Parish of St. Nicholas - Westwood Hills
Parish of St. Nicholas in Westwood Hills N.S.In 1804 a royal declaration set the boundaries of the Parish of Sackville to include Birch Cove to Grand Lake across to Mount Uniacke to Tantallon and back to Birch Cove, serviced by one priest from the mother church of St. John the Evangelist. Settlement within this area grew rapidly in the 1800’s. Residents of Hammonds Plains drew their livelihood from farming and cooper mills. People saw the need for their own church as infrequent worship services were held on lawns and in homes when the rector of Sackville could visit. In 1842 the Anglican congregation built the first little church in Hammonds Plains- St. John’s. When fire destroyed the church in 1888, the people built a new one and St. Nicholas- Hammonds Plains was consecrated in 1891.
The congregation have always been charitable people responding to need when they see it. Records show the giving of Sunday offerings to widows and orphans, the Bible Society, missions, Hospital Chaplains, and the relief effort after the Springhill mining disaster. The women’s Sewing Circle formed in 1925 was a driving force in fundraising, supporting the church and community.
In 1997 the growing Parish of Fort Sackville was divided and St. Nicholas became an independent parish. The community of Hammonds Plains was in a booming period of suburban growth and on a Sunday every pew in little St. Nicholas was full. The children had to go outside and descend to the basement level for their Sunday School classes where there was no washroom or running water. The congregation made the decision to look for land to build a bigger church.
A site was purchased on Westwood Blvd. in Upper Tantallon and, under the strong leadership of Rev. Art Nash, the first half of the new church was built, and consecrated by Bishop Fred Hiltz in February 2004. Upon Rev. Nash’s retirement in June 2004, Rev. Donald Lawton, Chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers, led worship during the summer months. In September 2004 Rev. Jane Reid was assigned to the parish.
The community continues to grow and new worshippers arrive weekly. The excellent Sunday School and staffed Nursery are an appealing draw to young families, and parishioners are committed to offering hospitality in this warm, welcoming setting. Their tireless efforts in an enjoyable mix of fellowship and fundraising resulted in the completion of the construction of the sanctuary in October 2008. On Dec. 5th- The Eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas- Bishop Sue Moxley and Suffragan Bishop Ron Cutler led the congregation in a joyful worship service in thanksgiving and celebration for the efforts of all the faithful and for a new chapter beginning in the life of the St. Nicholas Family.
For more information visit www.stnicholaswestwoodhills.ca