Diocese seeks removal of heritage status for St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Regina

Diocese wants church to be torn down WATCH: The diocese that owns St. Matthew Anglican Church is asking council to remove the heritage destination. Allison Bamford explains.

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church could become a community hub in the Heritage neighbourhood. However, its heritage designation status is standing in the way of any future development plans.

The Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle owns the nearly century-old building located on the corner of Winnipeg Street and 14th Avenue. Over the years, the foundation has shifted, causing the building to become unstable and unsafe to use, according to the diocese.

“The church is no longer used as a church. The congregation moved out two years ago and blended with another congregation,” Rev. Mike Sinclair told the city’s planning committee on Tuesday.

“We’re not in a position to use this heritage property in the way it was designated.”

The diocese is asking city council to remove the heritage designation status, which would allow them to demolish the church and rebuild.

The church, a piece of “gothic revival” architecture, was constructed in 1926. It was built on the original dairy farmlands donated by early Regina settler, George Broder.

The land it sits on, as well as the red brick façade, stone accents and stained glass windows, makes it a significant part of the city’s heritage.

“The church is a local landmark and a contributor to the historical character of the community and the heritage designation applies specifically to the exterior of the original building,” according to city administration.

City administration recommends removing the heritage designation status so “the property can be revitalized through redevelopment and investment that is not possible if the property remains designated.”

In recent years, the diocese has attempted to repair the building. It received $57,000 from the city through heritage grants for rehabilitation work between 2017 and 2019.

According to a structural engineering assessment report from 2018, it would cost $3 million to repair and replace the foundation. Another report from the diocese shows there is $5 million to $10 million in deferred maintenance. The diocese said it is not financially viable to repair.

The diocese has partnered with a Montreal-based group to help with community consultations and property assessments.

It has come up with two different options that would incorporate the church’s old structure into a new build “that included a community space as well as mixed use rental housing.”

“That document represents a vision that’s basically in its infancy,” Sinclair said. “That is definitely our hope to be able to revamp the property in one of those two ways or something we haven’t imagined yet.”

The Al Ritchie Community Association does not object to the removal of the heritage designation. However, the group wants to see materials salvaged and used in future developments that support the community.

Denis Simard, the association’s executive director, said the church served as a safe space for everyone to gather.

“There’s a lot of memories attached to this building,” Simard said. “In our hopes for whatever is going to be built, there will be a respect for what that meant. It would still be a gathering place. It would still provide a space for the community to do things together and maybe hopefully tie into the look of that old architecture.”

Heritage Regina developed a salvage protocol for the city in situations like this.

If council approves the removal of the heritage designation, the diocese would enter into a “covenant agreement” that would help preserve historical pieces of the building before it’s torn down.

“In some cases when a building is too far gone and we know we can’t save it, we go in and we photograph the building interiors and exteriors and that way we know what was there so that we can be able to tell the story once the building’s gone,” said Heritage Regina president Jackie Schmidt.

“This is going to be something that we see going forward into the future as more churches come to the same point.”

While Schmidt said it will be sad to see the church go, she believes the diocese’s revitalization plan is making the best out of a bad situation.

City council is expected to discuss and vote on the heritage designation removal at its next meeting on Feb. 22.