Valemount Anglican-United Church set to reopen
By Spencer Hall
The Valemount Anglican United Church was recently informed it can reopen to the public after completing repairs to ensure the building is structurally sound.
Minister Kim McNaughton said the church was told by Valemount’s building inspector Dean Schneider the building was not fit to be occupied and would need to undergo an assessment by a structural engineer just as they were about to re-open to the public for in-person services on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were stunned, actually. We really didn’t think it was that serious. We could see the rot on the beams that are exposed outside, and we just had no idea to the extent that [Schneider] was concerned about,” McNaughton told The Goat.
At the time, professionals were unsure if the structure could be repaired. McNaughton said her and her congregation went through a range of emotions from shock, to grief, to hope.
“Because we came through the pandemic, we learned that our community of faith is not about the building. Our ministry is not about the building. We found ways to worship together, supporting each other, serving still without the building. So we understood that we could carry on, but there was so much emotion attached,” she said.
In order to move forward, the church hired Rashmi Narayan to assist with strategic planning and visioning for the future of the building.
“[Narayan] directed us to partners in the community and beyond our own congregation, what do people say about this building and would they use it? Would they support us fixing it? Just collecting all the information we could from other people we could collaborate with,” McNaughton said.
Through those consultations, the church heard that the building was valuable to the community, not just because of resident’s attachment to it, but because it is accessible to those with mobility issues and because it could be used as multipurpose space.
Since before COVID-19, the church has operated a weekly thrift store. McNaughton said the community, including members who were not a part of the church’s congregation, were volunteering at the church’s thrift store. She said the store was a vital resource for Jasper evacuees last summer who required clothing, household items and other supplies.
“I think that the tears and the hugs were the most important exchange that week. I mean, people got socks and underwear and warm things because it went from so hot, the weather was so warm to then it cooled off. People got clothes and household goods. There was no cost. People could just take what they needed. But it was so emotional. There were so many tears and so many hugs that was also encouraging for us,” McNaughton said.
She said this event plus the community’s support and love for the building inspired the church to move forward with the engineer’s assessment, which cost just under $30K.
Engineers ultimately determined the structure could be saved and began working on a fix. McNaughton said in order to pay for the repairs, the church got permission from the United Church to sell a home the United Church of Canada owned and retain the funds from the sale in order to pay for the renovations to the sanctuary, which cost the Valemount church an additional $85K.
Work on the sanctuary was completed by engineer Glen Norlander, Principal Structural Engineer of Norlander Oudah Engineering Ltd. and Tom Jamin of Thomas Jamin Woodworking, based in Valemount.
McNaughton sang the praises of those who worked on the sanctuary repairs, stating that those who worked on the project did so with the utmost care, generosity and integrity.
“We feel really grateful. We feel like the contractor and the engineer were very generous. We thought it was going to be a lot more than that, but it wasn’t. The engineer became the project manager and he was just always checking on the ongoing work because it was so specialized, he felt like it was really important to be really connected. And Tom Jamin with Jamin Woodworking, was our contractor, and he just was amazing,” she said.
The church will open to the public on April 20th for Easter Sunday worship and to celebrate the renovations to the sanctuary. Worship begins at 11 a.m. with a potluck lunch to follow.
McNaughton says this is a fitting time to reopen, given what the church has been through over the years and the spirit of Easter.
“With my faith life, it’s always about resurrection. It’s always about something new being created that we don’t see God’s plan,” she said.
The church’s sanctuary will also be re-dedicated on Easter Sunday, which McNaughton said is similar to a married couple renewing their vows.
“The Rededication on Easter Sunday will be the act of blessing and re-dedicating the space as a way to live out our faith, to affirm our intention to commit this space for love of God and purpose of ministry within and beyond the walls of the building . Re-dedication involves a renewed commitment or purpose, often after a period of change or disengagement,” she said.
The church will welcome special guests Clara Plamondon, Bishop of the Territory of the People Anglican and the Rev. Victoria Andrews, Regional Minister with Pacific Mountain Regional Council of United Church.
