Renovation Update – January 16, 2022

The finishing work of the Spirit of Hope renovation project has been proceeding very well this month. On Friday, January 7, Matt Boucher and David Barnes of Chandos Construction took some members of the Leadership Team on a preoccupancy tour of the building, while others participated virtually. Here are a few photos from that tour.

We will have a new set of installers in our building this coming week: those assembling and placing furniture, installing and testing our audio-visual systems and installing our organ.

The construction site manager has a list of final items to address and then will do a thorough construction cleanup. Then our building will be ready for final inspections that will grant us an occupancy permit.

After that, our volunteers will be able to go in and put the items we’ve had in storage in their new proper places! Stay tuned for another update next week – and a call for help when we know the date we can start to unpack and put our items where they belong.

All photos were taken on Friday, January 7, 2022, by Kevin Gue (except as noted). To view the sixteen previous updates, see our Renovation Updates page at: : https://www.spiritofhope.ca/renovations-update

On Friday, January 7, some members of the Leadership Team were led on a tour of our renovation project by the construction site manager, while others observed virtually. From left: Kevin Gue, Eva Cooper Reverend Blaine Gregg, Chris Meintzer, Chandos Construction site manager Matt Boucher, Carol Loewen, Phyllis Verhaar, Evelyn Porter and Cathy Martin. Photo by David Barnes.

Here is a wide-angle view of the sanctuary taken from the chancel area. You can see how the lighting has been enhanced, with brighter perimeter lighting and additional lights under the baffles. The “quiet room” where individuals and families can participate quietly during worship, lies along the left site, with windows opening into the sanctuary. 

Coloured walls and patterned tiling are part of the design characteristics of the newly created Church School and multi-purpose rooms. This is the upstairs Church School room, with windows facing south onto the back alley.

Alongside the Community Stair, there is bright yellow wall, with a triangular window onto the lower accessibility ramp and hallway.

All the elements of the kitchen have been installed and inspected. This view shows how you can see the Community Stair (top left of photo) from inside the kitchen.

Here is another yellow highlight wall in one of the two multi-purpose rooms on the lower level.

On the right side of this photo is the lower level accessibility ramp, leading from the elevator and lobby to the washrooms, located to the left off the hallway. You can see the metal railing that has been installed along the ramp.

With the work that remains, we continue to anticipate that we will be able to receive an occupancy permit and access to the sanctuary in the near future. Stay tuned for confirmation of opening day.

We are getting closer and closer to the day when we will be able to worship in our sanctuary. Meanwhile, our live-streamed Sunday worship services will continue in the gym, with our minister, choir members and other worship leaders present—and in-person attendance encouraged according to our special gathering protocols.