John Ross Robertson described the new Christ Church as having "a commanding site overlooking the city, with a glimpse of the blue water of the lake" and being a "pretty suburban parish with many earnest workers". In 1872 a rectory was built on Heath Street West, and a schoolhouse was built north of the church in 1881.

The original boundaries of the parish were Cottingham Street on the south, Eglinton Avenue on the north, Dufferin street on the west and the Don River on the east. Lying as it did along almost the entire northern boundary of the City of Toronto, it had many challenges. Missions were established from time to time as new settlements sprang up. A mission on Birch Street later united with a mission on Davenport Road to become the Parish of the Church of the Redeemer, a new mission in Leaside became St. Cuthbert's parish, and one at Fairbanks became the Parish of St. Hilda.

In 1909, the village of Deer Park was incorporated into the City of Toronto. The area around the intersection of Avenue Road and St. Clair was booming, and housing starts east of Avenue Road were on the increase. The little frame church had served the parish for nearly 40 years but, it was becoming obvious that a larger building was needed.