LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Within the space of a few hours on Oct. 16, a distinctive building on Fort Simpson's main street was turned into a pile of debris.

Sawdust pours out of the ceiling of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church during its demolition in Fort Simpson on Oct. 16. The congregation closed the building in 2009 and has been actively fundraising to build a new structure. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Approximately 30 community members watched from the sidewalk and inside parked vehicles as Arctic Environmental Services Ltd. used an excavator to demolish the 90-year-old Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Gail Villeneuve, a lifetime member of the congregation, was one of the people who watched the process. As the final wall of the church collapsed, Villeneuve said she had mixed feelings about the demolition.

"It's kind of sad and it's kind of happy," she said.

"It was rotting away."

The demolition is among the steps the congregation is undertaking as they work toward constructing a new church building.

Sacred Heart was built in 1923.

In October 2009, the building was closed due to concerns about its foundation. Since then, the congregation has been holding mass in the Bompas Elementary School gymnasium.

"The reality is there is no way we could have saved it to fix it," said Martina Norwegian, a member of the parish council.

In addition to the failing foundation, the whole building needed to be insulated, she said.

Following the closure of the building, a service to decommission the structure was held in the summer of 2011. Last summer, the church's steeple and bell were removed.

The demolition took approximately a year to plan, said Norwegian. Samples had to be sent away to determine if there were dangerous substances in the building.

Because of the presence of lead paint, Arctic Environmental Services Ltd. was hired to demolish the building, remove and properly dispose of the material and fill the basement with soil at a cost of $95,000.

The next step is to finalize an expression of interest for the design and construction of the new church, said Darlene Sibbeston, the co-ordinator of the building committee that was founded almost two years ago.

The committee is working with the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith to develop the document, she said. Once it is finished, the committee will know how much the new church will cost and, therefore, the fundraising goal.

To date, the committee has raised just more than $25,000 through bake sales, catering and other events.

After demolition costs, the congregation has approximately $130,000 saved for the project, said Norwegian.

That amount includes the fundraising, donations, investments and funds from other sources.

There have been many in-kind donations as well, she said.

"A lot of people have been donating," she said.

Norwegian said the demolition may serve as a reminder to people about the need for a new church.

The new building, which will be constructed in the same area, is expected to include the church, a common area and a small residence for a priest.

Interior pieces from the old church, including the altar, lectern, tabernacle and pews, will be incorporated into the new building.

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