Iqaluit’s igloo church to re-open Sunday

It's already one of Iqaluit's most recognizable landmarks — and it hasn't even opened yet.

This weekend, the new St Jude's Cathedral will open its doors to the public for the first time. The opening marks a re-birth for the famous igloo-shaped Church of the Arctic.

The original Anglican church was destroyed by a fire in November 2005. For a time, it was thought the building might be salvageable, but that turned out to be wishful thinking.

"On Dec. 24 at noon hour I got a call from the insurance company that said, the church has to come down, you have to rebuild. So that was, in a sense, a mixed blessing because now we knew the direction we had to go. The church was lost, yes, but now we could start moving forward," said Rev. Ron McLean, a former rector at the church.

Fundraising started almost immediately for a new cathedral from around the country, and construction began soon afterwards.

Cathedral still $3M short

Now, the cathedral is built, but the bills are still coming in. The diocese needs another $3 million, so church officials say the fundraising continues.

"Yesterday during our vestry meeting we were informed that the community of Hall Beach, which is a small community, contributed $35,000 to the cause of building the cathedral. So to see that kind of support encourages us to work harder to raise that amount we need to pay the bills," said Joe Kunuk, who is on the St Jude's vestry committee.

Inside the new cathedral, most of the big jobs are done. Some pews still need to be nailed down and there's some tidying and decorating to do. But by Sunday, all will be ready to open the doors and invite the faithful in.

"I knew it would be emotional, I didn't know it would be quite this emotional," said McLean. "And each time I've been able to go into the church, it's just beautiful and it's exciting … it's the beginning of a new beginning again." 

Sunday's consecration service begins at 10 a.m. ET. Those who want a seat in the new cathedral should arrive early.