I had long heard the very fine organ in the sanctuary of Port Credit campus
(the former First United Church) had an interesting origin. The three manual
Cassavant organ was previously installed in the board room of the Canada
Paint and Varnish Company of Leaside. A quick Wikipedia search filled in
more details. Rupert E. Edwards founded a small paint manufacturing
company in 1923. The company continued to grow until it was one of the
largest employers in the city of Toronto. The article notes that “the Varnish
factory was home to weekly organ recitals” – presumably on the organ that
is now installed in the PC campus. The article further details that “In 1958,
Edwards installed a carillon at the … factory … which rang every 15 minutes
from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Members of the community filed anti-noise
complaints. Edwards argued that the musical performance should not be
subject to the city's noise bylaws. He lost the case in court.”
That reminds me of a story I’ve heard around the Clarkson church that in the
early days of the present church building the bells were played on the
outdoor speakers on Sunday mornings. It seems similar noise complaints
came from the surrounding neighbours. Maybe the Edwards case should
have been circulated advising them that they were getting off easy. 5-10
minutes once a week is probably better than every 15 minutes 5 days a
week.
Causing much less controversy (and noise), Rupert Edwards in 1944 …
purchased a large piece of land in North York, and converted it into a garden
and golf course. This was later sold (at a bargain price) to the city of Toronto
and now is known as the Edwards Gardens.
