INNISFAIL – There will be a new church for Innisfail’s Catholic community.
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Parish church, built in 1962, was torn down on Friday (Sept. 27), several months after a fire on the church roof last December.
“Our first plan was to change the roof design. We planned a different roof style and we planned to keep the foyer, the hall and a couple of walls,” said Father Liju Jose, parish priest. “Now it is more economical to rebuild the whole church.”
A new church will be built in the same location with the same name, noted Jose, with the exception of the church hall, which was added on and built in the late 1980s and was saved from demolition.
“We still believe that it (the new church building) can be done in $600,000,” said Jose, noting the original budget for the project.
A local contractor was hired to do the work this fall.
“Part of that (work) is the demolition of the existing structure and then rebuilding it in a more conventional way,” said Bert Eggink, president of Pearl Rose Construction Ltd.
“You cannot replace this roof. They don’t make them like this anymore. This is a hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure,” he added, noting with the church demolition, there is now just one of these types of roofs remaining in Alberta.
Several large pieces of equipment, including a crane and excavator, were brought in for the demolition on Sept. 27, said Eggink, adding the preparation and demolition of the church took several hours.
“That side (with the church hall) is all going to stay and we’re going to rebuild and tie into that hall again,” explained Eggink. “Then we have to enhance the foundation and basically build a new structure,” he added, noting the new Catholic church is expected to be complete early next year.
Several passersby, drivers and other nearby citizens stopped to watch the demolition in progress on Friday.
One of them was longtime Innisfail resident Phoebe Long.
“We moved here in 1964. It’s kind of sad for me (to see the church demolished) because there’s no building that I know of around here that looks like that,” said Long.
Mass will continue to be held in the gymnasium at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School in Innisfail until the new church is built.
Jose said there are mixed emotions about the demolition but he and the church congregation are looking forward to their brand new church.
“We (have been) waiting for the last seven months, so it’s a long wait,” he said. “It’s exciting but it’s sad.
“For many people it is hard to see this church is no more,” said Jose. “People are asking when they can return and come back to the church.”
