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The United Church of Canada Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. L.J. Gilleland The story of the United Church of Canada in Sturgeon Falls may most appropriately begin by the mention of one of the first members, Miss Mary Richardson, who afterwards became the first woman elder in the United Church. The choice has been fully justified. Miss Richardson has been active for years as the Superintendent of the Cradle Roll, making almost daily visits on her young friends. In this year 1941, Miss Richardson has lived in Sturgeon Falls for 57 years, having come north as a child with her parents in 1884. The coming of the Railway caused a stir in religious circles. The Church of England was the first to have regular church services. A missionary came from Mattawa once a month. Next came the Methodist Church, about 1888, the first missionary being John Ellis. Services were held in the old log school-house which stood a few feet north of the present Public School building, west of Holditch, on William St. Before the different denominations built their churches, a Sunday School was organized, which also met in the log school-house. This proved to be a real union school, and was so called. The children as well as the adults of the churches attended. The first Superintendent was a Mr. Parker who had come from the Gravenhurst district. When there he had walked