St. John’s Church........Find This Little Gem in Rosedale!

At the junction of Balsam Lake and Cameron Lake sits the tranquil little hamlet of Rosedale. Within Rosedale, at 22 Goodman Road, is St. John’s Church, a charming throwback to quieter times. Built in 1907, this quaint building offers a Sunday church service every week during July and August at 9 am. This year, the services begin on July 5th and will go until Labour Day weekend.

Over the years, this church has witnessed weddings and baptisms, but most importantly, the comradeship of a wonderful community of people who cherish the history of the church and the spiritualism that brings them together.  Although the Anglican church service is followed, all denominations are welcome and encouraged to bring their ideas and thoughts.

A Little History!

The church originally opened in July 1907 and, over the years, expanded its structure through fundraising bake sales and garden parties.  The church land was donated by Fred Goodman, who at the time worked for William MacKenzie in Kirkfield. He fell in love with the area and, in particular, Balsam Lake and saw the future of the area through the construction of the Trent Severn Waterway and the purchase of individual properties by people living in Toronto.  

Over the years, the fundraising grew to encompass a regatta and, in 1929, became the St. John’s Regatta. The regatta and fundraising expanded so that other churches in the area also became the beneficiaries. The regatta ran until the 1940s and then morphed into a children’s regatta taking place at Gale’s and Palmer’s properties, then known as Sandy Beach, in Rosedale. This ran until the 1970s.

In addition to the fundraising to build and sustain the church, many items within the church were donated.  This creates a warm ambiance, often evoking memories, as many of the donations were made by ancestors of people who currently attend the church.

The church has survived world wars, a depression and a pandemic and continues to thrive on the community's love for this little gem.

If you feel like you would enjoy a little spiritual uplift, meeting some new people or just have an interest in some history in the area, we invite you to attend a service at St. John’s.  

It is very casual (come as you are!) and everyone is welcome!