Documentary about "Bishop who ate his boots" to be shown Jan. 15, at Anglican Church in Kincardine

Most people know the story about Bishop Isaac Stringer, the "bishop who ate his boots," while serving in the Yukon. But few know about his connection to the Kincardine area.

Now, that story is being told in an extraordinary documentary, with a viewing set for Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m., at the Anglican Church of the Messiah, Kincardine. (The snow date is Jan. 22, at 2 p.m.)

Stringer, an Anglican missionary, was born and raised at Kingarf. He grew up in a farm family on the 7^th Concession of the former Township of Kincardine, attended St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Kingarf, and went to Kincardine High School.

He travelled to the far north in 1892 right after he was ordained as an Anglican minister, to work as a missionary with the Inuit people. He returned home on furlough and married Sadie Alexander (who lived on the 6^th Concession of the former Greenock Township) in May, 1896, at St. Matthew’s, Kingarf.

The newly-married couple left almost immediately on their adventurous trip back to his position in the North. They lived several years on Hershel Island and in other areas of the western Arctic. They greatly impacted the people they came in contact with in many positive ways.

Stringer became the Bishop of Selkirk in 1905 (that title was later changed to Yukon) and later the Archbishop of Rupert’s Land.

So, how did Stringer become known as the "bishop who ate his boots?"

It happened in 1909, on one of his many walking tours over his vast diocese. He and missionary worker, Charles Johnson, got lost in an early winter storm. They could not use their canoe as planned when the river froze, so they had to walk 60 miles over a mountain range through snow, fog and sub-zero temperatures to get back to civilization.

They ran out of food and had to stew and toast their spare moccasins to stay alive. They both survived the ordeal whereas “The Lost Patrol” of four North West Mounted Police lost their lives in similar circumstances in the same area two years later.

Since then, Stringer became known as “the bishop who ate his boots.” He became a legend of the time and did many speaking engagements across Canada for the Anglican Church. He and Sadie even were presented to King George V and Queen Mary.

Stringer kept an extensive diary, shot many still photos and made 16-millimetre films of the north which documented a now-vanished way of life. These films and photos helped make it possible for his grandson, cinematographer Richard Stringer, to produce the documentary available today.

In a labour of love and a personal quest to learn as much as he could about his grandparents, Richard documented their treacherous journey to the north and his efforts to convert the Inuit to Christianity. Unfortunately, Richard died before completing the film which was later finished by his many friends and colleagues.

After the documentary's premiere showing to sold-out audiences at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, in October, 2016, Carol Stringer (Richard’s widow, who now lives in Victoria, British Columbia) provided a copy of the film for the Kingarf area.

It was shown at St. Matthew’s, Kingarf, in November and it was agreed that more people in the area should be given the opportunity to see this masterpiece.

Subsequently, the documentary will be shown, Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m., in the Anglican Church of the Messiah Parish Hall, located on Russell Street, Kincardine; with a snow date of Jan. 22, at 2 p.m. There will be a social time following the showing.

Everyone is welcome to see this amazing documentary and enjoy this event hosted by the Kingarf Anglican Church congregation,. This is a very fitting way for the congregation to finish last year's 150^th Anniversary Celebration! It also helps explain the reason the cook book, published by the ACW for the 150th anniversary, was named “Everything But The Bishop’s Boots!"