A little smoke, a little clarity (your questions answered)
Many of you have asked thoughtful (and very practical!) questions about what construction will mean day-to-day. We’re grateful — good questions help us plan well and communicate clearly. Construction is estimated to take 12 months. We will know more in the coming months but there will be periods of time when construction will impact parish life.
1) What will construction affect?
We are still in the planning process and will be reaching out to key user groups over the next month. Our goal is to keep church life and community programs moving with as little disruption as possible. Mass will not be interrupted, though coffee hour may need to move during construction.
2) Can we still use the parish hall?
In large part, no. For much of the construction period, the means of access to the parish hall will be through the fire door on the south side, which exits into the neighbour’s back garden. During that time, that door will be the only usable means of egress from the building. Fire code precludes the use of any space by the public that does not have two usable fire exits. Discussions will be held in the coming months with affected ministries, and user groups to develop plans.
3) Will we lose the tree between the church and the hall?
The tree is rooted behind the church, beside the vestry and chancel. You can see this tree out the north side parish hall window and yes — unfortunately we will lose the tree because that is where the new accessible universal washroom is to be located. The good news: the City requires replacement planting, and we’ll be working to plant new trees. And we’re open to a meaningful “second life” for the tree: art, a memorial, a blessing… any woodworkers among us?
4) What about the Friday Food Ministry?
The Friday Food Ministry will continue without fail. We have begun to explore suitable options to accommodate the needs of both the clients and the volunteers, and we are committed to ensure that the ministry will not pause.
We’ll keep sharing updates as the plan evolves. Questions? Reach out anytime — we’re listening. cornerstone@stthomas.on.ca
