St. Helen’s Anglican Church
Fairford

Designation Date: December 17, 2003
Designation Authority: R.M. of Grahamdale
Present Owner: Diocese of Rupert’s Land

An Anglican Church was established at Fairford in 1842 when Reverend Abraham Cowley and his wife arrived to establish a mission to serve local Aboriginal people there. Rev. Cowley had previously undertaken work at the Red River Settlement around present-day Winnipeg. The present St. Helen’s Anglican Church, which dates from 1911, is a good example of the kind of modest church building that came to form the backbone of small religious communities throughout Manitoba. In this case the church is characterized by a boxy form covered with a gable roof and distinguished with a small bell tower bearing a Latin cross to recall the faith. An adjacent cemetery contains the graves of early members of the congregation as well more recent adherents.