The future of a landmark church in Halifax’s north end remains uncertain almost a year after its final service was held.
United Memorial Church was once home to 700 members, but attendance dropped over the years, and maintenance costs rose.
With only 60 members and a $30,000 bill for heat in the winter, the congregation was forced to amalgamate with two other churches and United Memorial closed its doors for good in July 2015.
“With many of these churches in the city now, the congregations are getting smaller and smaller, and it gets more and more difficult over time to be maintained,” says Garry Shutlack of the Nova Scotia Archives.
While it’s not uncommon for older churches to sit vacant, some say Memorial United should be preserved because of its links to the Halifax Explosion.
“It represents my childhood. I mean, the church has always been there,” says Michele MacIntyre, whose great-grandfather was killed in the Halifax Explosion.
“There’s always been many activities and functions at that church, so it takes me back.”
United Memorial Church was built in memory of the victims of the Halifax Explosion. It opened in 1920, three years after the tragedy.
“United because it was the union of the Methodist and the Presbyterian Church, so there’s where it gets the name United Memorial,” explains Shutlack.
The church was also part of the yearly commemoration of the Halifax Explosion at nearby Fort Needham Park.
The building was sold at the end of January to a company belonging to the Metlege family.
While area residents say the church should be preserved, director Steve Metlege says it will likely have to be demolished in order to redevelop it, due to parking issues.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw
