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Stephen Borys, president and CEO of Civic Muse Inc. and building project manager of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, looking through the first volumn of the Building Assessment and Heritage Condition Report. (Brook Jones \/ Free Press)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Officials held a news conference at the church, located between Donald and Smith streets at Graham Avenue, to share the findings of the project\u2019s first phase, an extensive assessment that identified precise repairs and a cost estimate to preserve the building, and to launch the second phase, which they said is a comprehensive engagement and consultation process to determine the future of the property and how it and the congregation serve the community.<\/p>\n
The project began after concerns that, without intervention, Holy Trinity could collapse or require demolition.<\/p>\n
Borys, president and CEO of Civic Muse Inc., a Winnipeg-based an arts and cultural consulting firm, said about $7.7 million is needed to stabilize the church\u2019s foundation, complete other improvements and cover certain costs or fees.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t From left: Stephen Borys, Rochelle Squires and Mayor Scott Gillingham (Brook Jones \/ Free Press)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Past studies suggested it would cost about $7 million to stabilize and restore the building.<\/p>\n Sections of the existing stone foundation need to be underpinned. New structural supports are also needed. Other tasks include roof repairs and mechanical and electrical system upgrades.<\/p>\n The big question is who will pay for the work.<\/p>\n \u201cThe honest answer is we\u2019re not sure at this stage, but we have the information we need to begin those discussions,\u201d said Borys, who cautioned the $7.7 million estimate is not a final project budget.<\/p>\n Depending on future plans and partners, funding could be sought from governments and private-sector foundations, he said.<\/p>\n The building assessment, led by Monteyne Architecture, determined the church\u2019s shallow stone foundation, which is a walkable crawlspace, and the deeper foundation of a parish hall built in the 1960s settled differently, resulting in cracks, uneven floors and \u201clocalized structural movement.\u201d<\/p>\n Borys said repair work will be complex because the church is a national historic site and a municipal landmark heritage structure. Holy Trinity opened in 1884. The church building is an example of Victorian-era Gothic revival architecture.<\/p>\n Borys said work to address \u201ccritical\u201d foundation issues could begin by the end of 2029. A report is expected next spring with preliminary designs and the results of the engagement and consultation process, which will include governments, Indigenous leaders, Holy Trinity\u2019s congregation, residents, potential developers and businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cThroughout this process, we will be asking questions like this: how can Holy Trinity continue to strengthen its role as a place of worship and spiritual life?\u201d he said. \u201cHow might it further contribute to the downtown as a centre for music, culture, education, reconciliation and gathering?\u201d<\/p>\n The phase will explore how to preserve the church building so it remains active, accessible, relevant, meaningful and financially sustainable, he said.<\/p>\n By next spring, officials will be ready to sit down with potential partners, developers, investors or others to talk about what could happen on the property. Future decisions will rest with the parish and diocesan governing bodies.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The Rev. Canon Donna Joy, Interim incumbent at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (Brook Jones \/ Free Press)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Holy Trinity incumbent Rev. Donna Joy invited all Winnipeggers to take part in consultations.<\/p>\n \u201cThis project is about preserving a historic building, but it is equally about strengthening Holy Trinity\u2019s place in the life of our city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to listen, to learn and work together to imagine how this remarkable place can continue to serve Winnipeg in new and meaningful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Borys suggested the parking lot could become a high-rise for apartments or offices, a parkade or a science centre.<\/p>\n \u201cThe building will stay. It will be preserved. The diocese has made it clear that there always must be a place and accommodation for worship here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A 12-storey, 110-unit housing project was built next to All Saints Church in West Broadway in a joint venture between the church and University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corp. 2.0 to generate revenue. Borys said Holy Trinity is in talks with the latter as a potential partner.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Left: 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Rupert\u2019s Land Naboth Manzongo with Mayor Scott Gillingham.(Brook Jones \/ Free Press)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mayor Scott Gillingham, who attended the event, said it\u2019s too early to say if the city will contribute to the cost of building upgrades. He noted CentreVenture Development Corp., an arm\u2019s-length, city-funded agency, contributed to the project\u2019s initial phases.<\/p>\n After jointly funding the building study, CentreVenture is teaming with the Anglican Foundation of Canada, the Winnipeg Foundation, the Diocese of Rupert\u2019s Land and Holy Trinity\u2019s parish to cover the second phase\u2019s $90,000 cost.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only does this church have an important historic past, I believe this building has an important future for the centre of Winnipeg,\u201d Gillingham said. \u201cI look forward to what the outcome is of the conversations with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Gillingham, a former Pentecostal pastor, delivered a sermon at Holy Trinity as part of a minister exchange program prior to being elected to city council in 2014.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CentreVenture Development Corporation President & CEO Rochelle Squires (Brook Jones \/ Free Press)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Rochelle Squires, president and CEO of CentreVenture, said the heritage building has an important role to play in the future of downtown Winnipeg.<\/p>\n \u201cDowntown Winnipeg continues to evolve and we know that successful downtowns are built on a mix of uses and experiences,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey need places to live and work, but they also need places that bring people together. Places of culture, community, hospitality and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \n \t\t\t\t\t\tThe Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba through our Religion in the News project. This reporting continues because readers like you step forward to fund it.<\/p>\n Donate now to support our reporting on religion. \t\t\t\t Chris Kitching Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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