Artistic expression and musical celebration have a newly restored home in Indian River thanks to a partnership between the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island.
The Honourable Senator Mike Duffy and the Honourable Robert Ghiz, Premier of Prince Edward Island, today commemorated the completion of renovations to St. Mary’s Church. The building was decommissioned as a place of worship in 2009 and made a permanent venue for the internationally recognized Indian River Festival.
The renovation project involved refurbishment and maintenance of the church, including window repair, site drainage and roof and door repair. Restoration has extended the life of the building and ensures the church will continue as a key venue for the music festival. The investment is supporting tourism and cultural activity in the community.
“The Indian River Festival is an important artistic venture that puts Prince Edward Island on the international musical festival map,” said Senator Duffy, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Chuck Strahl. “Our Government is pleased to have worked with the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Indian River Festival Association to help refurbish the beautiful and historic St. Mary’s Church to ensure years of future musical expression.”
“Historic St Mary’s Church is an essential part of Prince Edward Island’s cultural fabric,” said Premier Ghiz. “Not only is it a beautiful building that draws visitors in its own right, but it is among the top concert venues in the country and our government is honoured to be part of this project.”
"This restoration project has involved many people from the community who have contributed their time and talent to ensure that the end result was of the highest quality,” said René Hurtubise, Chair of the Indian River Festival. “The collaboration between Indian River Festival and the Friends of St. Mary's was a key element of this success. St. Mary's church has played an important role in the community over the last hundred years and will now continue to benefit future generations."
The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island committed $240,000 to support this restoration project. The Government of Canada is contributing $120,000 under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, with a matching contribution from the Province of Prince Edward Island through Build PEI. The balance of funding for the $360,000 project was provided by the Indian River Festival Association.
As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding for approximately 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country.
Canada and Prince Edward Island are working together to create jobs and boost the economy, while making significant investments that help communities improve their infrastructure. Both governments have agreed to work together to ensure that these funds are delivered quickly and efficiently to municipalities in Prince Edward Island. In Prince Edward Island, 18 projects, representing a federal investment of over $16 million, have been approved since the launch of the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.
For more information, please visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
To learn more about capital projects on Prince Edward Island visit www.buildpei.ca.
To learn more about the Indian River Festival visit www.indianriverfestival.com.
BACKGROUNDER
ST. MARY’S CHURCH RENOVATION PROJECT
St. Mary’s Church, a fine example of the French Gothic influence, was built in 1902 by Prince Edward Island architect, William Critchlow Harris. By the 1970s and 1980s, the Church had come into serious disrepair. At that time, suggestions were made to tear down the Church as the parish alone could not afford to undertake the expensive renovations.
The Save St. Mary’s campaign was launched in 1987 in response to this dire situation. Thanks to an overwhelming community response, the necessary renovations were paid for and completed within three years. One of the campaign initiatives was the musical endeavour, Sundays in the Summer, a concert series that proved to be extremely popular as well as a successful source of revenue. Following this success, and with volunteer resources in short supply, it was decided that a dedicated focus was required in order to evolve the concert into a separate entity and formal event.
As a result, in 1996 the Indian River Festival Association Inc. was formed as an incorporated non-profit body for the presentation of fine music and to aid in the continuing upkeep and restoration of St. Mary’s. In 2009, St. Mary’s Church was decommissioned and purchased by the Festival Association as its permanent home. In 2010, more than 6,000 spectators attended concerts ranging from classical, jazz, folk, musical theatre, choral, world and blues.
Originally announced in 2009, the restoration project focused on making the building weather-tight. Work included a new roof, a fresh coat of paint, restored and reinforced stained glass, restored by local artisans, window replacement and repair, electrical upgrades, well repair, interior carpentry and plaster repair, improved wheelchair access, site drainage around the building, and cleaning.
The governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island committed $240,000 in funding to support this restoration project. The Government of Canada is contributing $120,000 under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, with a matching contribution from the Province of Prince Edward Island through Build PEI. The balance of funding for the $360,000 project was provided by the Indian River Festival Association.