Corporate body

All Saints' Parish (Ladner, Delta, B.C.)

Bishop A. W. Sillitoe, the first bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, made his first "parish" visit upon arriving in his diocese, to the Fraser River settlement of Ladner's Landing, also known as Trennant. Impressed by the efforts of the people to meet him there, he offered to match funds raised by local Anglicans to build a church and pay a clergyman. As a result of the bishop's offer a Church Committee was formed: it met, with the bishop present on August 24, 1880. Land was donated and funds were raised and by 1881, a deacon, The Rev. William Bell, was appointed to serve Trennant, as the parish was initially named. At that time, the Trennant parish included all of Delta, Richmond and Surrey. Currently, the parish serves the Ladner area of Richmond. Mr. Bell served the parish until 1885. For the next eight years the parish was served by a number of Priests-in-charge , as well as two vicars. The parish shared an incumbant with St. David, Delta from 1953 to 1960. The first church building was completed by November 1881, a rectory was built a few years later, and a church hall was erected in 1923. As parish needs changed, parish building needs were reconsidered. A replacement rectory was completed and occupied in 1964 and a new church hall was built in 1978. An extensive fund-raising campaign was undertaken in the early 1980's to pay for needed renovations to the original, then 103 year old, building. The plan was to double the seating capacity while preserving the heritage value of the original building. The "old" building was moved 100 feet to allow for this. The first service in the reconstructed church was held on May 26, 1985.