The 1950's saw Squamish change from a sleepy village at the head of Howe Sound to a rapidly expanding business and industrial community. With the completion of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway into North Vancouver in 1956, and the official opening of the connecting highway to Horseshoe Bay in August 1958, Squamish residents were only one hour away from the metropolitan area of Vancouver. What a refreshing change from the lengthy and tiresome boat trips of the past!

In the summer of 1958, the Rev. Norman Penrose and his young family came to Squamish.  The minister and his congregation soon realised that a burgeoning population required larger church quarters. Sunday School attendance had increased to the point where additional accommodation had to be rented, and a new building was an urgent necessity.  Thus, in February, 1962 the congregation appointed a building committee (William Boscariol, chair, Mrs. Eileen Walton (Kyle), Mrs. Freda Munro (Clarke), Jack Nelson and Norman Halvorson), and an architect  (Mr. Frank Whitely) prepared a comprehensive plan for the future development of Squamish United Church.

Two additional lots, the third and fourth from the corner of Victoria St. and 4th Avenue, had been purchased and these were selected as the site for a new Christian Education Centre.  A well organized campaign for funds yielded sufficient pledges and donations to warrant construction of the new building. Tenders were called.  Outside bids were exorbitantly high, but Martin Halvorson's bid of $38,000 was gratefully accepted.  Arrangements were made for loans from the bank and from the Board of Home Missions.  The latter gave an outright grant of $5,000, and another $1,000 was donated by the MacMillan Foundation.

Construction began in March of 1963, and on September 8th of the same year the new building was officially opened, a tribute to the faith of Rev. Norman Penrose, Martin Halvorson and the congregation.

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