Peck Building in 2004Watch out, Winnipegers.  The Church of Scientology has announced plans to spend $10 million to convert the historic Peck Building (at right), a landmark in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, into a church and “community outreach centre”.

Rev. Yvette Shank, president of the church's Canadian office in Toronto, said the church plans to undertake a major refurbishing of the 115-year-old Peck Building, which it quietly acquired last March for a previously unheard of price for the Exchange of $2.2 million.

"We love it," Shank said of the six-storey, brick-and-stone building at the northeast corner of Princess Street and Notre Dame Avenue. "When we're finished with it, it will be a beautiful building."

Shank said the church expects to spend between $7.5 million and $10 million to refurbish the 50,000-square-foot-plus building. It hopes to complete planning by the end of this year "and that will dictate our schedule" for renovations.

A word to the wise for readers from Winnipeg: Be wary of anyone who believes the nonsense taught by that lunatic sect.

In related news, despite Google’s efforts to stop google-bombing, the official Scientology site appears first on a search for “dangerous cult”.

Dangerous Cult, according to Google

Source of Peck Building photo: Virtual Heritage Winnipeg

h/t: Religion News Blog, which keeps an archive of recent Scientology news stories here

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