Members of the Canadian military have replaced the roof of a century-old former Catholic church on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island.
“Without the help of the Canadian Armed Forces, the church would not be standing here today,” Melanie Sampson of the Stone Church Restoration told CTV Atlantic. “It was in bad need of repair.”
Built in 1916 overlooking Sydney Harbour, the stunning St. Alphonsus Church in Victoria Mines, N.S. was closed by the Diocese of Antigonish in 2007 after it fell into a state of disrepair.
For more than three years, the volunteer-based Stone Church Restoration has been lobbying to save the structure. It has also raised $40,000 in donations to buy the shuttered church from the Diocese of Antigonish -- a sale that is expected to close within a week -- so that it can transform the building into a wedding chapel and tourist attraction. Work, however, still needs to be done on the former church’s electricity, heating and masonry.
“I think it’s wonderful for the community and for Canada,” Sampson said. “We’re losing too many of our historical places which are part of our history, and we have to preserve our history for the future.”
Hundreds of military personnel came to Cape Breton Island to repair the roof. The military completed the work free of charge to help train soldiers and army engineers for working in disaster zones.
With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore
