The Storm of July 2023

For generations, the great trees surrounding the Church of the Epiphany were simply part of this place.

Towering oaks and other mature trees shaded the church grounds and cemetery, standing alongside generations of parishioners as they came to worship, celebrate, mourn and remember. Some were already old when earlier generations walked beneath them. It was difficult to imagine Epiphany without them.

Then, in a matter of minutes, everything changed.

On the afternoon of July 26, 2023, an extraordinarily powerful storm swept through Harrow and Kingsville. What many initially feared was a tornado was later identified by the Northern Tornadoes Project as an EF1 downburst, with winds estimated at up to 145 km/h. Across the area, trees and power lines came down and homes and properties were damaged.

Epiphany was hit hard.

Many of the enormous old trees on the church property and throughout our historic cemetery were toppled or catastrophically damaged. Branches and debris covered the grounds, and trees that had stood for generations were suddenly gone.

Yet amid the devastation, we had much for which to give thanks.

No one was injured. And through the grace of God, our historic church emerged unharmed.

In the days that followed, attention turned to the enormous task of cleaning up. Professional tree services undertook the dangerous and specialized work, while parishioners contributed many hours of volunteer labour clearing the property and beginning the long process of putting the grounds back in order.

The storm also left difficult decisions behind. The condition of the remaining mature trees had to be considered in light of what had happened and the safety of parishioners, visitors, our neighbours and those visiting loved ones in the cemetery. Ultimately, the decision was made to remove the surviving large trees as well.

It was painful to see them go.

Their absence dramatically changed a landscape familiar to generations of people in Kingsville. The photographs on this page preserve something of what once surrounded Epiphany—and show just how remarkable the transformation was.

But the story of July 2023 is about more than what was lost.

For more than 175 years, Epiphany has lived through change. Buildings and landscapes change. Generations come and go. What endures is the community of faith entrusted with caring for this sacred place and carrying its life forward.

The storm changed our grounds in a single afternoon. It did not change who we are.

Today, when we look across the more open landscape surrounding our church and cemetery, we remember the magnificent trees that once stood here. We remember the people who worked together in the days that followed. And above all, we remain grateful that no lives were lost and that the church entrusted to generations before us still stands.

The landscape changed. The life and ministry of Epiphany continue.