Regular Sunday service is good to go for Grace United Church as they try to repair flood damage. Recent bouts of heavy rain caused water to enter the church’s back doors, pouring into its hallways and downstairs.
The church’s insurance luckily covers much of the damage. Water pooled in the church’s back alley before coming through the back doors. It seeped through to the back hall, the kitchen, and down into a room in the basement. Drywall, flooring and cabinetry all sustained damaged throughout the building. Water was even seeping through light fixtures in the basement.
The congregation’s site is more than a century old, but damage like this hasn’t been seen in quite some time. Darrell Howell, chair of the Grace United Church’s board, doesn’t know the last time this kind of flooding happened in the church’s upper hall.
“The rains in the past haven’t been severe enough to cause a problem,” said Howell. “But that Thursday night was such a downpour, so much water came down so quickly.
Luckily, the church’s sanctuary was untouched by any water and may sit slightly higher than the rest of the church. Regular Sunday worship services are good to go, as well as any other events that happen in front of the church’s pews. Meanwhile, other events and programming will be relocated to other spaces. Howell is thankful that the coming season has fewer events for them and hopes repairs can be finished soon.
“The summer is a bit slower, so there are not as many disruptions that way. We’re hopeful we can get it all redone before September because then there are lots of calls for this space.”
Howell adds that many community members have offered sympathies for the church but doesn’t have a firm timeline on exactly when repairs will be finished. He adds he’s been told the City is working to solve drainage problems in the back alley.
