Mill Bay and Shawnigan Lake Churches

Camp meetings with itinerant preachers were held in tents both in Mill Bay and Shawnigan Lake before each opened their own buildings (1878 Mill Bay and 1910 Shawnigan Lake).  Both began as Methodist churches which in 1925 joined the union of Congregational, Methodist and some Presbyterian congregations to form the United Church of Canada.

In 1957 a new building opened in Shawnigan Lake. Both it and the Mill Bay church were served by a single minister as a joint pastoral charge. In 1994 the two congregations amalgamated, forming Sylvan United Church.

In 2000, the Shawnigan Lake building was sold, and the combined congregation moved to the local community centre where services were held for the next five years.  In 2003 the present Sylvan property was bought, and in October 2004 the congregation walked from the Shawnigan Community Centre to the new site, where the bell from the old steeple was rung.

 

The Painting ‘Pilgrimage’

Sylvan United Church, through its predecessors Shawnigan Lake United Church and Mill Bay United Church, has been a faithful presence in the life of the communities of the South Cowichan Valley for over 100 years.

The painting , PILGRIMAGE, symbolizes, in many ways, the journey of our faith community. The painting is of the congregation of Sylvan United Church entering their new sanctuary in 2004. It represents the culmination of a period of transformation in the life of the congregation which included the amalgamation of Mill Bay United and Shawnigan Lake United Church congregations, the renaming of the church as Sylvan Pastoral Charge, a nearly 5 year sojourn worshipping in the Shawnigan Lake Community Centre, the search and securing of an appropriate property on which to build a new sanctuary, and the construction and completion of that edifice.

The previous year, on Sunday the 31st of October 2003 (Halloween) church members had engaged in a symbolic pilgrimage from Shawnigan Lake to our new property in Mill Bay, “crossing the Jordan” at Shawnigan –Mill Bay creek and entering the promised land of our new future.

The congregation of Sylvan presented the then minister, Reverend Groom, with a generous gift of cash, which he decided ought to be spent on some legacy to mark the event.  Peter Spohn was approached with the idea of commissioning a painting in honour of the event. The painting is the result of this.

 

 

Shawnigan and Mill Bay Cemeteries

There is an unusual relationship that the congregation of Sylvan United Church has with the Shawnigan Cemetery. It began with the former Shawnigan Lake United Church.

In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s the growing community of Shawnigan Lake wanted to establish a Cemetery. Discussions, negotiations and planning went on for years – the major stumbling block was that the BC Utilities Board required an “organized body” to be involved with the management of the Cemetery. The local Board of Trade called a meeting with community delegates to discuss the creation of a community cemetery. The Shawnigan Lake United Church was the only group that stepped forward. Mrs. Eric (Alice Brownie) Gibson represented the United Church at the first recorded meeting on January 12th, 1948. The cemetery land and holdings were officially turned over to the Shawnigan Lake United Church and the Cemetery was renamed the Shawnigan Cemetery to reflect its nondenominational status.

This unusual association between the church and the Cemetery continues although the Cemetery became a Society in January 2019. This has changed the administrative structure. The Board of Trustees of Sylvan United and members of the public, participate in the management of Shawnigan Cemetery. Mr. Kim Hennecker, a member of the Sylvan United Church Finance team, became the treasurer of the Cemetery Committee in 2010, Roy Davies became the Administrator at that time as well. Both gentlemen continue to hold these positions. Other members of the Society are Rev. Dr. Murray Groom (President), Lisa Davies (secretary), Jason Whitehead (contractor), and Tom Worth (representing the Malahat Lions and Coordinator of the maintenance team). For over twenty years, the Malahat Lions Club has continued their commitment of community service to the Shawnigan Cemetery maintaining the grounds in a park-like state. Shawnigan Cemetery must adhere to bylaws approved by the provincial government. It must report to, and maintain records for the government in order to keep the provincial government license.

Mill Bay United Church and the attached Cemetery were sold to the CVRD for $1.00 (one dollar) approximately 20 years ago. The understanding is that the CVRD will maintain the site and that any burials will be handled through the administrator of the Shawnigan Cemetery. There are approximately 20 plots which have been purchased, but are unoccupied. As this cemetery is no longer a church cemetery, it needs to be licensed in order for the plots to be used. The license of the Shawnigan Cemetery, because of the Society status, can be extended to include the Mill Bay Cemetery thus allowing interments to legally take place. Plots are no longer sold, and once the 20 plots are occupied, the Cemetery will be considered closed.

Shawnigan Cemetery is a community resting place for anyone who wishes to be interred there. It is a vital part of the South Cowichan community and hopefully it remains a special place for citizens to be interred and for their loved ones to visit, reflect and mourn. We ask God’s blessings on the departed souls and peace for their families.