Rector: The Rev. Millie Hope
1965 "The History Our Parish" 2009

In 1964 the first group of people began meeting at Tee Pee Restaurant, on the site of
the current Loblaws Pickering Market parking lot. In 1965 a group of dedicated and
hard-working Anglicans felt a need for a church in Bay Ridges. The Parish was founded
to serve the communities of Bay Ridges and Fairport. A Panabode Church, a building
with solid wooden walls and tongue and groove joints, was erected north east of the
current building, near the church sign at the entrance to the driveway. The Parish was
named after St. Martin, the patron saint of France - appropriate because of the parish's
proximity to Frenchman's Bay. In the late 1960's the rectory was purchased on
Vistula Drive, Westshore.

In 1979 the Panabode was closed due to plumbing and heating
problems. The congregation then held services in the Holy Redeemer
Catholic School on Liverpool Road. In 1980 the design for the new
church was finalized. It was intended to be a multi-purpose space for worship, social events, community meetings etc. Construction began in September and was completed enough to allow the first service (a wedding) to take place on December 21,with bare plywood floor, no nave ceiling, no paint and construction
scaffolding at various locations. Thanks to generous support of
various diocesan funds, the parish had to assume a mortgage of only $130,000. In 1981 the Church was dedicated.

St. Martin's Centre was also built in 1981, with 57 apartments for seniors. St. Martin's
Centre is a non profit corporation with a majority of the Board of Directors members
of St. Martin's Church. The building is on land leased from the Diocese of Toronto.

1984 saw a cemetery created for cremation plots only. Trees were planted between the
cemetery and driveway and all are dedicated in memory or in honour of various people.

The Church mortage was paid off in 1991 and the Church building consecrated. Seven
years later the Rectory mortgage was also paid off.