St. George's as you know it today rests on over 150 years of Anglican ministry in Central Alberta. From its early days as a mission to the Northwest Mounted Police detachment to its ongoing presence as a loving, outward-looking Christian community, St. George's is a centre of worship and ministry in the heart of downtown Fort Saskatchewan.

Here are some key events from our early years:

1875: The Rev. Canon William Newton (photo below) arrives in Edmonton on September 28 after a five month journey to answer the Bishop of Saskatchewan's call for missionaries. He has left his wife and nine sons in Ontario. As the first Anglican missionary in the area, his ministry activities extend as far as 200 miles, and he regularly travels three hours by horse on Sunday afternoons between parishes in Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan.

Canon William Newton from his biography 

1876: Canon Newton has conducted services in Fort Saskatchewan 35 times since his arrival.

1894: A meeting is called to arrange the formation of a new parish, named St. George.

1895: Early in the year, the Rev. Geoffrey C. d'Easum arrives in Fort Saskatchewan and takes on the leadership of the parish. He builds his own log cabin rectory and supports himself by farming part-time. 

1896: Plans are made to build a church. The new building is dedicated on January 3, 1897. The Edmonton Bulletin reports: "On Sunday, the dedication service of St. George's parish church was held by the bishop of Calgary, the Right Reverend Cyprian Pinkham... The church was crowded, the settlers in the adjoining district for 15 miles around thus showing their interest in the solemn opening of the mother church in this settlement."

1903: Fundraising for building a rectory (clergy housing) begins. It is still in use as St. George's Place in 1973.

1951: The present church building is opened a few metres north of the original one.