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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday June 17, 2006 - 3 Faithful servant in the Church Army By Wilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Don Paterson joined the army in 1956. A proud soldier, he appears dapper in his uniform, a blue blazer with the army's crest, white shirt, a wine red tie, and grey trousers. Until about 10 years ago, he wore a military-style uniform similar to that worn by the Salvation Army. Paterson is a captain in the Church Army of Canada, a little known part of the Anglican Church. "We do our work quietly," said Paterson, 76. "We go where we're needed," he said humbly. "Men and women do this specialized piece of work." Paterson will be honoured for his dedication and service to the Church Army at St. Hilda's Anglican Church on Sunday, June 25 at 10 a.m. He and his wife of 49 years, Ethel, 75, retired to Oakville about a dozen years ago. Paterson's father was a minister. He was born in the rectory of All Saints Anglican Church in Peterborough on All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 1929. The family moved to Toronto in 1941 where he enjoyed playing in High Park with his brother. Growing up during the Great Depression, Paterson was influenced by his father's work and followed a similar path. But, he took a few sidesteps, leaving high school early to work at Heinzman Piano, International Litho and IBM, before he found the career path he had been looking for. He also taught Sunday School. "I spent all of my free time doing youth work, working in Scouting. I decided I would like to get into youth work," he reflected. Also interested in "anything electrical," Patterson furthered his electronics training at night school, and because he was also interested in Christian service, attended the Toronto Bible College. In 1954, he was accepted into the Church Army's two-year training program and spent his first summer at a mission in Eriksdale, Manitoba, where he met Ethel Cline, a missionary nurse at a United Church hospital. Romance blossomed. Commissioned as a captain in 1956, Paterson was posted in Paddockwood in northern Saskatchewan ­ about 100 miles north of Ethel's home in Zelma near Saskatoon. They were married in 1957 and their first of five children, local artist Jim Paterson, was born while the couple lived in Saskatchewan. He was in charge of about half a dozen churches. "I was licensed by the government to do weddings after my graduation." "We lived in a cottage at the mission without running water and no inside washroom," he said. "Our first child was born before disposable diapers were invented," said Ethel. "I got water by melting snow in the winter and collecting it in rain barrels and from the ditch." "A neighbour allowed us to get drinking water from their well," Paterson continued. KEVIN HILL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE : Don Paterson, Captain of Anglican Church Army, holds a picture of himself when he first graduated into the Church Army 50 years ago. "Oh, those were good years. We did have electricity fortunately." In 1958, the young family was transferred to Toronto. Paterson was placed at an agency near Toronto's Kensington Market that eventually became St. Stephen's Community House in 1961, with him as founding director. The family, which had by this time grown to three children, moved into the upstairs apartment. His two youngest children arrived during the next few years. Today, three of his five married children live in Oakville as do 12 of his 18 grandchildren. "We started it from nothing," he reflected. "Today it's a big established community house. "We started with an after school program in the gym, we taught English to new immigrants and we started at drop-in centre," said Paterson. "We were at the very beginning of that movement." In an article he wrote for an Anglican Church publication in 1968, Paterson noted such modern-day issues as urbanization, overcrowding, language barriers to employment and the need for daily English classes, loss of one's identity in an impersonal society and the isolation felt among new immigrants. Although Portuguese immigrants predominantly populated the area, St. Stephen's served 16 different nationalities during Paterson's tenure. While there, he launched summer and weekend camps, initiated day trips, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies, Guides, folk dancing, electronics, photography, swimming, drama and Bible discussions. Up to 300 youth would come each week. St. Stephen's Community House developed `home grown' leaders for its summer camps. "For some of the kids, summer camp would be their first time out of the city," said Ethel, who while staying home to raise the children, was also very much involved with her husband's work. The days were long for the Patersons as they opened the doors before 9 a.m. for the English lessons and closed at 10 p.m., or later after the youth program ended. Towards the end of his tenure at St. Stephen's, Paterson earned his social work diploma from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute ­now Ryerson University. In late 1971, Paterson was offered the position of Director of Christian Education at St. James United Church in Simcoe, Ontario. He and Ethel purchased their first home, and enjoyed eight happy years of country living. "I was the youth pastor," he said. "I really enjoyed that work." Paterson then returned to city life in 1980 as executive director to the Toronto City Mission on Spadina Avenue "at the beginning of the food bank movement. We gave out clothing and food every morning." The mission helped low-income people living in high-rise apartments. "We ran an after school program and held monthly suppers. "We distributed 6,000 pounds of food to about 1,000 people every month," said Paterson. "The Toronto City Mission also had a girls home for young women who were going to school or working," he said. "We visited there once a week. Many of these girls had no homes. I walked a couple of them down the aisle ­ besides my own kids." He retired from the Toronto City Mission in 1993 and moved to Oakville to be close to most of his family. The Patersons gave up their apartment at the mission and bought a house in Oakville. Although retired, Paterson and his wife spend summers at the cottage he purchased in 1970, with financial help from his father, at Riley Lake near Washago and Gravenhurst. He is pastor of a `summer church' there. "It's been very worthwhile," said Paterson of his 50-year career in the Church Army. "It's been a really good life serving others and having their needs repaired was very worthwhile. There are a lot of hurting people, and coming from a religious background I could give them the spiritual aspect of life. Young people have responded well to that." Paterson has been awarded five stars by the Church Army, one for every seven years served, before this practice ended. They are fastened to his old military-style Church Army uniform. He credits his good life and fulfilling career to the support he's received from his wife Ethel. "I wouldn't be anything without her," he concluded. ­Wilma Blokhuis can be reached at blokhuis@haltonsearch.com. · Wood & Vinyl Shutters, Supplied & Installed · High Quality at Affordable Prices · Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed · Serving Oakville with Shop at Home Service Authorized Vinylbilt Dealer www.shuttersetc.ca Shop at Home Service FREE