William Cyprian Pinkham was born in St John’s, Newfoundland in 1844. He moved to England and studied at St Augustine’s, Canterbury. In 1868 the S.P.G. appointed him curate of St James Parish, Rupert’s Land. He became the rector of St James when the incumbent, John McLean, became Bishop of Saskatchewan. In 1872, as well as his church duties, Mr Pinkham was appointed Superintendent of Education and was responsible for setting up the school system in Manitoba. In 1882 he was made Archdeacon, in which capacity he set up missions and raised funds in Eastern Canada and England.
Archdeacon Pinkham had become a prominent figure in the diocese and was appointed the second Bishop of Saskatchewan when Bishop McLean died in 1886. At the Provincial Synod a week after Bishop Pinkham’s consecration the Diocese of Saskatchewan was divided in 2. The civil district of Saskatchewan remained the Diocese of Saskatchewan and retained its endowment, the civil district of Alberta to the northwest was to form the Diocese of Calgary with a new endowment to be raised. Bishop Pinkham removed to Calgary but remained bishop of both dioceses until the Calgary endowment was raised in 1903.
The original Church of the Redeemer, Calgary was built in 1884 and proclaimed a Pro Cathedral in 1889. The present sandstone building was opened in 1905
Bishop Pinkham resigned February 17, 1926 and died in Calgary on July 18, 1928.