Human stories from a church at the heart of Sandy Hill

Terry Byrne

This spring, one of the oldest Catholic parishes in Ottawa released a comprehensive 438-page book entitled 100 Stories from the History of St. Joseph’s Parish. Our goal was not just to look inward as we tracked a colourful history spanning three centuries, but to look outward too: at Sandy Hill, the University of Ottawa and our nation’s capital. In fact, our inspiration for this book project is closely tied to IMAGE Sandy Hill. The long journey of preserving and documenting St. Joseph’s history, however, began two decades ago.

I was approached by parish leadership to create a pamphlet about the community’s history, ahead of its 150th anniversary in 2006. Initially, my knowledge of the parish’s past was quite limited. As I sat in the church pews, numerous questions arose in my mind. How did the church catch fire in 1930? Did any famous individuals attend St. Joe’s? What was parish life like? Unfortunately, there was scant information available in the church archives, prompting me to conduct extensive research. My exploration resulted in a 237-page book, which was published in 2007.

My interest in the parish’s history only deepened over time, compelling me to continue my research out of genuine fascination. Over the last 18 years, I have accumulated over 3,000 newspaper articles, more than 2,800 photographs, and uncovered numerous books, theses, and book chapters documenting the parish’s history. The parish archives are now a treasure trove, containing records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths dating back to 1858, church bulletins from 1960 onward, as well as committee meeting minutes spanning the past 50 years, among other valuable documents. Undoubtedly, it now ranks among the city’s most well-maintained parish archives. Although I never intended to write another book, I gathered all this information with the hope that someone else might someday take on the task.

Upon meeting François Bregha, who shared with me the stories he wrote for IMAGE regarding the happenings and residents of Sandy Hill, I began contemplating a similar endeavour, perhaps collaborating with other authors. During my nearly two-decades-long investigation, I uncovered even more compelling aspects of this parish’s history, which I believe warrant sharing. St. Joe’s, without a doubt, stands out as a unique parish.

In 2024, I made the decision to embark on writing a second book about the history of this esteemed institution. This time around, I enlisted the help of fifty individuals to collaborate on this project. My goal was to find people who could integrate the research I had already gathered with their own personal experiences. Remarkably, everyone I approached agreed to contribute at least one story.

100 Stories from the History of St. Joseph’s Parish is available for $25 at the front desk of St. Joseph’s Church, located at 151 Laurier Ave. East, or through Amazon at https://www.amazon.ca/100-Stories-History-Josephs-Parish/dp/1069440302.