Fire in Zion Memorial Church January 1950

January 19 1950

Zion United Church, CarletonPlace, was practically destroyed in an early morning fire last Sunday. The loss is estimated at $150,000 according to present day values. Insurance of $35,000 was carried. It is understood the congregation has decided to rebuild the edifice in spite of the fact that there is another United Church in the town as is the case in Almonte. 

The caretaker of the church discovered the fire when he went to stoke the furnace about five o’clock in the morning. As he was about to leave the main body of the building at 6.45 he saw smoke curling up behind the pipe organ and when he went to investigate he found that end of the church in flames. It is thought the fire started in the boiler room because the room from which the flames broke out is located directly over the heating plant.

In the battle to quell the fire which followed one new member of the Ocean Wave brigade, Ken Drummond, was injured by a falling piece of masonry. His back was badly bruised. Another had a nail puncture through his foot. Rev. E. C. Kelloway is pastor of the church which has a membership of some 300. It is understood that an invitation to worship at Memorial Park United Church, temporarily, was passed over in favor of services in the town hall. 

Mr. H. R. Davey, local contractor and planing mill operator, was engaged on Wednesday to take lumber to the scene of the fire and make temporary repairs to the shattered roof. Mr. Davey found that the floor of the church was partly intact under a heavy layer of debris and ashes. The fine basement was not too badly damaged.

City of Ottawa archives

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Chris Redmond

Joann Voyce6 min. ago

Sorry Chris but it was never Zion United .They were Zion ( Presbyterian) and Memorial Park United. Zion was the Free Presbyterian as opposed to St Andrews on Bridge which was Church of Scotland

3 days ago

In that era it was simply Zion United Church — the “Memorial” came only in the 1960s when Zion (on Albert St) merged with Memorial Park United Church (on Franklin Street)

Dan Williams

3 days ago

At that time this was Memorial Park United Church. Zion United Church was where the condo’s now are at the corner of Albert and Beckwith. When they united they became Zion Memorial United Church. The church in the picture was never Zion United Church.

Ray Paquette

3 days ago

A point of correction. When that fire occurred the United Church, Zion and Memorial Park had not amalgamated. The fire occurred on a Saturday afternoon when most of the young boys who chased the fire trucks were occupied at the Roxy Theatre with the Saturday afternoon matinee, yours truly included. After the movie ended, we all left the theatre and tore down to Judson Street to watch the OWFC in action…

Joann Voyce

3 days ago

This was Memorial Park United from the union of the Methodist and Presbyterians It was originally the Methodist Church. Zion was always Zion Presbyterian until the most recent union

Bill Mains59 sec. ago

The church which burned in 1950, was Zion United Church, which was formerly Zion Presbyterian Church until it became Zion United at church Union in 1925. Memorial Park Methodist Church, became Memorial Park United Church in 1925. Memorial Park burned a few years later in the mid 1950’s and was restored. The two churches amalgamated to Zion Memorial about 1965 when the Memorial Park building became the sanctuary and the Zion building became the Christian Education building until it was sold some time after 1970.