Diocese of Athabasca


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 and Mackenzie River and in 1933 to create the Diocese of The Arctic.
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 whether it was ever his "seat". Other cities in the diocese are Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray.
The diocesan bishop is Fraser Lawton, formerly rector of St Thomas' Anglican church in Fort McMurray, Alberta, who was elected 11th Bishop of Athabasca by the Diocesan Synod on 19 September 2009 and consecrated and installed on 22 November 2009 in St James' Cathedral, Peace River.
Bishop of AthabascaNameDatesNotes
1stWilliam Bompas1874-1883
2ndRichard Young1873-1903
3rdGeorge Holmes1908 ; 1909-1912
4thEdwin Robins1912-1930
5thRobert Renison1932
6thArthur Sovereign1932-1950
7thReginald Pierce1950-1974
8thFrederick Crabb1975-1983
9thGary Woolsey1983-1991
10thJohn Clarke1992–2009Metropolitan of Rupert's Land, 2003–2008
11thFraser Lawton2009–

Deans of Athabasca

The Dean of Athabasca is also Rector of St James Cathedral