Historic St. Joachim church finds new purpose more than 25 years after closing

Lakeside Market officially opened Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 2722 County Road 42, with vendors setting up weekly outside the historic St. Joachim Church. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

More than 25 years after the historic St. Joachim Catholic Church closed its doors, its property is becoming a regular gathering place once again, this time as the new home of Lakeside Market.

The weekly market officially opened Saturday at 2722 County Road 42, with vendors setting up outside the former church. When weather conditions are unfavourable, organizers will have another option: moving the market into the building’s newly renovated lower level.

For Lakeside Market co-owner Sandra Pearce, the move provides something the market did not previously have.

“It is wonderful to now have a permanent home base,” Pearce said.

“The support from the community has been incredible, and it only makes sense for a farmer’s market to be in a farming community.”

Lakeside Market launched earlier this summer at the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre before relocating to the St. Joachim property.

On nice days, the market will continue operating outdoors, while the restored basement provides shelter when weather becomes an issue.

But the move is about more than finding a new location for vendors.

It also marks another step in a years-long effort to breathe new life into a historic building that sat vacant for more than two decades.

St. Joachim Catholic Church was built in 1881 to serve the area’s French-Canadian Catholic community and predates the formal establishment of the village of St. Joachim.

It closed in 2000 and was later threatened with demolition.

A lengthy community effort followed to preserve the building. Its heritage value eventually received protection, but the vacant structure continued to deteriorate over the years.

Water infiltration, open windows and flooding are some of the problems volunteers inherited.

Larry Mailloux, who is involved in the restoration project, said the building had no hydro or water after it closed and its basement eventually accumulated roughly two feet of water.

“That’s where all the mold came from,” Mailloux said. “We had a mess.”

Mailloux said two engineers were brought in before the restoration moved forward to determine whether the building was structurally sound.

Once that was confirmed, volunteers began the process of cleaning and repairing the property.

Windows were replaced or repaired, work was completed on the exterior and years of water and mold damage had to be addressed.

Mailloux said cleanup began roughly two years ago, with restoration work getting underway about a year and a half ago. He said the work has relied on community support and donated labour.

“Monies kept coming in from the community,” Mailloux said. “All the labour was donated.”

The volunteer-run non-profit 927 St. Joachim L’Association acquired the building in late 2024 and is working to transform it into a multi-use community hub, with plans that include Francophone services, arts and educational programming.

The Municipality of Lakeshore has also described the project as an adaptive reuse of the existing building.

For Pearce, Saturday offered a glimpse of what that renewed community role could look like.

She said residents began reaching out even before the market’s first day at the property.

“I had several calls and emails and text messages from people I didn’t even know from this community saying, ‘Thank you. Thank you for bringing this here,’” Pearce said.

“It feels like home. We’re just so grateful to be here.”

The market features a rotating lineup of vendors along with a core group that participates regularly.

It is scheduled to run Saturdays through Dec. 19, with Pearce saying she would ultimately like to see it continue for more of the year.

“I would love to go year round,” she said.

For a property that spent roughly a quarter-century without a permanent community use, Saturday’s market offered another sign that people are returning.

“I think this is next level for this community,” Pearce said. “They are so excited.”