St. James United Church/Eglise Unie St. James, Montreal, Quebec frieze by T. E. Smith-Lamothe

Canon G7

This delightful nature-themed frieze is found on the Catherine Street facade of St. James United Church in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church (a designated National Historic Site) is located at 563 rue Ste.-Catherine Ouest, a lively avenue which anchors the downtown business district. The church was built in 1887-89 for a Methodist congregation established in 1803, but became a United Church in 1925 when Methodists, Congregationalists and many Presbyterians joined together to form the United Church of Canada. According to the church's website and Wikipedia, it was designed by Montreal architect Alexander F. Dunlop as a "Victorian neo-gothic image of a French medieval cathedral" and Rev. Lloyd C. Douglas, author of "The Robe" and "Magnificent Obsession" served as minister there for a time. In 1851, the original Methodist congregation founded the first YMCA in North America. More about the history of the building can be found at: www.stjamesunitedchurchmontreal.com/history.php