The centennial history of a church must be the history
of how thousands of men and women and children in Vancouver have attempted over
the years, as best they could, to worship and serve God. It is a story of a collected
struggle resulting in both achievement and at times disappointment. While this
story is about what many people did at Christ Church Cathedral, it is focused
-- perhaps too much -- on priests who have led the parish. There are two
reasons for this. First, during most of the church's history, although less so
today, the rector has set the tone of the place. Christ Church Cathedral has
been blessed with some remarkable clergy, strong leaders and men of vision.
Occasionally they were led by their congregations, but usually it has been they
who have been out in front, prodding, cajoling or inspiring, using a wide
variety of leadership styles. The second reason for organizing the story around
the clergy is that much of the material available centres on what they did. Two
former rectors wrote autobiographies (Renison and Swanson), and one had a
biography written about him (Wilkinson).
Any history of this sort depends on those who have
kept records, and those who put their recollections and thoughts on paper.
Marjorie Allen, daughter of long-time people's warden O.B. Allan, wrote the
first history of Christ Church Cathedral for the church's fiftieth anniversary.
Without her work this history would have been difficult if not impossible even
to begin. Invaluable, also, was the centennial history of the Diocese of New
Westminster, _Pacific Pilgrims_, by Lyndon Grove, a member of the Cathedral
congregation.
This history was possible only after Ann A. Watson put
the Cathedral's archives in order. She was engaged as archivist with the
assistance of a grant from the British Columbia Heritage Trust. Many other
valuable records were found in the Archives of the Diocese of New Westminster
at the Vancouver School of Theology, where archivist Doreen Stephens was most
helpful. The assistance of staff at the Vancouver City Archives and the
Vancouver Public Library is also gratefully acknowledged. The Most Rev. Edward
Scott, the Most Rev. David Somerville, the Rev. Canon Herbert O'Driscoll, the
Very Rev. James D. Cruickshank, the current dean of the Cathedral, and former
parish secretary Dorothy Miller graciously submitted to formal interviews. Dean
Cruickshank's encouragement for this history was greatly appreciated.
The writer is obliged to many members of the parish
for their information and encouragement, and specifically indebted to those who
helped him clarify many facts by delving deep into newspapers and records: Jean
O'Clery, John Kellett, Barbara Parker, and Marjorie Barlow. Their eagerness to
try to answer any question, and skill at ferreting out the most obscure fact,
was highly encouraging.
Finally, I wish to thank former people's warden Margery Kellett, my mother-in-law, who asked me to take on this project and saw that I completed it.