From the University of King’s College, George Stavert Tanton received his Licentiate in Theology in 1938, and a Bachelor of Arts in 1945. Later on in 1967, he was honoured by his Alma Mater with the degree of Doctor of Divinity.

At Christ Church in Dartmouth on Palm Sunday 1938, Rev. Tanton was ordained deacon by Archbishop Hackerley. On Palm Sunday the following year, he was ordained priest at Emmanuel Church, also in Dartmouth, where he served as assistant curate until 1940 when he was appointed rector of Port Hill Parish. It was on August 14th of the year following this appointment that Rev. Tanton married Constance Ruby Tufts at Emmanuel Church in Dartmouth. Four children were born to this couple: Mary, Ruth, Ann, and Peter.

During the years 1943 - 1944, Rev. Tanton served as a chaplain in the Royal Canadian Air Force at Gander, Newfoundland; Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; ADTS, Quebec; and Manning Depot in Lachine, Quebec. His next appointment was rector of Tangier on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia, a parish with six churches. In the course of a ministry there which lasted fourteen years, he built a seventh church, St. Michael’s at Sheet Harbour. Further testimony of his ambitious ministry in this Parish may be noted in the following excerpt (Parish records):

His rural ministry in Tangier was extraordinary. There he gave the lead in

having a hospital built at Sheet Harbour, this when others had given up the

project as hopeless. He was a leading figure in the building of the high school

at Tangier. This was one of the first efforts made to consolidate areas where the

educational standard had suffered by the isolation of small rural schools. He

worked tirelessly to maintain the pulp mill at Sheet Harbour and was Chairman

of the group which entered into negotiations with the Nova Scotia Government.

He was instrumental in acquiring property for a Tangier Deanery Church Camp

and was for years the leading spirit behind that camp. It was through his

leadership that the Anglican clergy in the area were able to enter the schools and

teach religion. It was also during this time that he initiated the drive for funds

for the Hackenley Memorial Fund which has been used for a lectureship at King’s

on rural work for some ten years or more. The respect and affection he inspired

among the people of this Diocese caused him, as rector of a rural parish with a

small and scattered population, to stand third in the choice of Co-adjutor Bishop

of Nova Scotia.

From the Parish of Tangier, Rev. Tanton moved in 1958 to St. Mark’s Parish in Halifax where, during his nine years’ service, St. Mark’s became known for its missionary outreach, enrichment to the liturgical services, and vocations to the priesthood. Seven of its young men

became priests of the Diocese.

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