Algoma bishop cannonized

The Right Reverend Dr. Stephen Andrews, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma, was playing around this afternoon with a really old miniature cannon and stuff as he hosted his annual New Year's levée.

The event is held each January 1 at Bishophurst at 134 Simpson Street, the historic residence of the bishop and diocesan synod office.

The little cannon has a history as colourful as the house's storied past.

Known as "Bishop Sullivan's gun" after Algoma's second bishop (Edward Sullivan,1882-1896), it was used to announce arrival of the bishop's boat in places like Thessalon, Bruce Mines and Desbarats.

"The bishop of the Algoma diocese would travel from one community to the other along the North Shore in a yacht," says John Hooper, a retired auto mechanics teacher at W.C. Eaket Secondary School and black-powder enthusiast who cares for the firearm.

The steel-plated yacht, previously owned by the Prince of Wales, was brought over from Scotland with $5,000 raised by Bishop Sullivan from wealthy benefactors in Toronto, Montreal and Chicago.

"The cannon was used to announce his arrival. It was mounted on the rail of the sailing vessel," Hooper says.

"Looking down the barrel, it was just a noisemaker. It's not a finely cast gun. It's very porous down the bore. It was just intended to announce his arrival."

The surprisingly loud ceremonial weapon announced the bishop's presence in 33 mission stations along the North Shore and Manitoulin Island.

The black-powder charge used to fire the cannon is about the size of a wine cork, Hooper tells SooToday.

He prepares that, as well as the paper wadding that creates the gun's authoritative bang.

The cannon was fired at two previous New Year's levées and at a bishop's reception at the 47th diocese synod in Sault Ste. Marie in May, 2015.

(PHOTO: Anglican Bishop Stephen Andrews lights the fuse of a historic ceremonial cannon on January 1, 2016 at his annual New Year's levée at Bishophurst, 134 Simpson Street. David Helwig/SooToday.)