105-year-old N.B. church could see new life as apartments
For more than a century, the silver steeples of the Saint-François-Xavier Church have stood over Chaleur Bay in northern New Brunswick, but the landmark building has been closed for a year, bricks are degrading from the salty wind off the ocean, and the roof is leaking.
Now, Ronald Poirier hopes a transformation of the Charlo church into much-needed housing will help avert a possible demolition.
The church was built in 1918, to replace a previous wooden structure that burned.
"Local people built it," he said. "Local people maintained it. It would be a shame to see this beautiful structure get demolished or used for a purpose that doesn't continue with the local heritage."
WATCH | 'It would be a shame to see this beautiful structure get demolished'
The semi-retired architect drafted plans to convert the church into three floors of apartments, for a total of 18 units, with a glass-walled restaurant overlooking the bay. The top floor would have space for a community hall and a chapel, and plans show the basement as a fitness centre.
Fewer parishioners, higher heating costs
When the Saint-François-Xavier Church held its last Catholic mass in December 2022, the number of parishioners had dwindled to a few dozen, and heating costs were as much as $3,000 a month.
Father Michel Proloux, the bishop of Bathurst, recently confirmed the decision not to reopen the doors.
"The volunteers in this community are exhausted," he told Radio-Canada."These are people who are old."
When the brick church closed more than a year ago, attendance had dwindled to a few dozen people. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)
Proulx said renovations to the roof would have cost thousands of dollars and the high heating costs were a burden. Parishioners recently voted to officially close the church.
The next step is the deconsecration, which will allow the diocese to decide what it would like to do with the building.
'It's a part of the local heritage'
Poirier is pursuing a feasibility study and looking for investors interested in taking on the conversion into apartments. He estimated the housing units would cost about $3.5 million to build, plus additional expenses for the public spaces.
"There's a real need in the area for apartments for seniors, for older people," he said.
Denis McIntyre, deputy mayor for the newly formed municipality of Heron Bay, which includes the community of Charlo. said many people no longer attended the church. They were still sad, however, to see it close shortly after celebrating the 100th anniversary, he said.
The Charlo church has 65-foot ceilings and large-scale masonry work. While the foundation and structure is in good condition, the roof is leaking. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
McIntyre said there's local support for transforming the building into apartments, an idea he compares to how the community turned its former credit union into a health centre.
"This project would bring a lot more housing in the region and it's a beautiful place," he said.
While the building is showing signs of its age, including water damage, Poirier said most of the structure is sound.
The decision was recently made to officially close the church about 77 kilometres northeast of Bathurst. The next step is the deconsecration, which will allow the Bathurst Diocese to put it up for sale or find a new use. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
The foundation and structure are in good condition, but the church is in need of a new roof to stop persistent leaks.
Poirier said he admires the "sheer mass" of the building, from the towering 65-foot ceilings and the large-scale masonry work.
"I would like to see this building saved," he said. "I'd hate to see a nice structure like this disappear. It's part of the local heritage."
