"Christ Church Cathedral, in Vancouver, British Columbia, is the Cathedral church of the Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada. The Cathedral is located at 690 Burrard Street on the north-east corner of West Georgia Street and Burrard Street, directly across from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

The first service was held, without a church building, on December 23, 1888 at 720 Granville Street in the town of Vancouver. Later, on February 14, 1889, a building committee was formed to collect the necessary funds for the erection of the church. It would be located on land bought from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR); Henry John Cambie, chief engineer of CPR’s Pacific Division and People’s Warden of the new church, was a key negotiator in acquiring the property.

By October 1889, Christ Church’s basement was built and on October 6, the opening service was held for 52 parishioners. The joy of a new church did not last forever.

By 1891 the CPR objected to the unfinished building that had quickly been nicknamed the root house. It was viewed an “eyesore” and the parishioners feared they would lose their location due to lack of funds to complete the building.

A financing scheme was developed by a parishioner and the corner-stone was finally laid July 28, 1894, and the church dedicated, Sunday February 17, 1895. The church was built in the Gothic Style with ceiling made of cedar planking and ceiling beams and floor constructed out of old growth Douglas fir.

By 1909 the first expansion was done and by 1911 the first organ had already worn out, it used a human blower hired at $5 per month, and was replaced by a new organ manufactured by Wurlitzer. In 1920, electricity replaced candles for lighting, and in 1930 the lanterns now in the church were installed.

In 1929, the Archbishop of New Westminster constituted Christ Church as the Cathedral Church of the Diocese. The church planned to build a bell tower, but in 1943, the city by-laws were changed to restrict church bells."

http://www.cathedral.vancouver.bc.ca/about-us/vision-story/

"John G. Howard, known as the first professional architect in Toronto, was commissioned to begin plans for the new church. In his diary, Howard noted working on specifications for "a little church up Yonge Street". This little church was a long, barn-like structure measuring 30 by 40 feet.The church opened for its first service on June 12th, 1842. One hundred people sat in attendance as the Rev. Charles Matthews, former Rector of St. John's, delivered the sermon. A choir of four people sang and a collection of 3 pounds 40 shillings was taken.The name "St. Paul's" was formalized in 1846 when Bishop John Strachan appointed the church's first Rector, The Rev. John George Delhoste Mackenzie.

In 1857, St. Paul's required more space to accommodate its growing congregation. A competition was held for designs for a new structure, with brothers Edward and George Kent Radford being announced as winners. Construction began in 1858 on what was described by the English periodical The Builder as a "perfect Gothic gem". The original wooden church building was moved on rollers to Potter's Field on Bloor Street. The clerestory was supported on massive columns set on brick piers, and the aisles were separated from the nave by moulded arches on heavy columnar pillars. The main entrance was on the north side in the central bay of the nave. Just within the entrance stood a large sandstone baptismal font. The second building opened for its first service on December 9th, 1860. At this time St. Paul's seated about 450 people. By 1900 electricity was installed and renovations extended the nave, increasing seating capacity to 900.The second church is still an integral part of St. Paul's, and now holds office space, in addition to the Great Hall and the St. Paul's Chapel. While much of the interior has been changed, the exterior remains largely untouched

The Rev. Canon Henry John Cody came to St. Paul's as a student, later becoming curate in charge before being appointed Rector in 1907. In 1909 St. Paul's commissioned architect Edward James Lennox, whose previous work included the old City Hall and Casa Loma, to prepare designs for a new, larger church.
The new church opened for it's first service on November 30th, 1913 and stands immediately to the east of the old church. With an original seating capacity of over 2,000, the new church was able to meet the church's growing needs, and is presently the largest Anglican church in Toronto. The organ was donated to St. Paul's by the Blackstock family in memory of Thomas Blackstock. Built in 1914 by Casavant Freres, it has undergone several restorations to maintain its glorious voice."

http://www.stpaulsbloor.org/st-pauls-bloor-street-history

"The Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario was formed out of the province of Canada and the Diocese of Moosonee (which had been in Rupert's Land province) in 1912. Today, it consists of seven dioceses."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastical_Provinces_and_Dioceses_of_the_Anglican_Church_of_Canada

"The Anglican Diocese of Moosonee is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario of the Anglican Church of Canada. It was created in 1874 from part of the Diocese of Rupert's Land, in what is now the Province of Rupert's Land, and transferred in 1912 to the new Province of Ontario. Now headquartered in Timmins, Ontario it was originally headquartered in Moose Factory. Its first bishop was the Right Rev. John Horden."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_Diocese_of_Moosonee

Stephen Schofield was a journalist with the Porcupine Advance who moved to London, England to advance his writing career.

"The Anglican Diocese of Athabasca is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land of the Anglican Church of Canada, in the northern half of the civil province of Alberta. It was created in 1874 by the division into four parts of the original Diocese of Rupert's Land. The Synod of the Diocese of Athabasca was organized in 1876. The diocese was then itself subdivided in 1892 to create the new dioceses of Selkirk (later renamed Yukon) and Mackenzie River and in 1933 to create the Diocese of The Arctic (which subsumed Mackenzie River).

The see city is Peace River. The Diocese has had at least two other See Cities: Fort Simpson and Fort Vermilion. The Bishop resided for a considerable period at Athabasca Landing, but it is not certain if it was ever his "seat". Other cities in the diocese are Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocese_of_Athabasca

The Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi was born on May 5th in fishing village of Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island. At that time in her culture, boy babies were highly prized and a bowl of ash was kept on hand to smother girl babies. But Li Tim-Oi’s parents did want her. Her Christian parents named her Tim-Oi which means “much beloved”

She completed her primary schooling at the age of 14, but with five brothers and two sisters, there was no money available for her to continue her schooling until she turned 21. While she was a student, she joined an Anglican church. At her baptism she took the Christian name of “Florence.” In 1931, when was still a student, she attended the ordination of an English Deaconess. During the service the Chinese born priest asked if there was a Chinese girl willing to sacrifice to the Chinese church. She knelt and prayed “God, would you like to send me?”

In 1934, she started a four year theological course at the Union Theological College in Canton. Her New Testament tutor was Geoffrey Allen. Her family couldn’t afford the tuition fees, so the Anglican Church paid her fees. While she was a student, she led a team of students rescuing the casualties of Japanese carpet bombing during the Second Sino-Japanese war.

She was ordained as a female deacon by the Bishop of Hong Kong on Ascension Day in 1941. (There was no separate deaconess order in China. She had a brief curacy in Kowloon, and then was appointed to the Portuguese colony of Macau, neutral territory which was crowded with war refugees. While she was there she ministered to the refugees and converted many of them to the Anglican Church. There was no priest and the passage from Hong Kong to Macau was long and dangerous because of the war. In 1941, the Bishop of Hong Kong travelled to the United States and had a meeting with Ursula and Reinhold Niebuhr on the subject of ordaining women. In 1943, when the Bishop was in the part of his Diocese that was in free China, he sent a message to Florence Li Tim-Oi to meet with him. Her journey was dangerous because she needed to go through Japanese lines. On January 25, 1944, he ordained her as a Priest of God.

After the war, under pressure from the purple guard (diocesan officials), and to the dismay of her bishop, Li Tim-Oi resigned her license as a priest but not her holy orders. She was put in charge of a parish near Vietnam, where she started a maternity home to prevent girl babies from being suffocated. During the more than 30 years that she lived in the People’s Republic in China, she was required to keep her faith and her calling secret. She was sent for a time to work on a chicken farm where she became “the captain of the chickens.”
The “bamboo curtain” was eventually lifted and Christian ministers received their back pay from the government, but when she left to live in Canada in 1983, she left her money and pension rights to good causes in China.

The 40th anniversary of her priesting was celebrated in 1984 at Westminster Abbey in her presence. At this occasion she was invited to Lambeth Palace to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, who at the time was unconvinced that women should be ordained. After meeting her, the Archbishop said “Who am I to say whom god can or cannot call? It takes one woman to change the thinking of the church.”

When she lived in Toronto she served as an honorary (non-stipended) assistant priest until her death on February 26, 1992. She is commemorated by the Anglican Church Canada on February 26th and by the Episcopal Church (USA) on January 24th

The Florence Li Tim-Oi papers were willed by Florence Li Tim-Oi to her sister Mrs. Rita Lee Chui, and by Rita Lee Chui to Renison College around 2002.

The Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi was born on May 5th in fishing village of Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island. At that time in her culture, boy babies were highly prized and a bowl of ash was kept on hand to smother girl babies. But Li Tim-Oi’s parents did want her. Her Christian parents named her Tim-Oi which means “much beloved”

She completed her primary schooling at the age of 14, but with five brothers and two sisters, there was no money available for her to continue her schooling until she turned 21. While she was a student, she joined an Anglican church. At her baptism she took the Christian name of “Florence.” In 1931, when was still a student, she attended the ordination of an English Deaconess. During the service the Chinese born priest asked if there was a Chinese girl willing to sacrifice to the Chinese church. She knelt and prayed “God, would you like to send me?”

In 1934, she started a four year theological course at the Union Theological College in Canton. Her New Testament tutor was Geoffrey Allen. Her family couldn’t afford the tuition fees, so the Anglican Church paid her fees. While she was a student, she led a team of students rescuing the casualties of Japanese carpet bombing during the Second Sino-Japanese war.

She was ordained as a female deacon by the Bishop of Hong Kong on Ascension Day in 1941. (There was no separate deaconess order in China. She had a brief curacy in Kowloon, and then was appointed to the Portuguese colony of Macau, neutral territory which was crowded with war refugees. While she was there she ministered to the refugees and converted many of them to the Anglican Church. There was no priest and the passage from Hong Kong to Macau was long and dangerous because of the war. In 1941, the Bishop of Hong Kong travelled to the United States and had a meeting with Ursula and Reinhold Niebuhr on the subject of ordaining women. In 1943, when the Bishop was in the part of his Diocese that was in free China, he sent a message to Florence Li Tim-Oi to meet with him. Her journey was dangerous because she needed to go through Japanese lines. On January 25, 1944, he ordained her as a Priest of God.

After the war, under pressure from the purple guard (diocesan officials), and to the dismay of her bishop, Li Tim-Oi resigned her license as a priest but not her holy orders. She was put in charge of a parish near Vietnam, where she started a maternity home to prevent girl babies from being suffocated. During the more than 30 years that she lived in the People’s Republic in China, she was required to keep her faith and her calling secret. She was sent for a time to work on a chicken farm where she became “the captain of the chickens.”
The “bamboo curtain” was eventually lifted and Christian ministers received their back pay from the government, but when she left to live in Canada in 1983, she left her money and pension rights to good causes in China.

The 40th anniversary of her priesting was celebrated in 1984 at Westminster Abbey in her presence. At this occasion she was invited to Lambeth Palace to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, who at the time was unconvinced that women should be ordained. After meeting her, the Archbishop said “Who am I to say whom god can or cannot call? It takes one woman to change the thinking of the church.”

When she lived in Toronto she served as an honorary (non-stipended) assistant priest until her death on February 26, 1992. She is commemorated by the Anglican Church Canada on February 26th and by the Episcopal Church (USA) on January 24th

Rita Lee Chui was born around 1914 (?) in Hong Kong. She is the younger sister of the Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi. She spent much of her life in Europe, where she worked as an analyst for the United Nations International Labour Organization, Lee says. She came to Canada in the 1980s, and helped her sister emigrate from China. She was married twice, and predeceased by both husbands. She had no children. She an her second husband (?) Siu Ting Chui formed a scholarship called the "Florence Li Tim-Oi Memorial Award for Renison College and in 1994 she formed the Li Tim-Oi foundation sponsoring the education and training of women in developing countries in the ministry. She died on March 23rd 2016. Her funeral was held at St. John's Anglican Church in Willowdale Ontario, which is the same parish where her sister served as a Priest.

Bishop Runcie was born on the 2nd of October 1921 in Great Crosby (a suburb of Liverpool, England) to rather non religious parents. He was educated at Brasenose College at Oxford University where he graduated following a five year break for war service (1941-1946). After graduating from Oxford, he prepared for ordination at Wescott House, a theological college based in Cambridge (England). After ordination he served for two years as the curate at All Saint's parish in Newcastle on Tyne. He then became vice-principal at Westcott House and in 1956, Dean of Trinity Hall at Cambridge where he met his future wife (Angela) Rosalind (Lindy) Turner (Lady Runcie), an accomplished pianist and music teacher. They married on September 5th, 1957. In 1960, he became principal of Cuddesdon College, followed by bishop of the St. Alban's Diocese (1970-1980) and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1981-1991. In 1991 he retired as "Baron Runcie of Cuddesdon. He died of cancer in 2000 and is buried in the church yard at St. Alban's Abbey. He and his wife had two children, James (1959) and Rebecca (1962) and four grandchildren.

In 1984, while he was considering the issue of the ordination of women, he met with the Reverend Florence Li Tim-Oi when she came to England for the celebration of the fourtieth year of her ordination at Westminster Abbey. After meeting with Li Tim-Oi, He changed his mind to consider ordination of women saying "Who am I to say whom God can or cannot call? It takes one woman to change the thinking of the church."