Diocese of Keewatin
Anglican Church of Canada diocese straddling the Manitoba-Ontario border
The Diocese of Keewatin was a diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada. As of 1 August 2014, it no longer had any territorial jurisdiction, but it continued to exist as a legal entity until 30 September 2015, when it was formally closed.
Formerly, the diocese straddled the border of the civil provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, comprising over 900,000 square kilometres. The diocese was geographically isolated, consisting of mainly small, and mostly First Nations, communities. The largest of these, Kenora, Ontario, was also the diocese's See city. There were just over 11,000 Anglicans on forty-eight parish rolls. The diocese was established by the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land in 1902, and it was a major focus for missionary activity among the indigenous peoples there.
The last bishop (the diocese's ninth) was Archbishop David Ashdown. Elected Bishop of Keewatin in 2001, he was subsequently elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land in June 2009. The dean was the Very Rev.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Diocese of Keewatin” is anglican Church of Canada diocese straddling the Manitoba-Ontario border. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Diocese, Keewatin and Anglican, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “anglican Church of Canada diocese straddling the Manitoba-Ontario border” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5278895. Authority coordinates are 49.800, -94.500. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2014, 2015, 1902 and 2001.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Diocese of Keewatin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Diocese of Keewatin primary sources, Diocese of Keewatin archive and Diocese research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Diocese of Keewatin”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Diocese of Keewatin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.