 Previous to 1877, the north-western part of Parry Sound District was sparsely settled. After celebrating Mass at the home of James Barrett, Bishop Jamot, along with Father Nadeau, realized the opportunity for settlement. Through correspondence with the local newspapers in Kitchener, Bishop Jamot encouraged migration to the north. For those venturing pioneers, the closest Mass was Gravenhurst; which the pioneers travelled to by the Grand Trunk Railway. Before the present day church was built, churches were constructed at Alsace, Barrett Road and Powassan. Jesuit priests visited occasionally until Father Eugene Bloem and Father Joseph Bloem of North Bay attended the missions on a regular basis.
In 1885, with the extension of the Grand Trunk Railroad to North Bay, lumber trade developed, which brought with it pioneers willing to settle and make a profitable living. In 1892, under the direction of Fr. Eugene & Fr. John Nolan, a frame church was erected in Trout Creek. The building was approximately sixty feet in length and thirty feet in width. A sanctuary in the form of a ten-feet-deep semi-octagon was added. With the total cost of the building being slightly less than one thousand dollars, the labour was generously donated by the parishioners. Bishop R.A. OConnor came to Trout Creek on Sunday October 8, 1892, blessed the church and dedicated it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. One year later, a gallery and sacristy were added. On a subsequent visit in December of 1893 Bishop OConnor came to Sacred Heart to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to 35 candidates. To his surprise, 2/3rds of the debt was already paid.
From there, the church developed. Fr. Eugene Bloem was the pastor serving the surrounding areas, with Fr. John Nolan as his assistant. In 1894, Fr. Nolan was transferred and Fr. A. F. Kelly was appointed as Fr. Bloem's assistant. In August of 1894, the parishioners petitioned Bishop OConnor to provide these missions with a resident priest; whom they promised to support. In September of that year, Bishop OConnor agreed to their request. Fr. A. F. Kelly was appointed as the first pastor of the new parish. Fr. Kelly's parish was extensive.
During the fall of 1902 and the winter of 1903, a church frame construction was built at Port Loring, under the supervision of Fr. Kelly. In March of 1903, Bishop OConnor blessed the church, and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 18 persons.
In the summer of 1905, Fr. Kelly built a frame church at South River. On Sunday September 21, Bishop OConnor blessed the church and dedicated it to St. Augustine. In the afternoon, he canonically erected the Stations of the Cross. The original building was 36 feet in length and 22 feet in width. The cost of the construction was approximately $800.00, which was obtained through donations.
In July of 1926, Father Victor McFadden was appointed second pastor of Trout Creek. During his pastorate of seven years, the church grounds in Trout Creek were improved, the church at Powassan was enlarged, and the churches at Alsace, South River, and Port Loring were extensively repaired and decorated. In 1933, there were two hundred and thirty families in the parish, representing twelve hundred souls.
In 1934, St. Mary's had a concrete foundation wall placed under the building.
Despite the depression, a delco lighting plant for the church, rectory and hall were installed. The sanctuary was improved with the laying of a red birch floor, rebuilding and elevating the altar, along with the walls being given a fresh coat of paint.
In 1938, Sacred Heart Church was beautified through the installation of stained glass windows, expressing some of the titles in the Litany of the Sacred Heart.
In October of 1938, St. Augustines exterior was improved, with a concrete walk leading to the entrance. New entrance doors were installed, and a belfry was erected.
In 1939, the church rectory at Trout Creek was wired for hydro electric power and electricity became available in time for Christmas. The parish house was given an application of new siding that same year, to provide greater warmth.
In 1943, the parish of Trout Creek was divided. The Mission of Powassan was raised to parish status with Alsace and North Himsworth as missions under Fr. G. A. Wolf as first pastor. The parish of Trout Creek retained the missions of South River and Loring. Fr. Patrick Lynch was the pastor. This division gave each parish approximately 115 families. The dividing line between the parishes is the ninth concession of South Himsworth, the first concession of Nipissing, and the eighth concession of Gurd.
During Fr. Lynchs' pastorate, the parish house was improved through the laying of hardwood flooring. New chimneys were installed on all church property. These improvements were made possible through successful picnics, which are still active in Trout Creek to present day.
In 1951, Fr. Coffey was assigned to Trout Creek. During his stay, new Stations of the Cross were acquired and were canonically erected by Bishop Berry.
In 1956, St. Mary's was improved with interior and exterior decoration, along with the installation of concrete steps at the entrance. A stone grotto with a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was also erected.
In 1968, a public address system was installed in the parish, the main aisle was carpeted, concrete steps were replaced at the entrance of the church, and new lighting fixtures were installed at the parish hall.
In the late spring of 1971, permission to have a Saturday evening Mass was granted. Along with this, an additional Sunday Mass was added in South River to accommodate the summer population.
In 1981, Monsignor James Conrad bricked the Sacred Heart. Additions were also made to Sacred Heart. A crying room, and a archive room were installed.
In 1998, a new church was constructed in Port Loring. On July 18, 1999, Fr. Clarke J. Hudson , along with Bishop James Doyle celebrated the re-dedication of St. Mary's in Port Loring.
Pastors and Administrators
1894 - 1926 Rev. A. F. Kelly - 1st Pastor
1926 - 1942 Msgr. Joseph Collins
1942 - 1943 Msgr. Herbert Fitzgerald - Administrator
1943 - 1953 Father Patrick Lynch
1951 - 1953 Father Stephen Coffey
1953 - 1965 Father Gilmour Kay
1965 - 1967 Father Vernon Perdue
1967 - 1968 Msgr. John Weiss
1969 - 1974 Father Vernon Perdue
1974 - 1981 Father Raymond Garvey
1981 - Father James Wilson
1981 - 1984 Msgr. James Conrad
1984 - Father Bernard Heffernan - Administrator
1984 - 1990 Father Eric Sikora
1990 - 1993 Father Witold Michalski
1993 - 2000 Father Clarke Hudson
2000 - Father Andrew Bégin
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