In 1892 the Reverend Bishop Burn appointed the Reverend Canon Guy P. Terry L.Th., as the first incumbent at Oxbow and gave him the whole of Souris District. This district had its infancy under the guidance of the Reverend Cartwright of Cannington Manor. The district consisted of an area 80 miles from East to West and 40 miles from North to South.

Owing to coal deposits people settled in the spot now known as Estevan. It was during the summer of 1892 that the Reverend Canon Terry held the first services in Estevan, in the open air. With the arrival of winter, services were moved into a hall over Mr. King's store. It is not known at this time where this store was or what it was, From there they went to a little stone School, possibly the little stone house on Third Street, now owned bu Mev. Rooks.

In the summer of 1893 Bishop Burn appointed the Reverend T.W. Cunliffe incumbent at Estevan. Preparations were made for building a church in Estevan parishioners started hauling stone from the valley. On September 8, 1893 what could well be the first confirmation in Estevan was held. Bishop Burn administered the right of confirmation to four candidates. In 1895, the Bishop appointed the Reverend Cunliffe to the parish of Moose Jaw and Mr. Malcolm Winter as Lay Reader in charge of Estevan. During his incumbancy the church was built.In an account taken from the church monthly, Page 3 of November 1895 we read the following account.

Beacause of ill health Mr. Winter resigned in the fall of 1895. In may 1896 Mr. Francis M. Pratt was appointed Lay Reader in charge. The work of his predecessors was carried on and services were now being held in Portal and Roche Percee.

Sacraments were administered at regular intervals by the Reverand W. Watson and/or the Reverand Guy B. Terry, priests in charge from 1896-1898. During this time new seats were placed in the church, being the gift of the parishioners. Mr. Pratt was ordained Deacon on Trinity Sunday 1898 and appointed curate to the Rector of Medicine Hat. In September 1898 The Reverend G. Terry was appointed by the Reverend Bishop Grisdale as rector of Estevan and given general oversight of the Soo-line. During 1904 a tower was added to the church.

From October, 1899 until may 1903 -- twelve candidates were confirmed. Branches of the W.A. and J.W.A were formed. The country to the north was visited and in 1902 regular services were held at New Hope (now called Stoughton) and Holmes Lake (possible Benson).

The Reverend Terry resigned in 1904.

The Reverend James Williams succeeded the Reverend Canon Terry, as fill in, but after a few months, at the request of the Parishioners, the Bishop permanently appointed him Rector of Estevan. Services were now being held alternately at Estevan and Coalfields. Sunday school was started with 25 children, and records of church services were kept.

The Diocesan grant of $325.00 in 1904 was gradually reduced to $150.00 in 1909. Among improvements were -- a new red alter cloth, fair linen, Glcier windows, Communion vessels and a chancel carpet. A fine bell was purchased for $100.00 and dedicated on St. Bartholomew's Day.

Three Confirmations were held with a total of 22 candidates.

Services were held at the mines during the winter and North Portal reopened. The Reverend W. Sandilands was appointed Vicar of Estevan by Bishop Grisdale in May 1909. During his incumbency, services were held regularly at North Portal, Brittania, Roche Percee and Shand as well as at Estevan.

There were 19 more candidates confirmed at this time.

The Incumbency at Estevan was growing rapidly and the church was now too small. Several meetings were held to discuss enlarging the present church or building a new one. The Reverend Sandilands resigned in June 1913. In July 1913 The Reverend Canon Pratt was appointed by Bishop Harding. Among the foremost of his tasks was finding room, both for clergy and parishioners, as both the rectory and church were too small.

At Easter 1914 it was decided that Estevan become a Parish with a Rector to receive a stipend of $1200.00 per year and the Diocesan grant to be discontinued. The needs of the diocese were now placed before the people and the duplex envelope system adopted.

There were now fifty Sunday School pupils and five teachers. In 1914-1915 twenty-one more candidates were confirmed. By 1917 The Rectors stipend had been cut to $1000.00 per year.

The Reverend Canon F.E. Pratt succeeded the Reverend Sandilands and work carried on as usual.

During this time, since 1909 the question of room had been a problem and what to do about it was ever in the minds of the Vestry members. In 1912 it was decided to build a new church, but money was still the question. In 1915 an offer of 500 pounds was made from a Parish in England as a Memorial Fund but after several meetings and $1500.00 promised towards building a new church the matter was dropped, due to lack of funds. After World War I, in 1919, St. Giles' Church, Oxford, England, made an offer of assistance in the building of a new church as a memorial to those of their Parish who had paid the supreme sacrifice in the great war. The offer was accepted, with the Parish of St. Giles', Estevan to Provide the cost of the basement. The old church was demolished, the Rectory moved ove and the new church built where the Rectory had been. The foundation stone was laid by the Reverend C. J. Stuart on October 3, 1919. From Whitsunday 1919 to Palm Sunday 1920 services were held in tne old Cenrtal School (now torn down to make room for the present post office).

The first service was held in the new church was on Good Friday, April 2, 1920 and the church was dedicated on October 3, 1920 by the Ven. Archdeacon E. H. Knowles to the Glory of God and named St. Giles'. However, by the time the church was finished a mortgage for $3500.00 had to be taken out -- partly due to inflation. This mortgage was with the Great West Life Insurance and many years were to pass before it was payed off. Many ravages of nature were to keep the parish forever poor, grasshoppers, drought, etc., and, in fact, a Second World War. During this time the cares of the church were taken over by many Rectors. Among them the Reverends -- M. A. F. Custance, Charles Harrington, Canon J. K. Irwin. F. W. H. Jessup, C. L. Holthouse, J. H. Hill, Jr. Wm. Jackson, D. J. Vaughn and in 1941 the Reverend Remington Walker. It was, in fact, during the time of Reverend Walker that the mortgage finally paid off and the mortgage burned. So, afeter 25 years, the church was finally consecrated. Strangely enough, God had spared the life of the man who 25 years before had dedicated the church to consecrate the church. It had been at the request of the Bishop Harding, back in 1920, that he had dedicated the church and now, in 1945, as Bishop Knowles, he consecrated the church. The mortgage was burned following the consecration and all enjoyed a pot luck supper to finish the evening.

If October 5, 1895 was a red letter day , so also was September 30, 1945. Since 1951 St. Giles' has had nine clergy-- two of them summer assistants. Durring the depression years and those following, St. Giles' was able to stay open due to many forms of donations, some gifts of food for the clergy families, some gifts of caol and wood for both church and rectory from parishioners. At this time I will mention no names although several come to mind.

The list of gifts and names of donors could go on and on , as the entire furnishings of the church -- that is pews, lights, windows, pulpits, lectern, lectern Bible, font, etc., etc., are all gifts.

Today we think we have problems keeping our churches open but our forefathers met with, and overcame, similar problems. Our Rectors in the past worked for very small stipends and theirs must certainly be concidered a work of Love. They must certainly have worked long hours under strenuous circumstances in the Lord's vineyard on a hope and a prayer.

List of Priests and Lay in Charge from 1892-1980
1892 -- The Rev. Canon Guy Pearson Terry, as travelling Priest.
1893-1895 -- The Reverend T. W. Cunliffe.
Summer 1895-Fall 1895 -- Mr. Malcolm Winter, Lay reader in Charge.
Fall 1895-May 1896 -- Apparently vacant.
May 1896-1898 -- Mr. Francis M. Pratt, Lay reader in Charge. During this time sacraments were administered by The Reverend W. Watson of Moose Jaw and or The Reverend Guy Terry of Oxbow, Priests in charge from 1896-1898.
Late 1898-1904 -- The Revernd Guy P. Terry.
December 1904-1909 -- The Reverend J. Williams.
May 1909-June 1913 -- The Reverend W. Sandilands.
July 1913-May 1917 -- The Rev. Canon Pratt.
May 1917-January 26,1919 -- The Reverend J. Swallwells -- resigned due to ill health and died in Estevan shortly after.
June 1919-February 1922 -- The Reverend M. A. F. Custance.
April 1922-May 1929 -- The Reverend Charles Harrington.
May 1929-December 1930 -- The Reverend Canan J. K. Irwin.
January 1931-January 1932 -- The Reverend F. W. H. Jessup. April 1931 William Field summer student.
May 1932-May 1935 -- The Reverend C. L. Holthouse.
May 1935-August 1935 -- The Reverend J. H. Hill Jr.
September 1936-May 1940 -- The Reverend William Jackson.
June 1940-July 1941 -- The Reverend D. J. Vaughn.
August 3, 1941-October 1951 -- The Reverend Remington Walker.
October 18, 1951-June 1954 -- The Reverend E. H. Christmas. During May 1952, The Reverend J. C. Wright as summer help.
July 1, 1954-August 1956 -- The Reverend W. C. McVean.
September 18, 1956-February 1957 -- G. R. Cholerton, Stipenary Lay Reader.
February 1957-January 1967 -- The Reverend D. P. Pasterfield.
January 1967-November 1972 -- The Reverend Canon J. H. H. Watts.
January 1973-August 1979 -- The Reverend Howard Shurvin. Wallace Johnston assisted the Reverend Shurvin. Wallace Johnston assisted the Reverend Shurvin one summer.
January 1980 -- The Reverend David A. Guthrie.

It would seem that during tha vacancy of Priests in the early years, that the Reverend Archdeacon Burgett, filled in or at least took services on various occasions. We have no record at this time as to where the Archdeacon was stationed.