Landmark Acadian church in Nova Scotia faces destruction as rescue efforts fail

Barring a miracle, a 120-year-old landmark wooden church in Digby County is facing imminent destruction.

Église Sainte-Marie in Clare was constructed between 1903 and 1905 by Acadian volunteers. The church was recognized as a provincial heritage property in 2001 and listed on the Canadian register in 2006.

But time and the weather took a toll on the building. Repair costs in the millions grew out of reach for a dwindling congregation to handle. 

The last Mass at the church, which is now deconsecrated, was held in 2019.

Members of the community formed the Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de La Pointe in an effort to find a buyer. An anonymous donor offered $10 million to save the church earlier this year, but subsequently withdrew.

In October, David O'Carroll, the chief buildings officer for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, decided there was no other option but to demolish the structure.

The archdiocese says it has submitted an application to remove the building's heritage status. It has also issued a tender for the demolition work.

Pierre Comeau, the former president of the now-disbanded society, said the building has further deteriorated during the years of trying to save it.

He said it will be a sad day for the community if the church has to come down.

"We consider it as a monument to the faith and the perseverance of our ancestors of over 100 years ago," Comeau said. "I can safely say it is the most beautiful and ornate church in the entire Clare area."

But Emma Lang, executive director of Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, hasn't given up hope that the church can be saved. Lang said she hasn't seen any engineering study of the condition of the building or even if one was conducted.

"For a provincially registered structure to be demolished, there is a process that's needed to be gone through to get permission through the [Advisory Council on Heritage Property] and the minister," Lang said. "As far as I'm aware that process hasn't started."

If that fails, Lang said, the preferred approach would be deconstruction rather than demolition.

She said deconstruction allows the materials in the building to be reused instead of ending up in a landfill. It also provides the opportunity to document how the structure was built.

The loss of the building would be devastating for the community and the descendants of the people who built it, she said.

She said the church was a vital part of the lives of those descendants who worshipped there and celebrated significant milestones like baptisms and marriages.