Friends of Historic St. John's Cathedral and Cemetery

04/17/2026

On Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10, 2026 from 12:30PM to 3:00PM members of the Friends and the Parish will be greeting family members visiting the resting places and honouring the memories of loved ones. Upon arrival please join us inside the Cathedral where flowers will be provided. For those interested, tours of the historic Cathedral and Cemetery will be offered at 1:00PM and 2:00PM.

04/09/2026

John Norquay (1841-1889) was the 6th Premier of Manitoba and the second Manitoba-born Métis premier after honorary First Premier of Manitoba Louis Riel. He passed away suddenly at the age of 48 and public donations supported the installation of the largest monument in St. John's Cathedral Cemetery. In 1904, Mount Norquay in Banff National Park, Alberta, was named in his honor.

For more information on John Norquay (1841-1889), check out the Manitoba Historical Society Archives website at:
https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/norquay_j.shtml
Memorable Manitobans: John Norquay (1841-1889)

04/06/2026

Andrew McDermot (1790-1881) was among the work party sent to Red River in 1812 by Lord Selkirk to prepare for the arrival of his first Scottish settlers. McDermot became one of the most respected residents of the settlement. He owned the river lot including the intersection of Portage & Main. McDermot Avenue is named after him. He died at Winnipeg and was buried in the St. John’s Cathedral Cemetery.

For more information on Andrew McDermot (1790-1881), check out the Manitoba Historical Society Archives website at:
https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/mcdermot_a.shtml
Memorable Manitobans: Andrew McDermot (1790-1881)
Fur trader, merchant.

04/06/2026

St. John's Cathedral churchyard cemetery is the final resting place since 1813 of almost 10,000 Manitobans, many of whom made significant contributions to the building of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Canada. We will share their stories with thanks in part to the Manitoba Historical Society's "Memorable Manitobans" on-line archives.

04/06/2026

In 2004 St. John's Cathedral was designated as Manitoba Provincial Heritage Site No. 117.

Cathedral Church of Saint John
135 Anderson Avenue, Winnipeg

Designation Date: October 1, 2004

The Cathedral Church of Saint John, the fourth church built on its property, represents the oldest Anglican parish in Western Canada. Established in 1822 by John West, a Church of England clergyman sent to the Red River Settlement by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the church ministered to the needs of settlers and fur traders and became the centre of the Anglican Church’s missionary, educational and administrative activity in the West. The cathedral also is an excellent example of the Late Gothic Revival style. Its dignified design by Winnipeg architects Gilbert Parfitt and Edgar Prain reflects the medieval vernacular tradition of English parish churches through its sprawling horizontal mass, Norman tower and pointed window and door openings. Of additional significance are the building’s magnificent stained-glass windows and the stone and other features it incorporates from earlier churches on the site. The building is an outstanding historical, architectural and religious landmark in Manitoba, one that remains a vital presence in the lives of its members, some military regiments and the wider community.

04/06/2026

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the completion of the current Cathedral building in 1926, the fourth St. John's church building since 1822. Stay tuned for more information about events this year.

08/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/eR9rs4yWfqBGr3Cb/

08/03/2024

Deans of Rupert's Land, Rectors of St. John's Cathedral, Winnipeg:

John Grisdale, Dean 1882-1896
Lived 1845-1922

1. John Grisdale. Died 27 January 1922 at age 76. Buried at St John's 31 January 1922.

The Manitoba Historical society records: Born at Lancashire, England on 25 June 1845, he spent five years in the C.M.S. College at Islington, London. He was ordained deacon in St. Paul's Cathedral in June 1870. He then spent a year doing missionary work in India, returning due to ill health. In May 1873, they emigrated to Canada and came to Winnipeg where he served as rector of Holy Trinitv Church. He later held positions at Christ Church, Professor of Systematic Theology at St. John's College, Canon of St. John's CathedraI, and Dean of Rupert's Land. In 1896 he was elected Bishop of Qu'Appelle. He held the position until 1911 when he retired due to ill health. He and wife Annie Chaplin had four children: Jabez Chaplin Grisdale, John Grisdale, Alice Jane May Grisdale (wife of E. B. Shaw), and Robert Chaplin Grisdale (1872-1944, husband of Alice Mary Fraser). Grisdale received a DD degree from the University of Manitoba (1887). In 1879 he helped to found the Manitoba Historical Society. He died at his Winnipeg residence on 27 January 1922 and was buried in the St John's Cemetery.

08/01/2024

Another retirement gift from the Cathedral, and especially from Mr. Brook Jones, River City Photography. Brook is the official Cathedral Photographer for Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist here in Winnipeg, and does great work. Among other things he is a regular photographer, a go to guy, for the Winnipeg Free Press. If you need some great camera work, contact Brook. His RCP email is ; his phone is 204.291.4120. Thanks again, Brook, and thanks to everyone who contributed to this wonderful gift. Enjoy.

RCP-07282024RetirementTributeVideo(PaulNJohnson)