T.B. Smith, B.A.

The Rev. T. Beverley Smith was rector from 1904 - 1917 and during his incumbency great expansion and many changes took place. In the early part of his rectorship, the Junction, as it was called, was just emerging from a heart breaking business slump caused by the rerouting of the railroad down the Don Valley. During the period from 1905 - 1914 there was a great influx of people from the Old Country and the Junction rapidly spread out along Annette St. to Jane and up Runnymede Rd. To St. Clair. Many of these new people were Anglicans and to meet the needs of the expanding area, missions were opened at St. Clair and Runnymede, and on Annette St. near Jane St. These missions are now the parishes of the Church of the Advent and St. Paul’s Runnymede. To accommodate the large Sunday School and the many flourishing organizations of St. John’s, a new parish hall was built. This parish hall (now the YWCA building) at St. John’s Rd. and Dundas St., was opened in 1913 and was an active centre of parochial life. With the advent of war in 1914 the duties of the rector became even more onerous and in 1917, Mr. Smith was forced to give up and Rev. R. MacNamara, a returned chaplain, was chosen as rector.