Former Sandy Hill church transformed into community hub
Ongoing restoration costs for the building could be anywhere from $2.5 to $4 million
A historic church in Sandy Hill that has been the site of both a royal wedding and a former prime minister's funeral has been transformed into a community hub.
The former All Saints Anglican Church has stood on Chapel Street since 1900, but the diocese put it up for sale in 2014.
Sandy Hill residents concerned about the fate of the heritage building formed a group called "Save our Saints" and bought the church last December.
Leanne Moussa, who led the project, said the "lower chapel" is the part that has changed the most in the year since the sale, as drywall was removed to expose the stone underneath.
"You might call it the basement, but when you see it you'll understand it could never be referred to as a basement," Moussa said Thursday on CBC's Ottawa Morning. "I look around and I think, 'Wow. How did they build this?'"
The so-called "stone room" is now being booked for weddings, receptions and musical performances, she said.
"It's a pretty exciting space. It feels a bit industrial down here. There's a bit of a cool, hip vibe," Moussa said
Major renos still required
The Guild Room — those words are literally written on the door — is now a café, while a weekly cardio-dance class is held in yet another room. The new community space sometimes hosts free concerts, including a recent show by a Mexican singer and a 14-piece Guatemalan Marimba band.
The former main sanctuary is referred to as Borden Hall, so-named because of the stained-glass window in memory of former prime minister Robert Borden, whose state funeral was held at the church in 1937.
The pews have been removed and the plaster has been repaired.
The church is also the site of the 1924 wedding between Lois Booth, granddaughter of lumber baron J.R. Booth, and Danish prince Erik von Rosenberg.
Moussa said restoration costs for the building could be anywhere from $2.5 million to $4 million, including major renovations to the Blackburn Avenue side of the building.
"That's really significant and that's most of the reason we were concerned about demolition by neglect," she said. "We recognize that the right thing to do is redevelop the Blackburn side of the property."
Moussa said plans to turn parts of the church into commercial and residential spaces are still be worked out, and will require a rezoning proposal.
"That's probably the most significant work that we've done over the course of the last year, which is really bring people together on a shared vision for this property, which is not an easy feat but we think a very doable one," she said.
"It's pretty moving to see this space transformed."
