History

The Parish was formed during Canada’s Centennial Year. A census showed the new church would serve 534 families. The architectural firm of Stevenson, Raines, Barrett, Hutton, Seton and Partners drew up plans in the Fall of 1967. Construction started July 29, 1968. The cornerstone was laid on a -37°C day, December 29, 1968. Final blessing of the church was on July 27, 1969 by Bishop Paul O’Byrne, with a concelebrated Mass. After 10 years, the mortgage was paid and a mortgage burning party took place at Mount St. Francis Retreat in Cochrane.

As the neighbourhood grew, so did parish numbers, but by the early 1980’s, the creation of Nose Hill Park, instead of residential development, limited population growth. Children from the original neighbourhood grew up and moved away. By 1996, the parish had more families than when it started, but fewer total members.

As a small parish, Canadian Martyrs became a haven for older priests nearing retirement. From 2003-2015, the parish focused on an older demographic. In 2016, to meet the needs of younger families who now choose our parish, a younger priest, Fr. Vincent TuanHa, was assigned as pastor. He served in this role until Fr. Ed Hospet took over as pastor from August 2020 until March 29, 2022. From April 8 to July 31, 2022, Fr. Rowel ‘Arjay’ Abanto served as parish administrator. On August 1, 2022, Fr. Cuong Luong (pictured) became our new parish administrator.