It’s a scenario that has likely played out hundreds or thousands of times in North Vancouver.
Someone is driving along busy Third Street a few blocks west of Lonsdale when, off to the south, two striking spires poke into view, framed by trees in the front with the hard-cut glass skyline of downtown Vancouver behind.
“What is that!?” they say as the spires pop in and out of view. And then the brief glimpse is gone and everyone carries on with their days.
“That” is St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, a National Historic Site and a hidden gem of the North Shore. First constructed in 1864, the building went through various changes – the current frame was built in 1884 – and it was extensively remodelled in 1909 with the addition of the iconic twin spires. The fact that it still stands today – with some walls that are more than 130 years old – is something that all North Shore residents should know and celebrate, says Donna Oseen, a woman who has been extensively involved in the preservation and restoration of the building as the secretary-treasurer of the St. Paul’s Indian Church Preservation Trust.
“I think it’s a fabulous building that we have here – it’s such a secret, nobody knows it’s here because people don’t come down here,” she says. “The average person, they see those spires as they drive down Esplanade but otherwise they have no idea that this church is here and how old it is and how beautiful it is.”
And with the Trust’s latest project complete – a new (but true to history) cedar-shingled roof is the highlight feature of an extensive historical restoration of the church – the building has likely never looked better. Larco/Park Royal, the Squamish Nation, the Squamish Nation Trust and several other partners joined together with St. Paul’s Indian Church Preservation Trust to complete the latest restoration, and now they’d like to show it off.
A celebration will be held Monday, March 19, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the church, 424 West Esplanade. All are welcome, with celebratory speeches commencing at 1:15 p.m.
“I’d like to see the church full,” says Oseen. “You’ve really got to see it. It’s fabulous!”
