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Paget, Edward ClarencePaget, Edward Clarence
229 - 6th Avenue SE

1851-1927
Clarence Edward was born near Kingston, England, in 1851. He spent his childhood there and received his Masters Degree from Oxford before studying theology. Becoming a deacon of the Church of England in 1875, he served as a curate for a year before being ordained a priest for the Diocese of Gloucester in 1876. Paget rose quickly through the ranks of the Anglican Church and in the academic world. From 1878 – 1884 he served as principal of a small college near Oxford.

In 1884 Paget moved to Canada because of his health. After remaining in Montreal for two years, he left for Iowa serving two parishes until 1898, when he moved to Revelstoke, British Columbia to take over the local parish. He became Dean of Calgary on January 1, 1901.

Establishing a home in Calgary, Paget served as dean of this city for 26 years. During that time a new church and parish hall were constructed and several other area parishes were established. In 1910, a parish hall named Paget Hall was built next to the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer in the heart of downtown Calgary. Until it was demolished in the 1970s to make way for Rocky Mountain Plaza. Paget Hall accommodated the Anglican and secular community in a number of roles. It was the location for public meetings, concerts, recitals, home to a theatrical group called the Paget players and temporary facility for schools and other churches.

Paget did not confine his interests to those traditionally associated with 19th century clergy. He was a passionate mountain climber (Paget Mountain bears his name) and a member of the Canadian Forestry Association. He took an interest in gardening and agriculture. In setting out directions for planting a grove of trees on the rectory grounds, he commented that "[t]he rule which has been followed in Calgary is that spruce must be planted in the spring, but as an experiment they were set out…early in November."

"The Old Dean," as he was affectionately known, died in 1927, at the age of 75.

 

 

 

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