Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver)

This is Christ Church Cathedral, the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, and it’s located right here at 690 Burrard Street. The first service for this church was held on December 23, 1888, without a building, over on Granville Street.

A building committee formed in February 1889 to raise money, and they bought this land from the Canadian Pacific Railway. By October 1889, the basement was built, and the first service for 52 parishioners was held on October 6. But the CPR wasn't happy with the unfinished building by 1891, calling it an "eyesore," and the parishioners worried they'd lose the location. An architect named Robert Mackay Fripp gave a proposal for completion in 1892.

A financing plan was developed, and the cornerstone was laid on July 28, 1894. The church was dedicated on February 17, 1895, built in the Gothic style with a cedar plank ceiling and old-growth Douglas fir beams and floor. The first expansion was done by 1909, and by 1911, the original organ, which used a human blower, was replaced by a Wurlitzer. Electricity replaced candles for lighting here in 1920, and the current lanterns were installed in 1930.

In 1929, this church became the Cathedral Church of the diocese, taking over from Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster. They planned a bell tower, but city bylaws changed in 1943 to restrict church bells. However, a bell tower was finally inaugurated in November 2016, and its four bells ring daily at 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, and before services.

A Casavant organ was installed in 1949, partly made from war surplus parts and pieces of the old Wurlitzer. Then in 2004, a Kenneth Jones tracker organ was installed in the south gallery during a renovation. It has a three-manual console and 2500 pipes, with 1700 salvaged from the Casavant.

In 1971, church members voted to demolish the building for a hi-rise tower, but public opposition led to the cathedral being named a Class A Heritage building in 1976. An eleven-year restoration began in 1995.

This cathedral is also the Regimental Church of the Seaforth Highlanders and is in the process of being designated for the BC Regiment, Duke of Connaught's Own. In 2002, Bishop Michael Ingham authorized a liturgy for the celebration of lesbian and gay covenants, and the church approved this ministry in 2003. In 2014, the parish submitted a statement in favor of same-sex marriage to the Anglican Church of Canada.

The Celtic cross, found inside and out, represents the Anglican Communion's roots in the British Isles. The spindle whorl and three salmon designs represent the First People of Canada. The Greek letters Chi and Rho in the center stand for "Christus Rex," or Christ the King. The motto is "I hold before you an open door," which was the title of the first sermon preached here.