In 1939, a committee was established to organize the building of the St. Francis Anglican Church. Two years later, a building was erected at this site at NW5-37-24W in the Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman, on property donated by Harry Bond. Trees were cut by local men and cut into lumber at a sawmill operated by the Martin brothers. The stained glass windows were obtained from a former Anglican church at Swan River. On completion, the church was dedicated by Ivor Arthur Norris of the Brandon Diocese. It was named St. Francis for St. Francis of Assisi.
The last service was held in 1968. The vacant church building was still present and densely encroached by trees at the time of a 2012 site visit. It was gone by late 2016. The associated cemetery is still well-maintained. A commemorative monument was erected nearby in 2004.
St. Francis Anglican Church (July 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Interior of St. Francis Anglican Church (July 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Interior of St. Francis Anglican Church (June 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Commemorative monument for St. Francis Anglican Church (July 2012)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N52.15108, W100.86986
denoted by symbol on the map above
Tent Town: 1898-1979, A History of Minitonas and District by Minitonas Community Centre Committee, 1979. page 83.
A list of burials in this cemetery is available from the Manitoba Genealogical Society, including a searchable online database available to members at the MGS Manitoba Name Index (MANI). Some additional information is contained in the 1996 MGS publication Carved in Stone: Manitoba Cemeteries and Burial Sites, revised edition, Special Projects Publication, 106 pages.
We thank Holly Thorne and Mary Steinhoff for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 May 2024
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