Explainer confesses the details about the new project.

1. This is the current street-level presence of the church. Its congregation was founded in 1803, and the original church was located on St-James Street in Old Montreal. Construction on its present location was completed in 1889, and it was the largest Methodist cathedral in Canada at the time. These storefronts were added in 1927 in order to sustain the church financially. "It was kind of a blessing and a curse because it kept us going and paid the bills, but it unfortunately hid us from the city of Montreal," says Rev. Arlen Bonner, its current pastor. The church currently has a membership of roughly 350 families, and its Sunday services draw between 160 and 170 people, according to Bonner. The church runs a drop-in centre, soup kitchen, food-basket program, seniors program, and offers its space to groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. "The model of the congregation is that it's a church in the heart of the city, with the city at heart," says Bonner.

2. This is the front of the actual church building, hidden from the street. Bonner says the storefronts were put up with the intention that they would be temporary, and the church has long been looking for a solution to restore its presence on the street. Earlier this month, after roughly two years of negotiations, a nearly $8-million project was announced that will see the façade return to the streets of Montreal. Funding is coming from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Sport and Leisure ($2,596,645), the Ministry of Culture and Communication ($800,000), a private consortium made up of L.M. Sauvé Ltd. and Métivier Grassi Inc. real estate services ($4,000,000), as well as the City of Montreal ($450,000).

3. This is what the church and storefronts will look like once the project is completed. "This project is a modest one that allows us to bring the building back to street while maintaining buildings on each corner, which allows for the income needed for us to continue," says Bonner. Some existing businesses will be moved and the overall square footage of the storefronts will be reduced to create a courtyard-like presence on the street. The church currently acts as landlord to the businesses, but the new project will see L.M. Sauvé Ltd. and Métivier Grassi Inc., two private companies, take over the management of the space. A special fund being created will mature in 60 years to supply the church with $20-million for further renovations, according to Bonner.
 
 

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I stop & stare each time...no matter what!     Like I say in my title...I stop & stare each time I pass by that block, just to see how the progress is coming along. I was amazed the last time i passed by the church on December 28th, 2005. The church is beautiful, inside and out...and I'm comforted to know that we can find a peaceful spot on such a small & busy part of Ste-Catherine. It's about time they tore down those hideous storefronts & ugly "fake entrance" to St-James. The church has been hiding for way too long and people haven't had the opportunity to enjoy such an extravageant building because it's been hidden by commercialism. The only time I've been inside the church is during the MTL Jubilation Gospel Choir concerts each year, in December. Persons like me haven't had a chance to enjoy the exterior because it was never the "highlight" of the building until now. One thing I'd like to point out is: St-James United is the ONLY church in MTL with a rose window. This rose window isn't visible from the interior, unfortunately, but the passersby on the outside don't know that, unless they go inside and see for themselves. The rose window adds a lot of character to the structure and hopefully it will be an enjoyed & loved landmark for decades & decades to come. I stand by the restoration project all the way, regardless of the money issue.
Tony Morelli-Sirois		February 12th, 2006
Finally !!!     I believe this is good for montreal's culture !! So many people do not appreciate the art of gothic churches...they seem to prefer the eclectic look of 'paramount'! I felt very good when I was reading this article. The island of montreal finally decides to invest in culture !! yipiiiii !!
Nathalie Verbruggen		March 3rd, 2004
Will the costs boom ?     As my insurance broker used to have his office in the building on City Councillors, I was lucky enough to have a glimpse of this beautiful church which is almost completely hidden. I also remember that some renovations were made on the Northern-most part of the exterior of the church almost three years ago. These renovations allowed the soot-stained limestone to be set in their original state. I believe that the upcoming refurbishing of the front of the church will allow us to find a quieter space in an area of Sainte-Catherine Street that is not the most appealing. The only doubt that I have is that the financial figures shown seem to be a bit too conservative in regards to what constructions costs are in Montreal.
Sylvain Provost	{2 votes}	March 2nd, 2004
About time...     Like everyone else in Montreal - even though I have lived here all my life- I never really noticed the WHOLE of the church while walking down St-Catherine's Street- just looked like a ghetto church almost from the streets- very Blade Runner-ish. Then one day- I stepped back- looked accross the street- and was AMAZED at what had been hidden all these years- away from prying eyes- in plain VIEW. Hope the article "lifts the veil" - so to speak- for many others.
Rob Postuma	{6 votes}	February 27th, 2004
Street in need of cosmetic surgery     Wow, just look at how beautiful this part of Ste.Catherine could be. Although I agree with Pedro Eggers about the cost of the project, I am also a firm believer in the impact that the space around us has on our lives. Therefore, architecture and design plays an important role in our perceptions of the world, how we interact with it and feel about it. St. James' United Church is breathtaking in it's beauty, but at the moment the average passer-by never gets to profit from it. The church is a part of the city's heritage and something to be proud of, I am really looking forward to the proposed face-lift and am hoping that it's a sign of new architectural/design delights to come.
Ellen Reid	{6 votes}	February 27th, 2004
On a wingnut and a prayer     Like Ms. Fong I too believe that the St-James United Church deserves to be unveiled from the dingy and forgetable shops in front of it. Its a beautiful structure and deserves better than to be hidden away like some ugly step-child but I've got to second Mr. Eggers' here, if this thing even happens it would take a miracle for it to happen on schedule and under costs. Ste-Catherine needs some of it's old lustre restored instead of being mainstreamed into a long boulevard of aluminum and glass. The proposed re-structuring seems great but the cynic in me knows not to trust anything in this city that requires renovating or construction.
Juana Cabezas	{5 votes}	February 27th, 2004
Wanted: Divine intervention for Quebec construction project...(Otherwise known as PROJECT: Not A Chance In Hell)     "This project is a modest one..."-- Rev. Arlen Bonner on the proposed Ste-Catherine facelift. With all due respect Rev. but what the hell do you know about "modest" construction costs? In Quebec? Are you kidding me? Look, I'm all for this retro facelift but you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to believe that this project will ever come under cost or on time. When was the last time any sort of construction happened on time or under budget in Quebec?! It would really be nice to restore some of the classic architecture to the downtown core as opposed to beating it with the ugly stick (...the AMC Forum, anyone?) but I have zero faith that this thing is ever going to happen as the dear Rev. would have us believe. On time and under budget? Start praying for a miracle there Rev., you're gonna need one.
Pedro Eggers	{7 votes}	February 26th, 2004

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