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Did you know…

We are a “laid back” church.  Have you noticed that the pews we sit in each week (which are the original pews) are slightly reclined?  That’s because when the church was first built, the floor was sloped toward the platform that was originally under the organ pipes, and the pews were designed to compensate for the slope.  When the renovations were completed in 1967 to turn the sanctuary around so that the congregation faces east (previously north), a new, level floor was constructed over the old sloped floor, leaving the pews angled backward at a 5 degree recline.  Evidence of the old sloped floor can be seen if you look closely at the ceiling line of the John Morton Hall which is directly below the sanctuary.

Did you know that our grand pipe organ, which assists with our worship today, was built in 1910 and was purchased by the church in 1943 from the Imperial Theatre, a movie house in Victoria, B.C.?  While the asking price was $2,650, church records indicate an offer of $2,500 plus freight and cartage (with installation included).  The church took special offerings for the organ fund for months in order to pay for it, and the magnificent instrument was dedicated at a special service on September 24, 1943.

Initial installation required the removal of the pews and the building of a ramp, with the organ chests laboriously set into place.  The organ was modified in 1967 when the pneumatic action was electrified and a new console was purchased for the same cost as was originally paid for the entire organ.  

The pipes we see to the left of the current platform are decorative – the actual pipes that help fill the church with the organ’s grand notes look more like plumbing and fill a 10 ft x 26 ft space behind the wall.  The pump for the organ lies in the basement.  

In 1943, $2,500 was the equivalent of over $30,000 today.  Value today:  priceless.