
The century-old organ housed in the building, once named Third Avenue United Church, has escaped proposed declassification as a historical asset, ensuring its continued preservation. St. Vincent of Lerins Orthodox Church, the current owner of the building and its resident for the past two years, sought to extract the instrument to implement renovations, crafting a distinctive Orthodox worship space.
As the organ holds the status of a heritage asset under city law, any work necessitates city approval. “We aim to construct an Orthodox worship experience within this space,” voiced Father Herman Fields to the city council, steadfast in his intent. “This building is more than a museum or a publicly accessible establishment. It is private property, the spiritual refuge of a defined community.”
The Casavant organ, constructed in 1913, has significantly degraded over time. Father Fields articulated that Orthodox Christians have no tradition of employing musical instruments in their churches, noting the lack of need for the organ in its present state. Repairing the organ to any functional degree was neither in his interest nor conducive to the church’s intended use of the building.
Father Fields continued, “This organ will not undergo refurbishment or repair. The act of disassembling it for restoration would be a gross intrusion upon our worship space.”
Potential costs quoted by the parish council ranged from $27,000 to restore basic playability to $300,000 to elevate it to concert-level functionality. Regular maintenance costing an annual $5,000 would also be necessary to ensure its continuance.
Yet Deanna Bertrand, a parishioner, contended that the building’s history and its utility as a church could still be upheld without the organ. Michelle Aalders, the organist at the Third Avenue United Church for 15 years, revered the organ’s contribution to numerous events with its 2,468 pipes and 39 bells, designed and built specifically for that space. She argued that St. Lerins, fully informed of the organ’s heritage status at the time of purchase, had the duty to care for it.
“Upon the organ’s removal, a pivotal, irreversible choice will be made, flying in the face of the principles that underpin heritage preservation,” she warned. “This is a complex and wondrous instrument that cannot be casually dismantled and exhibited.”
Father Fields retorted that the primary appeal of the building lay in its spacious basement for a church school. The organ was inconvenient but ultimately did not deter the decision to purchase. He implored the council to reconsider its position, in light of the church’s willingness to compromise.
The council’s interrogative stance focused on the church’s initial plan when purchasing the building, and the future of the organ given the church’s reticence to permit others to repair or play the instrument. Coun. David Kirton proffered his blunt perspective, “It seems you acquired the wrong edifice,” expressing optimism that the church might cooperate with the wider community to preserve the organ.