October 20, 2022
Subject: Update re: parish hall and related projects
Dear parishioners,
Many of you will recall our plan presented in the summer of 2019 to retrofit 17 Myrand Avenue to meet our needs for a parish hall. The main component of that plan was to create a banquet room on the 2nd floor by effectively combining the 2nd and 3rd floors. Since that time, we have worked with our architect, engineers, and consulted with the Archdiocese with a view to making that plan a reality.
Concurrently the parish has grown substantially. Since 2019, God has blessed us with an increase of around 30% in the number of parishioners. Attendance at our three Sunday Masses now averages 700-750 faithful. Collections have also increased considerably, enabling the parish to be in a very solid financial position.
Considering the significant increase in the size of our parish, the planned retrofit of the Myrand Avenue building with a maximum capacity of only 220 persons in a banquet room on the 2nd floor is not adequate. Additionally, the professionals hired in designing and providing us with a cost estimate for such an undertaking priced the project at approximately $2.5 million. Accordingly, and after consultation with the Archdiocese, our steering committee decided not to spend that amount of money for a church hall that wouldn’t meet our needs.
Considering that our parish has not only grown significantly, but also continues to grow with the grace of God, the steering committee determined that the better and more cost-effective option would be to build a new parish hall permitting venues for 350 to 400 persons. This can happen only on an expanded footprint on the west side of the church where the existing rectory is located. Such an undertaking will be more expensive than the Myrand Avenue retrofit, but we would almost double the capacity and it would provide easier (Universal) ground level access. We are optimistic that with the solid financial position of our parish and the anticipated continued growth in revenues, we will be able to finance the cost of a new hall. Once we have a draft design of a new parish hall prepared by an architect and its projected cost, we will provide it to you for review.
In view of the foregoing, the following steering committee decisions have been made:
1. The Myrand Avenue building will be returned to its primary function as the residence for our priests and will also provide rental office space for FSSP Canada. The main
floor will serve mainly as parish offices, with a section for FSSP Canada, and the second and third floors as the priests’ residence with accommodation for visiting clergy and seminarians. We are working towards having the building ready for FSSP Canada and for our priests by the spring of 2023.
The Myrand Avenue building requires some repairs to the exterior and upgrades to the interior. For example, we need to replace the eaves troughs that were causing water damage. Some of the upgrades for the interior include replacing old carpeting, repairing and restoring hardwood floors as well as renovating the main bathrooms on the ground and second floors. The overall costs for these repairs and upgrades will be approximately $225,000. These are not insignificant costs; however, once it is occupied, the rent collected from FSSP Canada will more than offset the normal operating costs of the building.
2. As part of the plan to move the rectory to 17 Myrand, our priests will no longer park on the east side of the church. Instead they, as well as the secretary and any additional staff working for the parish, will park on the small parking lot adjacent to the Myrand Avenue building. Although we largely resolved our Sunday parking problem by renting the Ste-Anne Medical Centre parking lot, further parking will become available with the removal of the old garage which is in peril of collapsing. In its place we will be able to provide paved parking that meets City requirements and thereby alleviate the shortage of weekday parking. In addition to removing the old garage, we will also be clearing trees to make way for the installation of new fencing on the east side of the church property. We will be sharing the cost of the fencing with Inner City Health, the new owners of the former John Howard Society property, and with the private owner of the neighbouring property. We estimate that the total costs for these property improvements, including the creation of additional parking will be approximately $112,000. Not only will this facilitate parking for those attending weekday Masses, it will also significantly improve the appearance of that property next to the Church. I must add that we are very grateful to the management of Inner City Health who agreed we can continue to use the former John Howard Society parking lot on Sundays.
3. When our priests vacate the current rectory and until such time as we build the new hall, we will use that building for meeting space for Sunday coffee, small social gatherings and for various parish groups.
Finally, I would like to thank our volunteers, our steering committee and all of you for your continued support. I ask that you continue to keep these projects in your prayers.
In Christo
Father Erik Deprey, FSSP Pastor
