Two historic northern Ont. buildings vie for $50K
Historic buildings across Canada are competing for up to $50,000 to help with restoration costs – the competition is called ‘The Next Great Save’ and it is being held by the charity National Trust for Canada.
Historic buildings across Canada are competing for up to $50,000 in the Nation Trust for Canada's Next Great Save contest. (Supplied/Nation Trust for Canada)
Two of the 12 finalists vying for one of the three top prizes in the competition are located in northern Ontario.
Lasalle Theatre
The Lasalle Theatre on Government Road West in Kirkland Lake was built in 1939 during the gold mine boom.
A still image from a video of the exterior of the historic Lasalle Theatre in Kirkland Lake, Ont. on April 18, 2024. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News Northern Ontario)
The Hollywood-style building is now far past its prime.
“It is a streamline modern art deco design, and that is a very late art deco,” said Michael Rawley, the theatre's artistic director.
“There’s only six of these style of theatres remaining in Canada, so that… makes it significant.”
Rawley told CTV News that the immediate goal is to repair the roof and ceiling – but staff hope to one day restore the theatre to its original condition.
“Let’s call her a fated old lady – a ‘grande dame’ who is in need of a little TLC,” he said.
St. Thomas’ Anglican Church
The Old St. Thomas Church located on Front Street on Moose Factory Island was built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the mid-1800s with the help of the local Cree First Nation community.
An undated photo of the historic St. Thomas’ Anglican Church on Moose Factory island. (Supplied/Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association)
Moose Factory is home to one of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s oldest trading posts and is one of Canada’s oldest Indigenous-European settlements.
“This was a building put up by people of mixed Cree and European ancestry – and Cree people, as well,” said the executive director of the Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association, Cecil Chabot.
Chabot told CTV News that the building has been sustained by both the Cree people and others in the region over its entire lifetime.
The church was deconsecrated in 2006 due to its poor condition.
While the landmark symbolizes an almost two-century-old community – it is also tied to the country’s troubled history with residential schools.
Chabot said it is still a sacred place in the community.
“The idea is to try to draw from the best of that history, in order to heal some of the worst aspects of that history,” he said.
“We’re trying to restore the very best of the relationships that that church embodies.”
The Next Great Save
There were initially about 30 applicants for the Next Great Save contest.
Officials with the National Trust for Canada said the two northern Ontario buildings definitely fit the competition’s criteria.
“A site that has an important story to tell and a place that is continuing to play a vital role in its community today,” said National Trust for Canada executive director Patricia Kell, describing how finalists in the contest were chosen.
The 12 finalists are competing for the 3 Top prizes of $5,000, $10,000 and $50,000.
Kell told CTV News that even just being a finalist will boost their profile and help open up more funding opportunities for the sites.
People can vote online daily.
Voting opened Thursday and runs until May 6 with the winner announced May 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.