In 1912, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Thompson, having been in fellowship in an ‘open’ brethren assembly in England, emigrated from that country to North Bay. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Vrooman came from the Odessa area near Kingston, Ontario at about that time; they seem to have been in an assembly started by the Scots evangelists, or perhaps were associated with a Grant ‘exclusive’ assembly there. Mr. and Mrs. John Poidevin arrived in 1905; Mr. Poidevin was converted under the ministry of evangelist Alexander Marshall. These three families are considered to be the root of what later developed into Bethel Gospel Chapel in North Bay.

Mr. Thompson had started a Sunday School, and in 1922 he built a ‘Clubhouse for Children’ who attended the Sunday School. This property at 333 Fisher Street was listed as a Gospel Hall in 1924. In 1942, the assembly moved to the corner of McIntyre and Fisher Streets, and the assembly was called Bethel Gospel Hall. In 1964, the assembly moved to its present location on O’Brien Street and the name was changed to Bethel Gospel Chapel. 

Mr. Thompson was the main leader from the beginning of the assembly until the early 1960s, serving as correspondent and treasurer. In later years, we turned these tasks over to his son Dennis. Sydney Hoffman worked full time at North Bay from approximately 1935 to 1938. He and his wife Florence returned in 1941 and served as resident full-time workers until 1947. 

The formal establishment of elder and deacons did not begin until 1969. Since then some of the elders have been Harold Fiss, John Stackhouse, Frank Dellandrea, Walter Hayes, Allan Ure, David Dellandrea, Aubrey Dellandrea, Ted Simms, Val Croswell, Greg Gilbert, Don Carney, Randy Bushey, and Don Bushey. 

The assembly was relatively small until about 1960. In 1972, about 100 were in fellowship; in 1992, about 175; and today about 200 in fellowship, with about 85 Sunday School children. Bethel Gospel Chapel has commended workers to France, India, Africa, New Zealand, and to various ministries in Canada and the United States.

Source: http://www.emmaus.edu/files/Documents/History%20of%20Brethren%20Mvt/history_11.htm