Another major turning point in our English-speaking community’s history is underway: the Trinity United Church building in Cookshire is sold. Local businessman and philanthropist, Gilles Denis, through his non-profit organization, Espace culturel Cookshire-Eaton, once again offered the best protection for the community’s architectural heritage, according to church custodians.
Mr. Denis and family created Espace culturel in 2022, which is now finalizing the purchase with the United Church of Canada and local trustees Robert Halsall, Don Parsons, and Pauline Thorneloe. “We knew this was the best way to preserve the building,” said Mr. Halsall in an interview last week.
“The people of Cookshire built it, and it’s their church,” said Don Parsons. “It’s our church to sell; it should be up to the people of Cookshire to decide.” The United Church of Canada has “okayed the sale,” according to Mr. Halsall.
“We can still use it as a congregation,” said Mr. Parsons. “Gilles Denis is the one who offered that.”
“It’s important to say that really we aren’t changing things”, Mr. Denis said, in terms of the week-to-week use of the church for services and for the Espace culturel concerts, the next of which is scheduled for March 8.
Church services will continue as normal, for five years or more, under the purchase agreement.
Mr. Denis and Trinity Church have been working together for over 25 years for the presentation of concerts and cultural activities, said Mr. Parsons.
“They said the sound is unbelievable,” Mr. Halsall said.
The sale had become necessary for the local community after it was forced to take out a $100,000 loan to pay for damages due to an oil spill prior to the Covid pandemic. “We only bring in about $5000 per year in donations,” Mr. Halsall said.
Don Parsons and family had already saved the local church from bankruptcy in the 1960s, according to Mr. Halsall, paying required expenses out of pocket.
Further renovations are now required—an interior stairway, outdoor work, and the steeple—which now become part of the new owner’s responsibilities. Not counting that work, it takes “quite a few thousand dollars a year to run [the church],” Mr. Halsall said.
The Trinity Church building was constructed in 1863 in the Greek revival (neo-classical) style, as the Cookshire Wesleyan Methodist Church, and became part of the United Church of Canada in 1925, when various Protestant denominations across Canada merged.
St. Peter’s as well
Just down the street from Trinity United is another architectural and historic jewel, St. Peter’s Anglican church, also for sale and also of interest to Gilles Denis, to preserve it and make it available to the community.
“We’re ready to make an offer,” Mr. Denis said in an earlier interview, adding that he wants to talk with the minister in charge to make it clear his interest is not to make money from the purchase. “I’m waiting for a response from the church community,” he said.
