Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (May 27/05) - Members of the Fort Simpson Historical Society and Open Sky Society envision a landmark transformed into a showcase for the arts and tourism.

Representatives of the Roman Catholic Diocese see nothing but a liability.

The fate of the old rectory hangs in the balance as a June 30 deadline looms. After that, the church will have the 94-year-old building demolished, Bishop Denis Croteau said Tuesday.

The Historical Society has had close to 10 years to move the building from its current location along Fort Simpson's main street, according to Croteau. That condition hasn't been met because the Historical Society couldn't raise enough money, Stephen Rowan, a member of the Historical Society, acknowledged.

As well, the intended site of relocation, Heritage Park, became an archaeological site and was therefore no longer available, he explained. The Historical Society has, however, spent $13,000 to have asbestos removed from the building's basement. The building poses a fire hazard, said Croteau. The rectory is also very close to the existing priest's residence, so, the bishop said, it would be preferable to tear it down and have a vacant piece of land, which the church owns.

"They were given plenty of time," Croteau said of the offer to have the building relocated.

Tourism potential

The Historical Society and the Open Sky Society want to turn the former rectory, Fort Simpson's oldest building, into a heritage centre and a place for artists to exhibit their works, Rowan noted. Both groups would also like to have offices upstairs in the large, two-storey building.

The Historical Society has enlisted the aid of heritage architect Stephen Fancott, who resides in Yellowknife. He inspected the old rectory in April and is working on a report that will outline the cost of renovating the building. Rowan believes the cost will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but said federal funding can likely be accessed to help restore it.

In a letter to the Historical Society, Fancott wrote, "At the time of my study, I found (the old rectory) in reasonable shape and feasible to stabilize and convert for contemporary use."

He made note of several architectural features that make the old rectory rare. The foundation, walls and roof construction are examples of early 20th century manual carpentry - a "valuable example of Northern-built heritage" - according to Fancott.

Rowan is offering to devote one of the rooms as a tribute to the work of the Roman Catholic mission.

"It would be wonderful to bring (tourists) in to see that building," he said.