Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria, British Columbia) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria, British Columbia)
Christ Church Cathedral
48°25′20″N 123°21′33″W / 48.42222°N 123.35917°W / 48.42222; -123.35917
Location	930 Burdett Avenue Victoria, British Columbia V8V 3G8
Denomination	Anglican Church of Canada
Website	http://www.christchurchcathedral.bc.ca/
Administration
Deanery	Tolmie
Diocese	British Columbia
Province	British Columbia and Yukon

Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia is a very important church. It is the main church for the Anglican Church of Canada in the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia. It's a beautiful building with a long history.

Building History

The First Church (1856–1869)

The first church building was finished in 1856. It was known as the Victoria District Church. Before that, church services were held in a fort or on ships.

In 1859, George Hills became the first Bishop of British Columbia. He arrived in Victoria in 1860. Bishop Hills chose Christ Church to be the main cathedral in 1865. He also named Edward Cridge as its first dean.

George Hills became the first Bishop of British Columbia in 1859.

Sadly, the first cathedral burned down completely on September 30, 1869. Luckily, some important items like the communion cups and the organ were saved. The church used another building for services while they planned to rebuild.

The Second Church (1872–1929)

A new wooden church building was started in 1872. It was much larger than the first one. This new church was about 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. It also had a tall tower that was 78 feet high. Construction was quick, taking only about six months to finish.

A Church Disagreement in 1874

In 1874, there was a big disagreement within the church. Dean Edward Cridge and Bishop George Hills had different ideas about how church services should be run. This led to a public discussion and a special church court.

The court decided that Dean Cridge had gone against church rules. His permission to lead services was taken away. However, many people in the church supported Dean Cridge. They decided to form a new church group called the Church of Our Lord. This new church still exists today.

The Present Church (1929–Present)

The second wooden church eventually became too small. In 1891, a contest was held to design a new, bigger stone church. The winning design was for a Gothic-style building. However, there wasn't enough money to start building right away.

Work on the new church finally began in the 1920s. Charles Schofield, who became bishop in 1916, was a great leader for this project. He had experience with big church building projects.

Charles Schofield helped lead the building of the present church.

The first part of the new cathedral, called Memorial Hall, was started in 1923. The main cathedral building began in 1926. The cornerstone was laid by a special guest, the Bishop of London.

Building the Cathedral

At first, only the main part of the church (the nave and narthex) and the lower parts of the two front towers were built. The roof was made of brick to save money. The church's organ was moved into the new building. This first part of the new cathedral was opened in 1929.

The main part of the church, called the nave.

A famous visitor, Winston Churchill, helped lay a stone on the north tower in September 1929.

In September 1929, Winston Churchill helped lay a stone for the church's north tower.

During construction, a robin built a nest on the scaffolding near a main pillar. Workers waited until the baby birds left the nest before continuing work in that spot. To remember this, a stone sculpture of the robin on its nest was placed on top of that pillar.

In 1933, more money was donated to continue building the north-west tower. In 1936, eight large bells were bought and installed in this tower. These bells were made in London, England, and are similar to the bells at Westminster Abbey. They weigh a lot! It took only six days to lift and install them. The bells were first rung on July 12, 1936.

The outside of the western towers and the arch above the rose window were finished in 1952.

In 1952, a special room for ashes (a columbarium) was built under the main floor. In 1957, the two western towers and the arch above the large rose window were finally completed.

Recent Changes

Over the years, the cathedral has had many updates. The main altar was moved, and a new one was put in place. In 1983, two smaller bells were added to the set of eight. These new bells were dedicated by Elizabeth II, the Queen, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. One bell is named after Mr. Izard, who helped with the bells for many years. The other is named after Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

In 1985, the temporary wooden wall at the east end of the church was replaced. A new stone-covered addition was built, which included a chapel and other rooms. This made the church complete.

The eastern wall of the cathedral. This part was added in the late 20th century.

In 1997, the brick roof was strengthened to make the building safer in case of an earthquake.

A brand new, large pipe organ was installed in 2005. This was a big project that took several years to complete.

In 2019, Christ Church Cathedral became a partner in the Community of Cross of Nails. This group was started by Coventry Cathedral in England after it was destroyed in World War II. It focuses on peace and forgiveness. A special chapel was created in Christ Church Cathedral for this purpose.

Deans of Columbia

The Dean of Columbia is also the leader of Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria. Here are some of the people who have held this important role:

Organists

The cathedral's impressive pipe organ.

These are some of the talented musicians who have played the pipe organ at the cathedral: