Jan. 8, 2025
Yes, there is progress! And it is visible! New images have been added to our portfolio.
The Large Hall
The Large Hall was scheduled to re-open on Dec. 24th. This happened!
A flurry of construction which began on Nov. 25th brought us:
A well-insulated, temporary, exterior vestibule
The installation of a washroom trailer complete with plumbing
A new fire exit door on the NW wall of the hall
We held a lovely Pageant there on Christmas Eve and the United Church was able to use it for their Christmas Eve service.
The Steinway piano, which survived the fire, has been tuned and was found to be very playable for both services.
And the Aristo-Fit II Exercise classes recommenced in the Large Hall on January 3rd.
The Church Roof
The church now has temporary roofing in place and the foundations are heat protected. The intention was to have church roof closed in by Christmas construction shutdown on Dec. 20th. The schedule was tight but doable and all involved parties were committed to meeting deadline.
Roof timber deliveries started Nov. 29th
Nave trusses were placed Dec. 2nd and 3rd
Due to supply chain issues, the balance of the timbers was not delivered until December 16th. Additional delays left too little time to permanently close the envelope by Dec. 20th.
Work to permanently close church roof envelope will recommence on January 13th.
Next Steps
As work has been undertaken on the buildings, a core team has been exploring how best to engage the wider community. This is about more than restoring a building and replacing a hall--it's about reimagining how the whole property could be a Center for creativity, collaboration, and connection across Hudson and the surrounding area. What we do with St James can also provide inspiration for Saint Mary's.
We are incredibly lucky to be working with Gervase Bushe and Debbie Morris, who are both experienced and respected leaders in this area. With their guidance, members of our community are preparing to conduct one-on-one interviews throughout Hudson and our wider community in mid-January and early February.
If you would like to share your thoughts in an interview please complete our short Questionnaire.