Parish History

History History: Part 2   History: Part 3

Our Parish History can be found in three parts. Please click on the buttons above (or below each section) to read

The first moments of our church are vividly captured by this quote from the first page of the original register of our parish church:
Ogden Camp, June 18, 1912 – The first service held in this mission was last Sunday, June 16, on the ground where my tent is now pitched. Only 15 were present, including three children, an Austrian who could not speak English and an intoxicated Swede. The rest being young Englishmen. In the afternoon the second service was held in the dining room of the hotel on the north side of the railroad track. Both services were informal. At present the work is among about 800 men engaged in constructing the new CPR shop. They are very cosmopolitan, representing almost every country in Europe, every stat in the Union, and Canada. In general most of the men have been unused to any religious service for some time and are hard to get out but I am well received by them and even at this early date God seems to be blessing my efforts and when I have a suitable place to worship, I feel sure that good work will be done.

 May the Lord God Almighty grant me grace and strength to further his Kingdom in this Parish through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

This was written by the Rev. W. R. Walker who was the first incumbent to our Parish, being appointed on June 16th, 1912 by the late Bishop C. Pinkham. He said he had until December 1914 when he enlisted as Chaplain in the 31st Battalion for oversees service.

In August 1912, four lots of land for the church was purchased from CPR in the Ogden subdivision at a cost of $1,197.75 and the Men’s Missionary Society of the Pro-cathedral, Calgary agreed to fund the construction of a mission room of 20 x 40 feet for $540.00. This was later enlarged to 24 x 50 feet.

 For the next three months, services were held in a vacant new store, during which time Mr. Walker must have been working very hard to have obtained funds for the erection of the Church, which was dedicated on September 18, 1912 by Bishop Pinkham. Unfortunately, the evening was very wet and only 21 were present. The following month, October 13, the first celebration of the Holy Communion was administered by Cannon Hogbin, under whom Mr. Walker was licensed. No more celebrations were held until Epiphany, and Easter of 1913 and again on Sunday June 13, when the Church bell was dedicated. Two other celebrations followed between then and Advent, when Mr. Walker was ordained to the Priesthood, and made Priest in charge.

On January 1st, 1915 Rev W. Attwood took charge of the Parish, coming here from the Acme and Sunnyslope Mission, where he had been since the spring of 1908. He was inducted by the Bishop on Sundary, January 10th, at 11:00 a.m. as incumbent. He held this position until his death on May 11, 1934.

History-Part 2