(8) The Rev. Canon G.S. Anderson was succeeded by the scholarly Archdeacon Charles Oliver Carson in 1914. He served a long incumbency in the parish until his tragic death in 1931. One Sunday afternoon, while turning his car through the lychgate upon arriving to take service at Holy Trinity, his car was struck broadside by a speeding driver. He died a few minutes later beside the lychgate. The sad irony is that this is one of a very few lychgates in Canada. The lychgate preserves the ancient and historic custom of clergy welcoming people under the canopy of the lychgate onto consecrated ground. It is a replica of an earlier lychgate and was the gift of Robert N. Cox, a friend of Edwin C. Whitney.

Archdeacon Carson was succeeded by The Rev. S.B.. Holmes in 1931. He served until 1938, through the years of the Great Depression. He was succeeded by The Rev. George Oliver Davies, a well-loved man who served until his retirement in 1957, just as the great Seaway works were underway.

In retrospect, The St. Lawrence Seaway Hydro Electric Power Project jointly completed by Canada and the United States of America, was probably the biggest disappointment for the people of Trinity Church. One senior member recently remarked that the Seaway not only took our homes and our farms, it took our people as well. She looks back at that time with regret and disappointment. The promised prosperity did not materialize. The growth in the communities that was predicted did not take place. From Cardinal to Cornwall the river front was disrupted. Towns, villages, hamlets, homes, farms, businesses, factories, churches, cemeteries, historic sites and public buildings were all slated for demolition or removal to new locations.

To protect the Anglican Church properties in the Diocese of Ottawa Bishop Jefferson created the St. Lawrence Seaway Anglican Church Properties Committee. The Bishop appointed to the committee, Archdeacon Clarke of Cornwall as Chairman, Canon Linley Macmorine of Wales as Secretary and George F. Jowett, People’s Warden of Trinity Church, Riverside as Lay Representative. Representing Ontario Hydro were Dr. Rothwell, Chief Property Officers H. Hustler and A. Lampert, Chief Architect K. Candy, Chief Engineers H. Jackson and G. Estes and J. Gormley, Recording officer. The Honourable G. Challies and Dr. Carroll represented the Parks Commission, cemeteries, monuments and historic restoration with J. Smart, overall field organizer. All churches in the path of the Seaway were demolished except two. The Ontario Parks Commission sought to obtain Christ Church, Moulinette for its historic background, and unique colonial architecture. It was successfully acquired and transported to Upper Canada Village where it still stands as a proud monument to all the demolished churches.

The other church earmarked to be saved for its great historic significance was Trinity Church, Riverside. Three meetings were held at Trinity Memorial Church on January 12, March 14 and March 21, 1955 to deal with the issues put forth by the upcoming development of the Seaway. Each meeting was chaired by the Rector, The Rev. G. Oliver Davies, with Sherwood Stoddart as Rector’s Warden, George F. Jowett as People’s Warden and Donald Prunner, as Vestry Clerk.