Jolicure United Church is preparing for major repairs to its 143-year-old building, the last remaining church in the Point de Bute Jolicure Pastoral Charge.
The church has begun a fundraising campaign to help cover the work. Four windows have been repaired or are nearly finished, along with some repairs to the door.
Genie Coates, a member of the church’s leadership team, said the campaign began after the congregation discovered how badly some parts of the building had deteriorated.
“Some of the windows, the ones on the west side particularly, actually looked like they might fall from the frame,” Coates said.
Coates said the church has been shifting slightly because of problems with its foundation. A more thorough assessment will help determine whether parts need to be stabilized or replaced.
Other repairs are needed to the woodwork, including decorative trim near the top of the church. The building still has its original wooden shingles from 1883 but they will likely need replacing. Coates said fungal growth has made it difficult to keep paint on them.
As the congregation became smaller, some repairs were put off. Fundraising events also stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the church further behind on maintenance.
Coates said the church once played a central role in family life in Jolicure, with children attending Sunday school and families taking part in church activities.
Jolicure and Point de Bute once had their own schools and temperance halls, where neighbours met for 4-H activities, baby showers, wedding showers and other occasions. Coates remembers the former Point de Bute church, which had a room large enough for a volleyball court where she played as a teenager. That church has since closed, along with the other public gathering spaces Coates remembers.
Coates said the church hasn’t hosted many activities outside Sunday services in recent years. Organizers had hoped to begin holding informal gatherings twice a month this fall, but fundraising may delay those plans until spring. The weekday gatherings would give neighbours a chance to socialize and learn new skills from local volunteers, some of whom have already expressed interest.
Church treasurer Darlene Dixon’s husband grew up in Jolicure, and the church has remained part of their family’s life since they married.
“Our kids were all baptized here, and our grandkids have all been baptized here,” Dixon said.
Dixon said Christmas Eve services still draw a nearly full house, including young families from the area. She wishes more of them would attend throughout the year.
Coates said the response to the campaign shows that people still want to use the church, both for worship and other gatherings.
“It would be very sad and a loss for the community,” she said.
The congregation is planning a fundraising concert at the church on October 24 featuring local musician Woody Thompson. Organizers also expect to sell a variety of homemade preserves and baked goods during the event. Further fundraising activities are expected in the spring.
More information about the fundraising campaign and how to contribute is available in this Jolicure United Church Facebook post.
Theodore Ramharack holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western University and a diploma in Broadcast Journalism. He recently completed an internship with CBC News’ The National.
Originally from Ontario, he moved to Sackville to join CHMA as a local journalist and is excited to get to know the Tantramar region and share stories from the community.
