St. Mary's Collingwood, 1858.

In the 1640's Jesuit Fathers worked among the Petun Indians in the Collingwood area, the western limit of their Huronia mission field.   From the 1830's priests from Penetanguishene said mass occasionally in communities near the southern shore of Georgian Bay.  In 1855 with the coming of the railway from Barrie, priests served Collingwood more regularly.

On March 14, 1858, Bishop de Charbonnel of Toronto blessed the first Catholic Church in Collingwood - on Pine Street.  Originally served from Barrie, it became part of the new parish of Nottawasaga in 1871.  In 1886, the pastor, Rev. Edward. J. Kiernan, moved from Stayner to Collingwood and began the present church.  The cornerstone was laid May 24, 1888, by Bishop T.J. Dowling of Peterborough.  The church was blessed December 16, 1888, by very Rev. R.A. O'Connor, Dean of Barrie.