Author's Preface

The pages that follow have been written in response to an invitation from the Diocesan Centennial Committee. The request was made that it be a 'brief, popular history'. These terms of reference have largely determined its length and style.

In order to contain the narrative within the suggested length, it will be found that there are many areas of church life which have not been dealt with as fully as they deserve. Included in this category are the records of the Woman's Auxiliary, the Sunday School by Post, Miss Hasell's Sunday School Caravan Mission, Youth work, the Laymen's Association and others. It has not been possible to trace the development and changes in the parishes and missions to any great extent, but I have had to be content to follow the main stream with its many ramifications, and resist the temptation to dally in the many attractive little tributaries that came into view. Similarly, I am deeply conscious of the fact that many men and women of heroic stature have not received the recognition that they merit. I have tried to do full justice to the outstanding personalities of the church throughout the whole period under review, and I sincerely regret any serious omission of which I may unconsciously have been guilty.

Since the book is not intended primarily for scholars, but rather for the rank and file of church members, no foot-notes have been used. Instead references and quotations that are significant have been acknowledged in the text. The bibliography at the end of the book will furnish the reader with further references and background material. The appendix will also, I hope, provide a glimpse into a little of the fascinating source material that has been used, but may not be readily available to the average reader.

In addition to the books and periodicals listed in the bibliography, I have had ready access to a wealth of material chat is contained in the Diocesan archives. Included in this material are sundry reports and papers, correspondence, Diocesan magazines, leaflets and service forms, together with sundry news cuttings, some of which contain neither identification or date. I am grateful for the use of these archival papers, which are a rich treasure house of diocesan history.

May I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation to Dean J. H. McMulkin and his Centennial Committee for the privilege of contributing this historical sketch, and to the Right Reverend H. V. R. Short, Bishop of Saskatchewan, for his encouragement and for consenting to write the foreword. We are all grateful, also, for the kindly message of greeting from our former Bishop--Bishop W. H. H. Crump.

My thanks are due to the many writers from whose works I have quoted, and to whom I am greatly indebted, particularly Canon T. C. B. Boon, whose book The Anglican Church from the Bay to the Rockies still provides the fullest treatment of the history of our Church in Western Canada published to date. Dr. Boon and I had much correspondence through the years, particularly regarding the Stanley Mission, and it was most helpful to me.

Finally my special thanks are extended to Mrs. Delia Klassen, whose patience and diligence in typing the manuscript has enabled me to complete this work reasonably close to the time schedule allotted to me. Her perseverance during the days of Summer when recreational opportunities must have beckoned to her quite insistently, has been greatly appreciated.

It is my earnest hope that this outline of our history will help to preserve in the memory of our church people the wonderful heritage that is our's, so that, in recognition of the debt that we owe to those who have gone [vii/viii] before, we may be stimulated to greater efforts, and prove worthy of the pattern and example that they bequeathed to us.

W. F. Payton

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
October 15th, 1973.

Project Canterbury