Cambridge Bay (Oct 02/06) - Nearly destroyed by fire in April, the stone church in Cambridge Bay is beginning to rise from the ashes.

Through the volunteer work of community members, the historic chapel is on the way back.

A group of 13 people went to the church last week to start cleaning up, and to get ready for the next step, bringing in a stonemason to repair the 50-year-old structure.

"The stone church is very important to Cambridge Bay. It holds a lot of history. The people who took part in building it, they were our community members," said Emily Angolalik, the executive director of the Kitikmeot Heritage Society.

Although fire damaged the building, vandals have held off on delivering a fatal blow.

"People have left it alone. Since the fire, nobody has really touched it," said Angolalik.

Some of the basic repair has begun.

"We've cleaned out the debris, and we put down some sand inside. Now, there is gravel that needs to be levelled," said Angolalik.

The church was constructed in 1953. It opened on Sept. 12, 1954, with nine parishioners. Constructed with seal oil, clay, mortar, stones and muskoxen hair for insulation, it was a building unique to Nunavut.

It may have been the second-most popular tourist attraction in Cambridge Bay, trailing the remains of the Maud, explorer Roald Amundsen's ship. The two are situated close together, and when people visit the Maud, they usually stop by the church.

Bringing a stonemason to Cambridge Bay will not be cheap, and that's where Angolalik wants some help.

"Our next step is to bring in a stonemason to work on the outside and inside of the church. He will stabilize the building," she said. "We are partnering with Community and Government Services, and they will make a recommendation."