Summary of our nomination of St. Thomas Church for the 2022 World Monuments Watch:
Built by and for Europeans and Indigenous between 1856 and 1864, St. Thomas Church is an iconic symbol of the unique, complex and under-represented heritage of Canada’s oldest continuous Indigenous-European “Middle Ground.” Restoring this building as a community heritage site in a way that combines new and old purposes supports holistic community development. It also advances a reconciliation that does not erase our shared past, reduce it to its worst, or ignore the models of reciprocity and hospitality that it offers. This project is the largest tangible and intangible heritage restoration undertaking within the MRHHA’s “More than 350 in 2023” initiative; it envisions restoration not just of a building but of the best in the relationships that created and sustained it. Placing St. Thomas on the 2022 World Monuments Watch list will lend support, directly and indirectly, to these initiatives and their significant transformative potential within and beyond our region.
Update & Letters of Support:
We are awaiting a response to our application. Even if we are not successful, our application has garnered significant support, as the following letters show.
