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The Diocese of the Arctic has launched an appeal for financial support in re-building St Jude’s Cathedral, Iqaluit, that was destroyed by arson last November.
The former igloo-shaped church was a landmark of great historic and architectural significance and it was originally hoped that the structure could be salvaged. That proved impossible, unfortunately. The old cathedral was deconsecrated on Palm Sunday and demolished on 1 June.
Sadly, many irreplaceable works of art were lost or damaged beyond repair in the fire.
Photos of the cathedral before and after the fire are posted here. Photos taken during the demolition are posted at the bottom of the page.
Even before its destruction, plans for a major expansion of the igloo cathedral were on the drawing board because the congregation had outgrown the available space. Now, however, a more modest facility with the needed space is being planned. Insurance will provide about $1 million toward construction of a new building, but another $3 million is needed to build an appropriate replacement.
The Diocese has posted its appeal flyer here.
St. Jude's Cathedral has become a vital part of the landscape of Iqaluit, not solely for Anglicans, but for residents of all denominations. Prior to the fire, the Cathedral had already been struggling to keep pace with growing ministries and community needs. . . . [P]lans for expansion of the Cathedral were being developed because the Iqaluit population of 6,000 is expected to double in the next 10 to 20 years. Already the Fire Marshall had set a capacity limit of 250 people on the igloo church when it was attracting 400 parishioners and community members to services on a regular basis.
Bathrooms, water and sewage - there were no such amenities built in 1970 - were slated to be added and the building had to be brought up to the current building code, including handicapped access and facilities.
Building costs in Iqaluit are about double those in southern cities. It is estimated the cost per square foot is about $485, compared to $255 in Vancouver, $235 in Ottawa, and $225 in Halifax.
A special collection for St Jude’s will be taken tomorrow morning at Anglican churches in the northern territories. Contributions can also be sent to:
The Diocese of the Arctic
St Jude’s Cathedral Restoration Fund
P.O. Box 190
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 2N2
Canada
If construction is to begin this season, funds are needed ASAP. All building materials must be shipped in from the south and that can happen only between ice break-up in July and winter freeze in October.
The four-page flyer is very attractive and informative. Unfortunately, it has been posted as a series of four graphic images. Because it hasn’t been re-formatted as a proper web page, reading it online can be challenging. Nevertheless, it is well worth reading.
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