In the original structure of The United Church of Canada there were eleven Conferences. Toronto Conference covered all of Northern Ontario with the exception of the extreme western area now known as Cambrian Presbytery. At some time previous to 1960, Algoma Presbytery was transferred to London Conference and Sudbury Presbytery transferred to Hamilton Conference. This left Cochrane, North Bay and Temiskaming Presbyteries in Toronto Conference.



During the 1960's, there was considerable talk of forming a Northern Ontario Conference. Due to the expense for people travelling from these Northern communities to Conference centres, few northerners had the opportunity of serving on Conference committees etc., and members of these Presbyteries felt they were outsiders and their needs not understood by the majority at Conference meetings etc.



In 1970, the Rev. Norman Watson, then the minister in Kapuskasing, spearheaded a movement that resulted in the setting up in January 1971 of a First Study and Advisory Committee, composed of three members from each of the five Presbyteries -- Algoma, Cochrane, North Bay, Sudbury and Temiskaming. Muskoka Presbytery was also invited, but unfortunately declined. To the disappointment of many, the Algoma representatives appeared cool to the proposal. They did not withdraw officially but only attended a few meetings.



The final meeting of the Committee was March 21, 1972 in St. Paul's United Church, New Liskeard where, after much study and prayer, the following motion was passed, "that as a Study and Advisory Committee, we recommend to the five presbyteries that they memorialize General Council through their respective Conferences for a NORTHERN CONFERENCE, using the lines of the memorial hereto attached."



Rev. Norman Watson and Mr. Henry Barr were appointed to draft the Memorial to be presented to the 25th General Council meeting later in 1972. Cochrane, North Bay, Sudbury and Temiskaming Presbyteries and Hamilton and Toronto Conferences supported the Memorial, but Algoma Presbytery and London Conference chose to oppose it. This resulted in a rather rough time for some at the 1972 General Council meeting in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.



The result was the setting up of a Second Study Committee composed of one clergy ,and one lay representative from each of the Presbyteries with a neutral Chairperson to be appointed by the Executive of General Council. There was some delay in the appointment of a Chairperson and the first meeting was not held until March 29, 1973.