The Anglican Church of Canada is the third largest church in Canada, after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada. After many years of debate, the first blessing of a same-sex partnership took place in 2003, by the Diocese of New Westminster, in Vancouver. This was not considered a marriage ceremony, but rather a blessing of "permanent and faithful commitments" between persons of the same sex.
Currently, the dioceses of Algoma, British Columbia, Central Newfoundland, Eastern Newfoundland, Edmonton, Huron, Kootenay, Montreal, New Westminster, Niagara, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Ottawa, Qu'Appelle, Quebec, Rupert's Land, the Territory of the People, Toronto, and Western Newfoundland permit same-sex marriage, as does the Anglican Military Ordinariate. The diocese of Saskatoon permits the blessing of same-sex civil marriages.