The landscaping at the historic Anglican church will be finished in time for the centennial.
The old building had fallen into decades worth of disrepair, and has been undergoing a major renovation throughout the winter and spring. The outdoor features, however, were not part of the renovation budget. Village of Burns Lake staff asked council if something should be done to complete the exterior work before the town’s centennial celebrations later this summer.
Now that the building is a jewel in the local events crown, a venue for public use of all sorts, the centennial committee had hopes for holding a strawberry tea, there, as part of the 100th birthday festivities.
Dale Ross, director of public works, calculated that the landscaping work would cost about $60,500, attributed to placing cement retaining wall blocks, a cedar fence, turf, paving stones, establishing parking lot drainage, removing excess material, and labour.
Ross asked mayor and council what direction should be taken.
Councillor Charlie Rensby asked “will everything be done in time for centennial” if the money was allocated.
“One hundred per cent,” replied Ross.
Councillor Kevin White asked about placement of the lock blocks and other permanent outdoor features.
White, a member of the centennial committee and a longtime advocate of the church’s restoration, then said “I’d like to personally say thank you. You’ve done a lot of work in there, and the staff has, too. It’s a place that’s near and dear to our hearts and you’ve done a great job.”
Rensby agreed, calling it “damn good work” to blend all the new renovation features together with the old look and feel of the historic parts of the building. Even the basement offices, which will be ready for use by The Link as of July 1 on a rental basis, were pleasing spaces, he said. “I’m very happy this will be ready for centennial.”
The $60,500 was approved unanimously.
The historic building located at 125 First Avenue was formerly the town’s Anglican church, opening on Aug. 25, 1929, thanks to the construction lobbying efforts of Reverend J.H. Kerr and local community activist Baynard B. Keddy.
It barely missed being one of the structural victims of the big Burns Lake fire of 1931, only to be threatened again by time itself. The municipality bought the property after its 60th birthday, used it decreasingly for public functions, until it went dormant in 2012 – but not forgotten. A fundraising campaign obtained $735,000 for renovations, with contributions from Heritage BC, Nechako Kitimaat Development Fund, Northern Development Initiative Trust, TC Energy, and the Village of Burns Lake.
Today, it is Burns Lake’s third-oldest building, after Barney Mulvaney’s “Bucket of Blood” cabin on display at the town’s museum, and the Lakes District News newspaper office. It is the only one of the three in which the public can hold functions.