Anonymous donor offers $10M to save N.S. church facing demolition. But there's a condition

A group rallying to save Église Sainte-Marie in Church Point, N.S., says its prayers may have been answered.

Pierre Comeau, the president of Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de La Pointe, says an anonymous donor is offering to cover $10 million worth of repairs and ongoing maintenance for the iconic structure.

But there is a condition. It must be an active church, something it hasn't been since 2019.

"It's a fabulous offer, and the group that we're with, we're tickled pink," said Comeau.

He said he cannot share any information about the donor other than the cause is very important to the person.

The society has been trying to raise the funds needed to fix the building for the last nine years, asking the community and all three levels of government to save the structure.  

"What we were trying to do was slightly different than what has happened," said Comeau. 

"What we were trying to do was to save it as a structure and a monument to our ancestors whose ingenuity and perseverance have built this magnificent structure. But it would not have been a church."

But they couldn't raise enough money. It was determined a few months ago that the building had to be sold or demolished.

The church was built in the early 1900s and now has significant water damage.

Public meeting

Comeau said the society will have a public meeting next weekend at the Saint-Alphonse Church to discuss the future of Église Sainte-Marie.

Comeau said if the building becomes an active church again there would be a surplus of churches in the area. 

"Some others may no longer be kept as active churches," he said, adding there are details to be worked out later.

Comeau said he and the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth are in the process of finalizing an agreement with the potential donor. He hopes restoration work could begin this summer. 

For now, the group needs to determine the cost of repairs and speak to parishioners, he said.