Winnipeg church that needs $7M in repairs could be sold under certain conditions, bishop says

The bishop of a 140-year-old church in downtown Winnipeg that's facing the possibility of demolition said every effort will be made to find a buyer who will preserve the church, provide a space for its congregation to worship,and continue programminggeared to helping people in the city's core.

Geoffrey Woodcroft, the Anglican bishop of the diocese of Rupert's Land, whichincludes Winnipeg,says he gaveHoly Trinity Anglican Church permission to sell the property last February, basedon those conditions.

"To that end, I've spent the last couple of months seeking counsel and seeking persons, professionals, vocationals, who may be able to help us in this project," Woodcrofttold CBC on Tuesday.

Holy Trinity Anglican Church, located on the corner of Smith Street and Graham Avenue in Winnipeg's downtown, has significant structural damage in need of repair, including water damage andcracks that creep up the walls around the altar and elsewhere in the building.

Holy Trinity's latest annual report, released in February, said the parish has been aware since the late 1980s that "major repairs to build a foundation under the historic church would be necessary to avoid a collapse."

Without the repairs, estimated to cost about $7 million, "structural failure and/or the building being condemned is likely a matter of months to a few years at most," an April post on the diocese's website said.

With shrinking membership, the congregation says that's money it doesn't have.

While structural issues aren't uncommon in heritage buildings, "you cannot ignore your property for decades it's a kiss of death," said Cindy Tugwell, theexecutive director of Heritage Winnipega non-profit that advocates for the preservation of old buildings.

"A lot of these buildings that are ignored for decades now cost millions to fix,"shetold CBC'sInformation Radiohost Marcy Markusain a Tuesday interview.

Tugwell said she doesn't want to see the church torn down and questioned why repairs weren't done decades ago onthe building, which was designated a national historic site in 1990 andadded to the City of Winnipeg's list of historical resources in 2008.

Information Radio - MB8:18A historic church in Winnipeg is hoping for some salvation

Cindy Tugwell, executive director of Heritage Winnipeg,tells host Marcy Markusa why Holy Trinity Anglican Church needs saving, as it faces an estimated $7 million worth of structural repairs.

She thinks the repairscould be tackled in bite-sized pieces, beginning with stabilizing the structure to avoid a potential collapse. The church could then convert and diversify the building, similar to the WestEnd Commons amix of housing and worship space built in what was previouslySt. Matthews Anglican Church.

"A lot of churches have had to face these financial problems, so they've converted their buildings, they've diversified, they're part of the community," said Tugwell.

"There's funding out there, maybe, for the activities they provide the community," she said, such as a twice-weekly lunch program that Holy Trinity offers for people in need.

'A brutal reality' for heritage buildings: historian

Gordon Goldsborough, head researcher and webmaster at the Manitoba Historical Society, said he's not surprised that a church built between 1883 and 1884 has structuralissues.

"It doesn't really surprise me that there'd be foundation issues, because many of the early buildings in Winnipegweren't built with foundations," he said. "Back in those days, it was quite common just to start building right on the ground."

Holy Trinity is "not the only designated building out there that is in trouble," he said. "There just isn't enough money for heritage conservation, and that is a brutal reality I'm afraid."

With a declining membership, the significantinvestment needed to make the repairs may not materialize, said Goldsborough.

"I think the congregation is hoping for some kind of miracle ... but I'm not especially hopeful that it will [happen]," he said.

In the event that the church is demolished, the property would be very valuable for redevelopment, given its central location across from the Canada Life Centre and the Millennium Library, he said.

But even if the building does have to be demolished, "thereality is that they don't have to face the utter destruction of everything the church represents," said Goldsborough.

"The bricks and mortar may have to come down, but everything on the walls of the churcheven the things like the windows and the pews and physical contents these things can be salvaged and taken to another location."

The church's features include 26 large stained glass windows and aseries of plaques and monuments on the walls as a tribute to parishioners who died during the First and Second World Wars.

Goldsborough said he would like the City of Winnipeg to put more funds toward preserving designated historic buildings.

Jason Schreyer, the councillor who chairs thecity's historical buildings and resource committee, says its heritagestatus protects itfrom demolition or significantalteration to its character without aheritage permit.

The city has a small fund to providegrants around $15,000 to $20,000 to help conserve heritage buildings, but Schreyer said that wouldn't go far in terms of the repairs Holy Trinity needs.

"Unfortunately in this case, when it comes to this beautiful church, I don't see any special consideration given by the city, which is consistent with how the city has been dealing with its historical buildings since I've been on council for the last decade," Schreyer said.

"There's going to be a lot of consideration taken by the members of the parish and the diocese as decisions are made, and it's not going to be an easy one," he said."It's going to be kind of painful."

Historic church in downtown Winnipeg could face demolition

5 days ago

Duration 2:17

This weekend Winnipeggers walked across the aisles of Holy Trinity Anglican Church for what could be the last time. The structure faces a chance of demolition and needs millions in repairs