Arrangements were made with the new sexton, Mr. Ernest Barlow, to ‘ take charge of the upkeep of the Graveyard. The fee charged to those who wished to have graves cared for was $1.00 for the year per grave. The Annual Congregational Meeting, held on January 1st, 1912 put on record its sense of deep loss at the death of the Honorable Mr. Justice E.J. Hodgson. It was resolved:

that it is the desire of this meeting to put on record its sincere appreciation of the earnest, generous, and zealous services rendered this church by the late Mr. Justice Hodgson and his magnificent bequest of the residue of the Estate to be applied to the Church’s needs, showing thereby how completely his thoughts were given to its interests and well-being.192

The year 1912 was a year of repairs for the Church and other church buildings in addition to the damage caused by the fire. A portion of the Bequest money became available and was used to strengthen the Bell Tower and to repair and underpin the roof. The roof of the Sexton’s house was re— shingled, clothes presses were fitted on three sides of the Surplice room for storing Surplices and Cassocks in, a sewage system was installed in the rear of the Surplice Room, and the unsanitary closets at the back door of the Sexton’s house were removed and a small building used for storing windows was erected there. Some filrniture was purchased at an auction sale at Hillsboro House, including a piano for the schoolroom and certain articles to be placed in the Sacristy and in the Rectory. A new sexton, Mr. Albert Mills, had to be hired when the previous sexton left for a more lucrative position in Ottawa. The down-side of all of this expansion work was the cost involved, and the financial situation reported by Canon Simpson in his year end Report owing to loss of congregational members:

During the past year we have lost unprecedented number of our members; for while there has been only one adult death, we are forty-seven fewer than we

were a year ago. The continued exodus, especially of our young people; is a curse of great anxiety.193

The decrease in numbers continued to pose a considerable problem for the future of the Cathedral throughout the following year. Death took a number of the members of the congregation, including four individuals who had been connected with St. Peter’s since its opening: Mr. Henry Pope Walsh, Mr. William Critchlow Harris (to whom the Cathedral congregation was indebted for the designs of the beautiful Chapel and many architectural decorations of the Church), Mrs. Arthur Peters, and Mrs. James Warburton

192. Ibid. 1912.

193. Ibid.

163