CORDERY, Charles Edmond Chambers (1865-1932) was among the first professional architects to live and work in Saskatoon, Sask. He was born in London, England on 13 March 1865, but no information has been found on his education or training. He arrived in Canada in 1905 at the age of 40 years, and advertised his services as “architect, civil engineer, land and quantity surveyor” in 1905 (The Phoenix [Saskatoon], 15 Sept. 1905, 5, advert.). The following year he prepared the plans for the modern Gothic design of Christ Church, Saskatoon, but his scheme proved to be too ambitious, and far exceeded the budget of the Building Committee for the church, with only the foundations being constructed. During the next 40 years the project was referred to as “the Dugout on the Hill”, and the structure was eventually completed in 1953-55.
In October 1907 Cordery was invited by Norman L. Thompson to form a partnership, but their collaboration ended within six months, and Cordery later moved to Edmonton where he was recorded as a draftsman for J.H. Rudy (in 1912), and as an assistant to E.C. Hopkins in 1913. He returned to England in 1914 and enlisted with the Royal Engineers, serving in France from 1916 to 1918. After WWI he moved back to Canada and lived and worked in Calgary and Edmonton, then moved to Chilliwack, B.C. in 1931. He died there on 3 December 1932 (obituary, Calgary Herald, 5 Dec. 1932, 9; obit. Chilliwack Progress, 8 Dec. 1932, 5; biog. by Brock Silversides in Saskatoon History, No. 3, Summer 1985, 20-21).
SASKATOON, SASK., Christ Church [Anglican], Caswell Hill, 28th Street West at Avenue F North, begun in 1906, but not completed until 1955 (The Phoenix [Saskatoon], 29 Aug. 1906, 7, descrip.; C.R., xvii, 5 Sept. 1906, 2)
SASKATOON, SASK., major addition to King Edward Public School [also called Ward Three School], 1906-07 (C.R., xvii, 30 May 1906, 4; The Phoenix [Saskatoon], 8 Aug. 1906, 4, descrip.; Daily Phoenix [Saskatoon], 10 June 1907, 8)