After hearing the St. James Anglican Church is for sale, the Bonnyville and District Museum is looking for support to turn the church into a historical site.
“We are just a historical society and our mandate is preservation and promotion of historical stuff,” said Germaine Prybysh, museum staff and former president. “But there's no way we could afford to buy it or even move it without somebody being generous to donate the money towards it. … We can't purchase it, we have no money.”
According to the Heritage Collaborative Inc. published in 2008, the church was founded by Reverend John E. Duclos in 1916. The Presbyterian congregation, made up of 90 members, constructed the church in 1917, which was at that time located on the edge of town.
It was consecrated and christened L'eglise St. Jean in 1920 and in 1925 the church became part of the “newly formed United Church of Canada.”
Up until 1928, the church was predominantly French. However, “with the influx of English speaking settlers in 1928, the church became officially bilingual for the next ten years,” according to the document.
The church was moved to its present site, at 5111-52 Ave., in 1948 and was renamed St. John's United Church. In 1971, the church added a Christian Education Wing.
It wasn't until 1986 when the Anglican Church bought the building and the church became St. James the Apostle Anglican Church.
The document notes the church is most known for its “Gothic Revival design features,” which includes “the tall entrance tower with hexagonal spire and Greek crosses,” among other notable artistic and unique designs.
“We're interested in preserving it and we'd rather it be preserved where it is,” said Prybysh. “It's a matter of funding. If somebody wants to fund the move then I'm sure that the historical society would probably welcome it on its grounds.”
Prybysh said if the museum was to apply for historical resource grants, they do not allow for moving or relocating of buildings.
“We're simply expressing a concern right now,” said Prybysh, noting that a letter of concern was sent to Bonnyville Town council and the St. James Anglican Church on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
“There was an inventory of all the suggested historical places in town and in the MD and there was a document out and the Town of Bonnyville did receive three copies of that,” she said. Her hope is that council will “seriously consider some alternatives” for the church.
Prybysh said in the past the museum took an interest in finding ways to recognise and highlight historical buildings in Bonnyville. She suggested placing a plaque or write up at each location stating the importance and history of each of them would be ideal.
“Having the Town agree that yes, these are historical buildings and if people want to buy them they can but there are certain criteria before they change the look of it,” she said.
The Bonnyville and District Museum currently has the original Ardmore United Church on their museum grounds. This church, she said, was built after the St. James Anglican Church and has been on the museum grounds for about 16 years.
