Achi news desk-
A pastor says she will rebuild a 182-year-old church near Montreal after it was badly damaged in a weekend fire.
Around 9 a.m. Sunday, Reverend Sophie Rowland was preparing for mass at St. James’s Anglican Church, on the shores of Two Mountains Lake, when she smelled smoke.
Fire crews from several departments were called to the scene Sunday morning when flames broke out in a building on Main Street in the municipality west of Montreal.
St. James Anglican Church in Hudson, CO. Suffered a great fire on April 14, 2024. (Emmanuel Lapointe)
The fire spread to the roof, which disappeared on Monday. The bell tower, stone walls and stained glass windows remained intact but the interior suffered significant water and smoke damage.
It was an exciting day for the residents of Hudson, a city located about 50 kilometers west of Montreal.
Many stood in disbelief and looked at what was left of the church, built in 1842.
“I just can’t believe the destruction that was done,” said Hudson resident Kip Coudrey.
A fire destroyed much of the historic St. James Anglican Church in Hudson, Que. on April 14, 2024. (Cosmo Santamaria, CTV News)
Hudson’s Mayor Chloe Hutchison shared a personal connection to the beloved building.
“The first pastor of St. James Church was my three times great grandfather. So for us, I think it’s always been a place of pride and a place of commitment to the community,” Hutchison told CTV News.
Church leadership hopes to save irreplaceable items, including a wall of pictures.
Rowland said the church is insured, but they don’t know when they will rebuild.
“The hall and basement offices were not affected as much. So we hope they can be used sooner than the rest of the church,” she said.
Fire crews remained on the scene Sunday night as well.
“It concerns everyone”
The loss to the community is huge.
“This church is so important. First of course to our parishioners, but it touches so much in our community,” said parishioner Lynn Bocklam on Sunday. “We have Christmas bazaars and people come here, and we have groups that rent our facilities … it touches so many people.”
Bookalam said it is a popular venue for weddings, and various acts book the venue for performances as well.
“People who don’t necessarily come every Sunday are a part of our church,” said Bocklam. “It concerns everyone.”
