Knox Church is raising funds for its new roof through the One Roof for All campaign. The congregation has pledged to donate $102,870, representing more than half the total cost. If you would like to help us cover the costs of restoring our roof so we can continue providing services to the community, please click HERE to see our donations page.

Restoring our House to Serve the Community
Degraded by sun and heat, the roofs covering Knox were letting in rain and starting to cause rot in the underlying wood structure. Water stains were appearing on some of the sanctuary walls, and our choir had experienced the discomfort of sitting down in a puddle of water on a Sunday morning. 
In May, 2026, the congregation approved the roof replacement and work began before more rain could do more damage. 
The roof has now been replaced, at a cost of $198,300, and it’s time to pay the bill.  In addition to the funds from the congregation, we are hoping that friends and users of Knox will pitch in to help.

The stone-clad church has been a solid presence on the corner of Elgin and Lisgar streets since 1932, with the congregation going back even farther, to 1844. Throughout its history, Knox has been not just a house of worship but a home to services for the wider community.
In its early days, the church housed a program teaching Chinese immigrants to read, and a lunch program supporting the war effort in the 1940s. Today, Knox provides affordable space for non-profit groups serving the Centretown community, as well as arts organizations. Users of its facilities include various choirs, AA groups on Mondays and Fridays, Daybreak Housing, the Islam Care Centre and recently, an Indigenous theatre group.
It also provides space for cultural events such as the Fever Candlelight Concerts and Ottawa Writers Festival which bring people to the Elgin Street neighbourhood.

Knox’s signature program is Out of the Cold, providing meals on Saturday nights to vulnerable and unhoused people in Ottawa’s downtown. The program is offered from November to April and gives people a hot meal as well as some social connection. Thanks to the generosity of community donors as well as Knox members, the Out of the Cold program is well-funded to carry through 2027. Our Out of the Cold and Knox users depend on having a roof over their heads.

We hope that everyone who has a connection to Knox or supports its missions will donate to One Roof for All, and help us restore our house to serve the community.