About The Parish of Huntley

The Parish of Huntley is the extended family of the congregations of three historic churches. St. John’s, Christ Church and St. James. Together we bring life to the word of God, which guides the good works that we do together across our community. The Parish of Huntley family gives yours the opportunity to live and experience the joy that faith and works inspired by Christ can bring to every facet of your life. We would love to have you know us better, so look around and discover who we are and what we believe, and how we put that belief into meaningful projects and activities.

Make yourself at home with us. Our home is your home. We pray that you will have a meaningful time while you are here.

The Reverend Mark Whittall

The path that brought the Reverend Mark Whittall as the new ordained minister in the Parish of Huntley has been a long and winding one, with lots of interesting stops along the way.

Mark was born in Montreal but grew up in Manotick, in the days when it was a small rural village not unlike Carp. He left home to go to university in Kingston where he graduated as a Queen’s Engineer in 1984. His next stop was Oxford in the United Kingdom for graduate studies. Already displaying a taste for variety, he completed two degrees, first in physics and then in development economics.

He returned to Ottawa to begin his career in technology and international development. His work at Intelcan took him to more than forty countries around the world, from the jungles of Africa to the tundra of the high Arctic. But even as he negotiated contracts, built air traffic systems and did some teaching on the side, Mark was contemplating a new twist in his path. In 2005 he returned to school, this time to St. Paul University in Ottawa where he completed his Masters in Pastoral Theology in 2008.

Mark was ordained as a deacon in the Diocese of Ottawa in May, 2008, and was thrilled to become the Deacon-in-Charge of the Parish of Huntley on August 1. Not only does he bring business and educational experience to his new work, but he also brings his learning from a series of placements that were part of his theological training. These include the parishes of St. Thomas, Ascension and Trinity in Ottawa, the Royal Ottawa Hospital, and, in keeping with his interest in international development, the Anglican Diocese of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Mark’s ordination as a priest is planned for December, 2008.

Mark is enthusiastic about his ministry in Huntley, looking forward to welcoming and working with people of all ages and backgrounds in the congregations of St. James, Christ Church and St. John’s. He brings a particular passion for working with children and youth in his ministry, a passion which is evident in his puppet collection! He is also committed to the community ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, having served as a volunteer at Centre 454 and serving currently as a member of the Parish and Diocesan Services Committee.

At home, Mark shares his life with Guylaine, his wife of 17 years, and his two children, Jonathan, 14 and Michelle, 12. In his spare time he enjoys sports and music, and tries to get away on a canoe camping trip with family and friends every summer. He has coached both his children’s teams in hockey and soccer, and is familiar with just about every arena and soccer field in the Ottawa Valley!