Father Pat Memorial 1910 - Rossland, British Columbia, Canada
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T0SHEA
N 49° 04.611 W 117° 47.909
11U E 441687 N 5436305
The Father Pat Memorial is at the corners of Queen Street and Columbia Avenue in downtown Rossland. The view is toward the northwest, across Columbia Avenue. The memorial now sits at an angle 45° different from the original.
Waymark Code: WMM8AR
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/09/2014
Views: 1
Father Pat's Memorial was, we believe, created in 1910 and originally stood at the corner of Washington and Columbia, one block west of its current location. In the interim, however, it was moved at least one other time, from Washington Street to the present location of Pioneer Park, yet another block west and a block north, at First Avenue and Spokane Street. It remained there for many years, before again migrating back onto Columbia Avenue.
If one were to look closely at the two Columbia Avenue Waymarks below, from 1909 and 1910, they would notice that, in the 1910 photo, the Father Pat Memorial has suddenly appeared. It is immediately left of the line of telephone poles toward the right edge of the photo and directly across the street from the Bank of Montreal.
The Rev. Henry Irwin, a pioneer missionary in B.C., was the first rector of both Rossland and Trail. He is better known as Father Pat, and his life and work in the Golden City from January 27th, 1896 to November 5th, 1899 won for him an abiding place in the heart and mind of all those who knew him. As there was no church at the time of his arrival, he conducted his first service in Rossland in the old Opera House on February 2, 1896.
The Rossland Miner’s January 28 editorial about Father Pat’s passing said:” “Father Pat’, or to speak more correctly, the Rev. H. Irwin, was a remarkable man. If one were to attempt to say in which respect he differed from his fellows, one could not put it better than to say he lived every hour of his life up to the golden rule – ‘Do unto others as ye would have them do unto you’. He was a believer in the putting into practice in everyday life of practical Christianity. Wherever sorrow was manifest or sickness had stricken down the unfortunate, there was ‘Father Pat’ with his cheery smile and open purse to help the distressed.
From the History of St. Andrews Church