Last Sunday evening we attended a public meeting called by the Board of the Moravian Church in Newfoundland and Labrador [MCNL]. The MCNL has ultimate responsibility for all church properties in Labrador.
The public meeting was for the pubic to have input into an effort by MCNL to gain Heritage Status for the church building and eventually for a couple of other buildings, mainly the old Hettasch house and the Old Boarding School that is at another site.
A good turnout of about 30 souls was on hand, predominately church elders and chapel servants with a sprinkling of other residents.
Also in on the meeting by phone was the MHA for Torngat Maintains and a gentleman from [HFNL].
It was pointed out by the chair of the meeting, Joan Andersen who is also the chair of the MCNL, that it would be prudent if everybody could center their attention on finding out if the community was interested in saving the church and obtaining Heritage Status for it.
Heritage Status would mean money could be obtained from Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador [HFNL] for retrofitting and upgrading the church, as long as the local church committee could put up matching funds.
Of course that was like whistling into the wind as things got off topic quite a bit. I thought the chair did a great job answering the off topic points and a better job steering the discussion back on topic.
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It was proposed that a heritage committee of about six people be formed; the chair gave out the names of several people who had indicated they would be interested in being considered. The assembled were asked if any one else was interested in being involved, the silence indicated to me that no one else was.
This proposed committee concerned some of the elders who feared that it would usurp some of their powers and responsibilities. Of course this fear was and is absurd but none the less much discussion at the meeting and further discussion privately the next morning hopefully alleviated any of the fears.
There was also some discussion about the possibility that the church could be dismantled and a new church built as some deemed it to be unsafe.
I think any reasonable thinking person would be aghast at this proposal. I had a sense that the idea of removing the church was floated by parochial self interested outside sources. Sure the church has many defects and needs many upgrades, that is precisely what this meeting was all about, trying to save it and renovate it.
There was anecdotal evidence given that engineers have deemed the church safe for the moment and it can be safely used in the short term.
If there is an overwhelming need to build a new and larger church then it could be done, but there was a feeling that it should not be built on the existing site as it has significant heritage value. There is the church built in 1923 on the site of the original church built in 1777, an old manse called the Hettasch house and the oldest building was used as a twine loft at one time plus for other uses now called the shed. There are also foundations of buildings long since pulled down or destroyed by fire. Unfortunately [to me] there seems to be a consensus that the old shed should be dismantled. Perhaps it is just too dilapidated and can not be saved, still it is a pity.
After much discussion and to and throw the chair asked the assembled if any one was against applying for Heritage Status for the church. The dead silence would indicate to me no one was.
So the Heritage Committee and MCNL have until September to get its act together and file an application to HFNL. The Heritage Committee will work in conjunction with and full discloser with the local church committee.
I wish them all the good luck in the world.
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