, she also attended services at Westennial United Church, along with her family, beginning in 1966. One of Neblett’s aunts was the church’s organist while another held the position of clerk-of-session. Several family members exchanged nuptials in the church sanctuary. Because Neblett attended the church at 248 for so many years, she is an authority not only on the contemporary history of Westennial, but also the property’s schema.
Since 1985, the layout of 248 Ossington has been altered considerably. When constructed in 1961, the site consisted of three distinct buildings. In an effort to maximize space, the structures were enclosed. For the most part, the courtyard has remained unaltered. Hints of the building’s former configuration can be seen throughout. Some alterations are obvious; others, less so. It is obvious by the room’s vaulted ceiling that the literacy programs are headquartered in a portion of the former sanctuary. The four banks of floor to ceiling stained glass windows in this area is further evidence of modifications. Less obvious are the series of now bricked-in windows that once provided a view onto Ossington Ave. These can be found in the corridor running parallel to Ossington Ave. (Note the difference in brick colouring.) Also evident are a number of dowel holes bored into the brick at ceiling level in the front reception area. Today the reception area is enclosed but once, when this was an exterior brick wall, signage displaying the name, Wesley United Church would have been attached here.
248 Ossington Ave is now St Christopher House’s largest facility. By 1997, Westennial’s congregation had declined to twelve members. After prolonged negotiations, ownership of the property was transferred from the United Church to the House. In June of that year, Westennial United Church held its final service. A plaque at the entrance of 248 Ossington Ave commemorates this milestone.
The author would like to acknowledge the use of The Story of St Christopher House by Patricia J. O’Connor, as well as the assistance of Carolyn Neblett and Bob Ellis in the writing of this article.
An organizing committee consisting of volunteers, staff and board members has been formed to plan St Chris’s centenary. The Century Committee meets monthly. Those interested in participating, passing along ideas or sharing a memory, may contact Lidia Monaco at 416 532-4828 (Ext. 234) or lidiamo@stchrishouse.org.
Edward Brown may be contacted at stchriscentury@hotmail.com
