Ralph Spence (bishop)

An avid collector of flags, Spence's collection once sat at approximately 3000 items, including a variety of historical Canadian flags as well as flags gifted to him by Queen Elizabeth II. Most of his collection has now been donated to the Canadian Heraldic Authority at Rideau Hall to remain forever a part of the Canadian treasure. A large part of his collection has been gifted to the Canadian Flag Collection, a permanent exhibit housed at Settlers, Rails & Trails Inc., Argyle, Manitoba. Over 250 flags were donated to the museum in Argyle and arrived on National Flag of Canada Day, February 15, 2018.

At the end of his two terms as Chancellor of Renison University College, Spence was made Chancellor Emeritus of the College in 2016, in recognition of his outstanding support of and leadership to the college. This is an honour only granted to two previous chancellors of Renison.

In 2014, Renison University College applied for and was granted supporters for its coat of arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority. Spence, Albion Herald Extraordinary, was a lead designer for this grant.

In 2008, Spence became the Chancellor of Renison University College, Waterloo, serving until 2016.

In 2008, Spence was invested as Chancellor of Renison University College at St. George's of Forest Hill Anglican Church in Kitchener, Ontario. At his investiture, Bishop Spence and his wife, Carol, donated to the college a ceremonial mace for use at the college's convocation ceremony and other official events.

Since his youth, Spence has had a passion for flags (or vexillology) and heraldry. He has designed numerous personal coats of arms (including his own), coats of arms for churches in the Diocese of Niagara as well as for communities and organizations in Ontario. In 1981, he became a Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. For his contributions to Canadian heraldry, in 2006 he was appointed Herald Extraordinary with the Canadian Heraldic Authority and in 2007 he was given the title "Albion Herald Extraordinary" by the Governor General of Canada.

Spence was born on 10 March 1942 in Hamilton, Ontario. He received a B.A. degree from McMaster University, Hamilton in 1964 and a L.Th. from Wycliffe College, Toronto in 1968. He was ordained a deacon on 5 May 1968 and then a priest on 1 December 1968 by Bishop Walter Bagnall. Spence was an assistant curate at St. George’s Guelph (1968-1970) and then the rector of St. Bartholomew's Hamilton (1970 -1974). After further incumbencies at St. John's Thorold (1975-1982) and St. Luke’s Burlington (1982-1997) he became the Archdeacon of Trafalgar in 1992 until his consecration to the episcopate as Bishop of Niagara on 21 September 1997 at Christ's Church Cathedral. He was installed at that same cathedral as the tenth Bishop of Niagara on 11 January 1998 and he retired on 29 February 2008.