In the years prior to 1833, King George the III of Britain was petitioned by the people of Valcartier that “two hundred souls need to be saved”. They requested that a Presbyterian Church be established in the village. In 1833, that right and privilege was granted and the congregation began its witness that is now in its 186th year.

The Hon. John Neilson granted the property to the congregation. The first church was made of logs and unfortunately burnt down in the 1840s. A new stone church was built in the early 1850s and is the building that we use today for our worship services. A graveyard is part of the property, with gravestones dating back to the 1870s. Prior to that, wooden markers were used and have been lost to time. The Hon. John Neilson is buried in our cemetery. He died in Cap Rouge, the funeral service was held in St. Andrew’s, Quebec City and after a three day cortege ride, with three hundred mourners following, he was interned in Valcartier.

Many of the descendants of the originating families of Valcartier still are members and attend service at our church. We currently serve over 50 people as we continue the witness of God to this community. There have been many ups and downs for the congregation over the years. In 1925, when the United Church was founded, about half of the congregation went down the road and formed St. Andrew’s United Church. This action split many a family for generations. We now have come full circle and enjoy a shared ministry. The church in Valcartier was also mission minded and in the late 1800s established mission points in Stoneham and Rivière aux Pins. Rivière aux Pins subsequently joined with Valcartier and Stoneham and became a United Church. In the 1980s, the minister of Valcartier also served in Charny, Quebec.

From 1925 to 1956, the congregation was served by various student ministers, when available. In 1956, the Rev. Owen Shannon, who came to be editor of the Quebec Chronicle Telegraph, lived in the manse and served the congregation until 1964. In the following years, after we were served by Rev. Rowat, a retired minister, the Salvation Army for almost ten years, summer students and an ordained missionary, the congregation became a Married Student Charge. That is to say, that while a student minister studied at Presbyterian College in Montreal, their family stayed in Valcartier and the student took services and did pastoral care on the weekends. The Rev. Tom Sulters, who moved on to Dalhousie, N.B. and the Rev. John Hopkins, who moved onto Campbellton, N.B., were followed by the Rev. Bob Sim, who after finishing his studies was called in 1991 to be the congregation’s full-time minister. Judy Wygodansky and Scott Emery also served in Valcartier and we have been part of a shared ministry with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Quebec City over the years. We had joined a shared ministry between Chalmers-Wesley United Church in Quebec City, St. Andrew’s United Church, Valcartier and ourselves, encouraging members to attend both churches in Valcartier. At the present, we are a shared ministry with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Quebec City and Valcartier. Rev. Katherine Burgess resides on the first and third Sundays of the month and the congregation is also invited to attend St. Andrew's United Church, Valcartier on second Sundays of the month.

Since the 1925 time frame, it has been a struggle to support the ministry. But through persistence and faith, the people have witnessed to their God in Jesus Christ and have established a long and caring ministry to the people of Valcartier and the environs. “Our witness began in 1833 and continues today” and we pray that God will see fit to extend that witness for many years to come to the people of “The Church on the Hill”.