List of dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada

The Anglican Church of Canada, a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, contains thirty-two jurisdictions, consisting of twenty-nine dioceses, one administrative region with diocesan status, one ordinariate (for military chaplaincy), and one national pastoral jurisdiction (for indigenous people). The 29 dioceses and the special administrative area are organised into four ecclesiastical provinces.

Most dioceses are contained within a single civil province or territory. The six exceptions are the Arctic, Mishamikoweesh, Moosonee, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Ottawa, and Rupert's Land dioceses.

Each diocese has a bishop, four of whom are archbishops as metropolitans of their ecclesiastical province. Dioceses are self-governing entities, incorporated under the Corporations Act of the civil province or territory in which they are active.

Diocesan synods generally meet annually and have responsibility for those aspects of church life which do not concern doctrine, discipline, or worship. These latter matters are the purview of the General Synod of the national church, which meets triennially and at other times delegates its powers to an elected body of clergy and laity, called the Council of General Synod, and to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Provinces

The Anglican Church of Canada is divided into four ecclesiastical provinces, each under the jurisdiction of a provincial synod and a metropolitan archbishop. Originally the metropolitans were bishops of particular dioceses within the provinces. In 1893 the metropolitans were granted the title of "archbishop", and they are now elected from among the bishops of each province.

The Ecclesiastical Province of Canada was founded in 1860, originally consisting of the four dioceses in the then civil Province of Canada (Upper and Lower Canada, i.e. modern Ontario and Quebec, respectively) under the metropolitical authority of the Bishop of Montreal. The province was expanded in 1870 and 1871 to include New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In 1913, the Ontario dioceses were split off to form the province of Ontario (see below). The Province was expanded to include the civil province of Newfoundland following its entrance into Confederation in 1949. The province today comprises seven dioceses. The Ecclesiastical Province of the Northern Lights (formerly Rupert's Land) was formed in 1875, covering the Prairie Provinces and initially under the metropolitical authority of the Bishop of Rupert's Land. Today it comprises ten dioceses. The Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario was formed out of the Province of Canada and the Diocese of Moosonee (which had been in the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land) in 1912. Today, it comprises seven dioceses. The Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon was formed out of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land as the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia in 1914. It was expanded in 1943 (and consequently renamed) to incorporate the Diocese of Yukon, which was transferred from Rupert's Land. The province today comprises five dioceses and one ecclesiastic territory.

Archbishops The Primate of Canada (who has no diocese) bears the title Archbishop and is styled The Most Reverend. The current Primate is Shane Parker. The Primate is elected from among all the bishops across the country.

The four metropolitans (who all bear the style of The Most Reverend and the title Archbishop) are: Canada: David Edwards, Archbishop of Fredericton Rupert's Land: Greg Kerr-Wilson, Archbishop of Calgary Ontario: Anne Germond, Archbishop of Algoma British Columbia and Yukon: John Stephens, Archbishop of New Westminster

The National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop has no metropolitical authority, but also bears the style of The Most Reverend and the title Archbishop. The holder of this office (established as a bishopric in 2005, inaugurated in 2007, and raised to the status of an archbishopric in 2019) has the spiritual leadership of indigenous people nationwide. Mark MacDonald, the first holder of the office, resigned in 2022 as a result of sexual misconduct. Nicholls appointed Bishop Sidney Black as interim National Indigenous Bishop. In December of that year, Bishop Chris Harper of Saskatoon was announced as the new archbishop-elect.

Dioceses and bishops Diocese Province Territory Cathedral See city Bishop(s) Founded Number of parishes (2022) Membership (2022) Average Sunday attendance (2022) Diocese map Nova Scotia and Prince Edward IslandCanadaNova Scotia Prince Edward IslandAll Saints' Cathedral St. Peter's CathedralHalifax Charlottetown Sandra Fyfe11 August 1787 (Nova Scotia), covering all British North America (the first Church of England diocese outside England)9421,8925,126QuebecCanadaQuebecCathedral of the Holy TrinityQuebec CityBruce Myers28 June 1793,Literary & Historical Society of Quebec – The English Cathedral of Quebec (Accessed 3 July 2013) from Nova Scotia diocese651,586 375Eastern Newfoundland and LabradorCanadaNewfoundland and LabradorCathedral Church of St. John the BaptistSt. John'sSamuel Rose1839 (Newfoundland), from Nova Scotia dioceseResponsible Government in the Dominions, Part VII: The Church in the Dominions, pp. 1424–1425 (Google Books; accessed 3 July 2013)3921,053 1,600TorontoOntarioOntarioSt. James' CathedralToronto Diocesan: Andrew AsbilSuffragan: Kevin Robertson, Riscylla Shaw1839 (a.k.a. Upper Canada), from Quebec diocese17837,646 13,810FrederictonCanadaNew BrunswickChrist Church CathedralFrederictonDavid Edwards1845 (a.k.a. New Brunswick), from Nova Scotia diocese729,823 2,373Rupert's LandNorthern LightsManitoba and OntarioCathedral of St. JohnWinnipegNaboth Manzongo1849 (originally covering all of what is now the ecclesiastical province), probably from Quebec dioceseDiocese of Rupert's Land – History (Accessed 3 July 2013)524,215 1,608MontrealCanadaQuebecChrist Church CathedralMontrealVictor-David Mbuyi Bipungu1850, from Quebec dioceseBorthwick, Douglas: History of the Diocese of Montreal, 1850–1910 p. 5 (Internet Archive; accessed 3 July 2013)687,017 3,405HuronOntarioOntarioSt. Paul's CathedralLondonTodd Townshend 1857, from Toronto diocese12421,000 6,000British Columbia (also known as the diocese of Islands and Inlets)British Columbia and YukonBritish ColumbiaChrist Church CathedralVictoriaAnna Greenwood-Lee1859,Anglican Diocese of British Columbia – Diocesan Archives (Accessed 4 July 2013) from Rupert's Land diocese454,8902,200OntarioOntarioOntarioSt. George's CathedralKingstonWilliam Cliff1862, from Toronto dioceseDiocese of Niagara – About Us (Accessed 5 July 2013)465,896 2,261MoosoneeOntarioOntario and QuebecSt. Matthew's CathedralTimmins, ONRod BrantFrancis1872, from Rupert's Land dioceseMacDonald, Wilma – Anglican Archives in Rupert's Land (pp. 246–247; accessed 3 July 2013)2114,219 350AlgomaOntarioOntarioSt. Luke's CathedralSault Ste. MarieAnne Germond1873, from Toronto diocese (missionary diocese); 1906 (independence)Ontario's Anglican Cathedrals – Diocese of Algoma (Accessed 5 July 2013)525,053 923AthabascaNorthern LightsAlbertaSt. James' CathedralPeace RiverDavid Greenwood1874, from Rupert's Land diocese17896 306SaskatchewanNorthern LightsSaskatchewanSt. Alban's CathedralPrince AlbertDiocesan: Richard ReedIndigenous Bishop: Adam Halkett1874, from Rupert's Land diocese228,417 915NiagaraOntarioOntarioChrist's Church CathedralHamiltonSusan Bell1875, from Toronto diocese8012,967 3,916CaledoniaBritish Columbia and YukonBritish ColumbiaSt. Andrew's CathedralPrince RupertDavid Lehmann1879, from BC dioceseMemoryBC: The British Columbia Archival Information Network – Anglican Church of Canada. Diocese of Caledonia. Synod (Accessed 5 July 2013)201,048 405New WestminsterBritish Columbia and YukonBritish ColumbiaChrist Church CathedralVancouverJohn Stephens1879, from BC dioceseMemoryBC: The British Columbia Archival Information Network – Fonds - Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster fonds (Accessed 5 July 2013)639,952 3,296Mackenzie RiverRupert's LandAnglican Church of Canada – Metropolitans of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's LandNorthwest TerritoriesSt Paul's Pro-CathedralFort ChipewyanLapsed in 1933 (territory split between the Yukon and Arctic dioceses)1883, from Athabasca dioceseDiocese of Athabasca – History (Accessed 5 July 2013)N/AN/AN/AN/AQu'AppelleNorthern LightsSaskatchewanSt. Paul's CathedralReginaHelen Kennedy1884 (as Assiniboia), from Rupert's Land and Saskatchewan dioceses;Anglican History – An Historical Sketch of the Diocese of Saskatchewan of the Anglican Church of Canada (Accessed 5 July 2013) name changed later in 1884Diocese of Qu'Appelle – How the Diocese Got its Name (Accessed 5 July 2013)262,727 852CalgaryNorthern LightsAlbertaCathedral Church of the RedeemerCalgaryGreg Kerr-Wilson1888, from Saskatchewan dioceseDiocese of Saskatchewan – History (Accessed 5 July 2013)677,523 2,496YukonBritish Columbia and YukonYukonChrist Church CathedralWhitehorseVincent Fenga1891 (as Selkirk; from Mackenzie River)13963 122OttawaOntarioOntario and QuebecChrist Church CathedralOttawaKathryn Otley7 April 1896, from Ontario dioceseAnglican Diocese of Ottawa – History (Accessed 7 July 2013)688,809 2,277KootenayBritish Columbia and YukonBritish ColumbiaSt. Michael and All Angels CathedralKelownaLynne McNaughton1899, from New Westminster dioceseMemoryBC: The British Columbia Archival Information Network – Fonds - Synod of the Diocese of Kootenay fonds (Accessed 7 July 2013)262,363 840KeewatinNorthern LightsOntario and ManitobaSt. Alban's Cathedral (former)Kenora, ONLapsed in 2015 (territory split between the Moosonee and Mishamikoweesh dioceses)1902, from Rupert's Land dioceseCouncil of the North Prayer Circle (Accessed 7 July 2013).N/AN/AN/AN/ABrandonNorthern LightsManitobaSt. Matthew's CathedralBrandonRachael Parker1913, from Rupert's Land dioceseThe Synod of the Diocese of Brandon Incorporation Act (Accessed 7 July 2013)252,935 337EdmontonNorthern LightsAlbertaAll Saints' CathedralEdmontonStephen London1913, from Calgary dioceseAnglican Diocese of Edmonton – Centennial Celebration Year (Accessed 7 July 2013)445,912 1,417British Columbia and YukonBritish ColumbiaSt. Paul's CathedralKamloopsCeased operation as at December 31, 20011914, from New Westminster dioceseDiocese of New Westminster – Residential Schools (Accessed 7 July 2013)N/AN/AN/AN/ANorthern LightsNorthwest Territories and NunavutSt. Jude's CathedralIqaluit, NUDiocesan: Alexander Pryor Suffragan: Annie Ittoshat, Ann Martha Keenainak, Jared Osborn1933, from Mackenzie River diocese and parts of Moosonee and Keewatin diocesesArchives Canada – Anglican Church of Canada. Diocese of the Arctic fonds (Accessed 7 July 2013)4833,889 1,808SaskatoonNorthern LightsSaskatchewanSt. John's CathedralSaskatoonChad McCharles1933, from Saskatchewan diocese191,500525Central NewfoundlandCanadaNewfoundland and LabradorSt. Martin's CathedralGanderJohn Watton1976, from Newfoundland diocese279,375 2,642Western NewfoundlandCanadaNewfoundland and LabradorCathedral of St. John the EvangelistCorner BrookVacant1976, from Newfoundland diocese3016,360 1,394Northern LightsOntario and Manitobanone designatedKingfisher LakeDiocesan: Lydia MamakwaSuffragans: Larry Beardy, Morris Fiddler2014, from Keewatin diocese2814,000 900British Columbia and YukonBritish ColumbiaSt. Paul's CathedralKamloopsClara Plamondon2015 ("recognized territory" status)2002 (closure of Cariboo diocese)191,005 295NAExtra-TerritorialChrist Church CathedralOttawaJennifer Gosse-Vingerhoeds1939 (Accessed 11 July 2016)N/AN/AN/AN/A

See also

List of Anglican Communion dioceses List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Canada

Notes

External links

Dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada

References