Background
Spence was born on 10 March 1942 in Hamilton, Ontario.
Spence was born on 10 March 1942 in Hamilton, Ontario.
University of Guelph.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University, Hamilton in 1964 and a Licentiate in Theology 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 Saint George’s Guelph (1968-1970) and then the rector of Saint Bartholomew"s Hamilton (1970 -1974).
After further incumbencies at Saint John"s Thorold (1975-1982) and Saint 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. In 2008, Spence became the Chancellor of Renison University College, Waterloo.
Since his youth, Spence has had a passion for flags 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 Society of Canada.
Foreign 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. appointed a canon of Christ"s Church Cathedral - 1980.
Appointed a canon of Christ"s Church Cathedral - 1980 awarded Queen"s Silver Jubilee Medal - 1977 awarded 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal - 1992 awarded Doctor of Divinity (Honorary), Wycliffe College, Toronto - 1999 awarded Doctor of Divinity (Honorary), Trinity College, Toronto - 2000 awarded Queen"s Golden Jubilee Medal - 2002 awarded Doctor of Divinity (Honorary), Huron College, University of Western Ontario, London - 2005 awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal - 2012.
