Christ Church Cathedral, Anglican cathedral in Victoria, Canada
Christ Church Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral of the Diocese of British Columbia, located at 930 Burdett Avenue in Victoria. The current Gothic Revival stone building was begun in 1926; its west tower, completed in 1957, was built lower than planned to save money. The interior houses a Hellmuth Wolff organ with 4,000 pipes.
The first Christ Church, a wooden building from 1856, burned down on 30 September 1869. A second wooden cathedral was built on a new site; its cornerstone was laid on 20 May 1872 by Lieutenant-Governor Joseph Trutch. The present Gothic Revival stone cathedral was begun with the cornerstone laid on 9 September 1926 and consecrated in 1929.
The cathedral's name recalls the first Christ Church, consecrated in 1865 and destroyed by fire in 1869. Its first dean, Edward Cridge, clashed with Bishop George Hills over ritual; the 1874 court case Bishop of Columbia v. Cridge drew wide public attention in Victoria.
The cathedral stands at 930 Burdett Avenue, a short walk from the Inner Harbour and Beacon Hill Park. Entry is through the main west door on Burdett; the west tower, finished in 1957 at a reduced height to save money, is the easiest landmark to look for. Services fill the pews on Sundays, so visitors usually come on weekday mornings.
During construction, Winston Churchill participated by laying a stone for the north tower, adding a notable moment to the building's story. A bird's nest temporarily stopped work, showing how nature and building shared the space.
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