St. Andrew's on the Square

From derelict to
crowning jewel, this old church
brings folks together.

~ carliewired

St. Andrew's on the Square began its life as a Presbyterian Church in 1887. It is the oldest public building in the city. The land had been donated by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the fund-raising had been done by their employees, many of whom were of Scottish decent. Over time the church housed other congregations and had other purposes. The building eventually fell into disuse and neglect. A group of local citizens pushed hard to save it from demolition so in 1991 the City of Kamloops purchased the building. As I recall there was a loud outcry about the 'waste' of taxpayers money as few seemed to have any vision for its future. However, five years later, the building was restored and opened as a public facility with a lovely garden on the side. It has served as a wedding venue and for many other community events such as recitals, memorial services and public forums. Its management rested in the hands of a dedicated group of volunteers as a society. Recently, the city has high-handedly removed the society (and our Heritage Commission of 40 years) to control it all. I don't have much faith in local politics and can only hope this lovely building will continue to be an asset to our community. 

There is snow on the higher elevations overnight. I could see a dusting on some of the local mountains this morning. It is a reminder to get those snow tires on. No doubt the ski hills will be rubbing their hands with glee. Winter is coming!