The three chairs at the pulpit.

60

The louvers of the church spire and the steeple required repairs in 1969, and $1,100 from the capital expenditure fund, which had been established with the revenue from the sale of the manse, was used to complete the work. More work was overseen by the trustees in 1976. As the congregation had no place to hang their outdoor apparel, a special congregational meeting was heldjune 7, 1976 to display plans for the building of the cloakroom on the north side of the church entrance. The congregation agreed to have M.F. Schurman Company build the cloakroom at a cost of $5,500 and install outside con- crete steps at a cost of $1,200. The work was completed by 1977 with funding provided by a bequest from Hensley Clark. Wrought iron railing detailed the new steps in memory of Edmund Ramsay and, his wife, Maryjane Lockhart.

The church exterior was changed from cedar shingles to vinyl siding in 1979. The 1970s also saw an energy crisis; the organization of OPEC meant higher heating bills for the church. Governments were offering energy grants for insulat- ing buildings to improve heating efficiency, so the trustees took advantage of a $500 energy grant towards the cost of insulating the ceiling.

The steeple has generated much discussion in the congre- gation over the years. By 1982, serious problems with it devel- oped. There was a considerable sway to the steeple, with rat-

LOT 16 UNITED CHURCH AND ITS PEOPLE