www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday May 24, 2008 - 5 Church pews nearly empty at St. Hilda's Sunday service Breakaway members draw record crowds at new location By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The most recent court decision regarding who gets to use St. Hilda's Anglican Church has resulted in close to 100 breakaway members moving offsite, with new Sunday services held at the church drawing about three people. Superior Court Justice Jane Milanetti ruled in early May that the dissident members of the parish who voted unanimously to join the Anglican Network in Canada must share the use of the property with the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. Milanetti went on to award the coveted Sunday morning time slot of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. to the Diocese for services, which left members of the Anglican Network in Canada with no choice but to hold their services in another location, according to Paula Valentine. "We have our services at 8 and 10 and have for many years, and the Diocese has taken our building from 7 to 10, so they totally disrupted our times and we wanted to keep our times the same," said Valentine, a congregation member of St. Hilda's for 29 years. "There were lots of other reasons we couldn't share and that's why we left the Diocese in the first place, because we couldn't go along with what they were doing." The breakaway members say they are upset their church is empty on Sundays, while they hold their 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services at Oakville Christian School. Valentine said attendance is up. "It has been quite incredible, everyone is behind it and we've had better attendance than we've had in a long time," Valentine said. "It is a little awkward because we have to set up and take down every time, but the atmosphere is great and we're having a great time. Last week we had 112 people, and it has usually been around the 100 mark." Reverend Brian Ruttan will be officiating the third 8:30 a.m. service at St. Hilda's this Sunday since the ruling. He said he isn't sure how many people will come. "We've averaged three per service, but I don't think anyone knows about it yet," he said. "I have no idea what will happen. Personally, I continue on as I normally would. I don't prepare any differently for three people than I do for 500." Despite the rift between the Proof Sheet two groups, Ruttan said he is optimistic that future conversations might encourage the members to return to the Anglican Church of Canada. The two groups are currently sharing space, administration and management at St. Hilda's during the week. The lawyer for the breakaway members will be putting forward a motion to appeal the court's decision in June. "We're upset because it is obviously not that they are having a service there, but it is to just disrupt our service and that is the whole intention of it," Valentine said. "There's no reason why they can't leave us alone until the property settlement is decided. They may win in the end, but in the meantime, they don't need to be there," she said. St. Hilda's is not the only church that was affected by the recent ruling. St. George's in Lowville and Good Shepherd in St. Catharines were also given the same stipulations. Final determination of the ownership of these properties by the courts is not expected for several years. CO -11 UNE 4 J w.com olfsho ontog tor www. Online Golf G Auction MIN The season's GOLF deals! Just in time for Father's Day! BID EARLY - BID OFTEN! · Green fees at Ontario's most prestigious courses! · Golf holidays! Date: Gift Cards! BEST SNEAK PREVIEW STARTS MAY 28! Auction Closes June 11, 2008 Place Your Bids At: TorontoGolfShow.com New Patients Welcome! Dear Neighbour, If you are looking for a new dental office in Oakville, I would like to welcome you to consider my practice. My office has developed a number of amenities to make you and your family feel as comfortable as possible during your time with us. Some of these amenities include satellite televisions in each of our treatment rooms so you can watch your favorite programs or you can listen to music on an IPOD with BOSE noise cancelling headphones. We also have the fabulous, new ICUITI Digital Video Personal Eyewear glasses that allow you to watch DVD's on a virtual large screen TV. We have developed a number of special amenities that have been specifically added for your children's comfort including a Playstation 3 with a 40-inch Sony Hi-Definition flat screen LCD TV in the children's section of the reception room. I have recently invested in a dental laser that can treat cavities in you or your children's teeth without the drilling sound or vibration. The Laser treatment can lead to a decrease in the amount of anesthetic that is required during the visit to treat the cavity and improve the overall dental experience for you and your child. I am very fortunate to have a caring and friendly team that are committed to your overall oral health and will make you feel welcome and respected. If you have any questions about our office, please feel free to call us at 905-827-1619. We look forward to meeting with you and creating a long-term relationship. Sincerely Your Pool Is Our Reputation LIMITED INSTALL DATES STILL AVAILABLE SWIM IN JUNE FREE SALT GENERATOR WITH ALL JULY INSTALLS * Retail Value $2000 Dr. Stephen Phelan www.uniquepools.ca Dental Surgeon. Laser, Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 1500 Heritage Way, Oakville, ON L6M 3H4 call 905.827.1619 to arrange an appointment 905-304-4774 or 1-866-929-4774 BOOK NOW SWIM NOW SAVE NOW Creating sensational smiles in Oakville for 15 years.