Exceeded the expectations we set for ourselves: Historic Église Sainte-Marie saved from wrecking ball

Article content• ‘Operation Pigeon,’ a volunteer-driven clean-up that transformed the church steeple from a biohazard site into a safe workspace for engineers, architects, and digital scanning teams.Article content• A forthcoming provincial petition, with nearly 800 Nova Scotian signatures to date, demonstrating overwhelming public support for preserving Sainte-Marie.Article content The former Eglise Sainte-Marie church in Church Point, Digby County, is known as the tallest wooden church in North America. TINA COMEAU Photo by Tina Comeau /.Article contentTRANSFER OF OWNERSHIPArticle content“The Board of Governors selected this project as a model of community-led heritage conservation that demonstrates how local leadership can protect cultural identities and reinvent the future of heritage sites,” said Margo Sheppard, National Trust vice-chair, when presenting the award.Article contentWhile the ASMHD doesn’t yet have ownership of Sainte-Marie, the association is in negotiations with the Archdiocese about the transfer of ownership, said Bardall.Article content“The province denied their request to demolish and the Archdiocese has informed us they are not going to appeal that decision and are willing to work with us on transfer of ownership,” said Bardall.Article contentArticle content“Where we’re at right now is a very constructive and positive conversation with them. We all share the desire to see Sainte-Marie saved and continue to serve the community, albeit in a new form, purpose,” Bardall said.Article content Église Ste.-Marie in Church Point. This photo was taken prior to 1975. – Contributed Photo by Contributed /ContributedArticle contentBuilt in 1905, Église Sainte-Marie is one of the largest and tallest wooden buildings in North America.Article contentThe church was officially deconsecrated on Nov. 24, 2023.Article contentFor years, another local grassroots group worked hard to secure a future for the structure, but the group was unsuccessful in its efforts to find someone to take on the structure, and could not raise the millions of dollars needed to repair and refurbish the structure.Article content The exterior grandeur of the former Eglise Sainte-Marie in Church Point, Digby County, has been lost over time. TINA COMEAU Photo by Tina Comeau /.Article contentThe Association Sainte-Marie Héritage et Développement, meanwhile, is now actively fundraising to repair a leak in the roof that must be fixed immediately to prevent irreparable damage. A GoFundMe campaign with a $50,000 goal was launched. The GoFundMe campaign is called: Sainte-Marie héritage et développement – Fix the Leak.Article contentArticle contentBardall said the association is working towards getting its charity status so it can issue tax receipts for donations and has plans to apply for some grants.Article content“We have quite a few people wanting to make donations. They’re just waiting for the charitable status question to be solved,” she said.Article content Inside Eglise Ste-Marie in Church Point, Digby County.Article contentBardall said in the last 10 months, the association has accomplished several extraordinary things, including international recognition, digital preservation, and ‘Operation Pigeon.’Article content“We managed to assemble an incredible array of very high-profile engineers, experts and other technicians needed to get the work done. We’ve cleared the cobwebs out of decades of rumors about the building,” said Bardall.Article content“When we started, I think there was a real sense of loss (in the community). Our work has enabled energy to come back, hope and engagement,” Bardall said. “We’ve already persevered in more ways than we ever dreamed in the last year. We exceeded the expectations we set for ourselves a year ago and have a huge amount of momentum to go forward.”