THUNDER BAY — The chair of the Thunder Bay Heritage Advisory Committee feels it's unfortunate that the parsonage at the former St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church has to be torn down.
But Andrew Cotter said the committee won't stand in the way of an application to the city to demolish the 82-year-old building at 226 Pearl Street.
The committee has determined that its design, historical and contextual value is "low to intermediate," and therefore it doesn't warrant designation under the authority of the Ontario Heritage Act.
"We went to evaluate the building for its heritage potential ... but it's not enough to save it from demolition," Cotter said. "It's far beyond repair. It's prohibitive to repair."
"It's a shame we are losing another heritage building. That building does mean something to the community. In that particular area it's the last residential building located on that street."
The church property was added to the City of Thunder Bay Heritage Register in 2014, after the submission of a report that referred to the historical and structural significance of the church but made no reference to the manse.
A spokesperson for Gathering Table — the new name that was adopted when the congregations of St. John's and St. Luke's Anglican churches merged in 2018 — told TBnewswatch the rectory hasn't been used for a decade or more.
David Reid, a warden for Gathering Table, described the structural condition as "pretty rough."
Over the years, he said, the plaster has deteriorated and there's been considerable water damage, to the point where the manse ultimately became unusable for any purpose.
"It started to have big plaster pieces fall off the walls ... and we were getting continuous sewer backup into the basement," Reid said.
He explained that the removal of trees for the construction of the nearby Keskus Mall in the 1970s affected drainage in the area, resulting in flooding issues on an almost annual basis.
Exterior components such as the soffit and fascia have also rotted.
Church officials hope removing the rectory will eliminate a worrisome issue related to drug use.
"We used to have a nice garden back there. But it's been kind of trampled down because of traffic there," Reid said. "There's a lot of drug use, and we're always picking up needles."
He said church members became concerned that, because the parsonage blocks the view of rear of the property, someone could suffer an overdose and not receive help in time.
The church itself remains open and active, with regular Sunday services.
St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church was considered the "mother church" of the Thunder Bay Deanery, as it was established in 1872 as the first Anglican church in the area.
The original church and rectory were destroyed by fire in 1881, and were rebuilt by 1884.
The current parsonage was constructed in 1941, but after a new one was purchased on Blanchard Street in 1967, it was remodeled to provide office and education space.
It will likely be torn down this summer.
Reid said the church hopes Habitat For Humanity will be able to salvage items such as doors, baseboards and hardware.
