Parishioners hope for salvation for historic church in downtown Winnipeg facing demolition

Winnipeggers walked across the aisles of Holy Trinity Anglican Church for what could be the last time, as the structure which has been a landmark of the city's downtown core for more than a hundred years faces the prospect of demolition.

Church administration says there's significant damage in the foundations of the building, which was erected around 1883. The church, designated as a national historic site in 1990, boasts unique Victorian-era Gothic architecture and intricate stained glass windows.

Now, cracks can be seen on the walls around the altar, and elsewhere in the building. The church's vestry committee says it would need $7 million to make the necessary repairs — money the congregation doesn't have.

"It just doesn't seem that there's a lot of church-going people really in the city so much anymore," said Rich Arthurson, one of its members. "There's a lot of different churches and options. So unfortunately, yeah, we're not really seeing those numbers that we want."

The local bishop has OK'd the sale of the building after a request submitted by the vestry earlier this year, but Arthurson says no one knows how that will pan out.

Meanwhile, he's still hoping people will help save the building, which he said was originally meant to be temporary, but has so far managed to withstand the test of time.

"It's 140-plus years later and we're still here," he said. "We're hoping that maybe some of the partners in the downtown area … in the private sector would be able to help us [save it]."

"This story could help bring forward people who may have been married here, who had … funeral services here, or some kind of history," he added.

On Saturday, the church was one of the historical buildings offering tours to hundreds of Winnipeggers for the city's annual Doors Open event.

Dolores Seller was one of the people who dropped by. She was hoping to find a stained glass window honouring her brother, Randolph de Paiva, who died in 1987 and used to play the organ there.

Seller said it's been at least a couple of years since she's stepped inside the church.

"It's very old–fashioned, but it's nice.… I know my brother [loved] playing here," she said.

"It feels sad if it goes away, you know. There's so many things going away. And I hate to see this go away, too."

Joan Lloyd was one of the volunteers welcoming people to the church. She has been part of its congregation ever since she came to Canada from Trinidad in the 1970s.