In 1972, to honour his late wife, Mr. William Charles Wesley Brown envisioned the formation of St. Mark’s Maples Court as a non-profit corporation to provide low-cost accommodation for seniors, and he donated the land and capital for the project. The original board members were Mr. William Charles Wesley Brown, John Leonard Sylvester, The Rev. John Ernest Gardner and The Rev. Gerald Early Moffatt, who were all members of St. Mark’s Church. Over the next few years, 18 rental units were built at 50 – 60 Shuter St., Port Hope, ON. Mr. Brown chose the name for the corporation in recognition of his wife’s family, the Maples, who had originally owned the land, and included ‘St. Mark’s’ in its name: ‘St. Mark’s Maples Court.
The corporation is currently operating St. Mark’s Maples Court for low-income seniors. The units are managed by a volunteer board, as stipulated in the Letters Patent, and are leased for approximately 30% less rent than other comparable apartments in the surrounding area.
The rental units are carefully maintained under the direction of the Board. Appropriate personnel are hired for such items as indoor and outdoor repairs, snow removal, grass cutting, roofing, etc. as the need arises.
Fund raising has become a necessity as the units have aged, and maintenance and utility costs have escalated. St. Mark’s Maples Court
now has charitable status and can issue tax receipts for any donations received.
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