PROJECT UPDATE:
November, 25, 2025
It is great to be back in the Sanctuary and to hear such positive comments from you about the renovations. Even the Celebration Choir who practices in the sanctuary wanted us to know how beautiful they think our sanctuary is and how great the sound is. In fact the choir has chosen us as their charity of choice to share in the proceeds from their spring concert.
We are pleased to say that:
- to date we have been able to keep Renovision within the budget accepted last year by Special Vestry.
- we are very thankful to the 52 parishioners who have pledged or donated to the Blessing the Future capital campaign.
- Along with the net proceeds from Fund Raising we have raised a total of $271,000, close to 80% of our goal of $347,000.
- That means we need to raise another $76,000 to completely pay for the renovations, including the loans from the Diocese and the Anglican Foundation of Canada
For those who have not made a pledge or donation to Blessing the Future now is the time to join in with all those who have already done so. You can contribute:
- by going online to the Parish website and under Ministry clicking on Blessing the Future. You will find all the information you need to make a pledge or single donation. Payment can be by cheque or Electronic Funds Transfer.
Or
- by getting a Blessing the Future package from Curt in the office. This includes a brochure, pledge form and return envelope. Once you have completed the form you can return it to Saint Laurence
Be assured your contribution will make a difference.
September 15, 2024
The renovations are underway and the progress is going very well. At this point, we're still on budget. There were no surprises during demolition and so the work is still expected to be completed within our planned time frame.
For those of you who have made pledges to provide funds in 2024 to support our Blessing the Future campaign, thank you for your generosity. Also, just a reminder that we're moving into the latter part of the year and it would be helpful to receive the funds as soon as you are able to provide them - if you haven't already done so.
August 11, 2024
As you know, we now have our building permit. I'm happy to announce that construction will begin on August 26. Below are some important things to know as we move into the next phase of work.
Access to the sanctuary is now restricted as it is already a construction area in preparation for the demolition. Please do not enter the space. Shortly you will see coverings being placed on all windows and locks on the interior doors. This is to ensure that only workers with the construction company enter the space.
During the week, the main entry will be through the door by the kitchen. There will be a doorbell installed so Curt can let you in. The front door will only be available for use by those who require use of the ramp to get in. Please park in the back parking lot unless you require the ramp.
Curt is in communication with all the renters of our facilities to ensure they know about the construction and can continue to access the space during construction.
We will provide updates on the construction as we can, but know that the work will take several months. We are looking forward to planning our return into our renovated sanctuary!
Now that construction is soon to be underway, we will be reinvigorating our capital campaign so don’t be surprised if you hear more from us (and stay tuned for more fundraising events).
April 14, 2024
Capital campaign: we're very excited to have now reached 74% of our goal. We've received pledges totalling $256k!
Construction update: There are discussions underway between Kathleen (or designer), Gibraltar (our contractor), and the city of Coquitlam. The goal is to reduce the costs from the most recent quote and meet building codes so that we can get our building permit. We don't yet have a date for when the construction will start but it will be 2 weeks after the building permit is issued
Once construction starts (or just before) we will have an orientation to the space to ensure everyone stays safe during construction. There will be "no go" zones in place. In addition if you wish to hold a meeting, due to the temporary loss of space, you will need to book ahead with Curt. Finally, it's been determined that the nursery will be moved to the loft during construction. We appreciate that the sound likely won't travel up there but you will be able to see into the service.
Finally one change that you will see shortly is that the coat rack in the small narthex will be moved to the hall. This was a planned change and we're very fortunate that we don't need a new rack and can repurpose the one we have. A big thanks to Ron Cooper for looking after this.
Cataloguing committee: Some of you may have noticed the Big Steel Box in the parking lot. This will be used to store some items during construction. We wanted to be sure to get it in good time so that we can start packing.
The organ: On a final note, we have previously let you know that the organ will be re-homed. We did place an ad with the RCCO on their website but have had no interest to date. We were in touch with someone who is willing to take the organ, fix it up, and find a new home for it. As it is quite possible he will take it next week, this is the last Sunday the organ may be with us. Therefore we have asked Joanne to lead us in a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of music it has brought to our community at both services on Sunday.
March 17, 2024
Construction Update: We received a revised costing from our contractor, Gibraltar which has resulted in increased costs. This is not unexpected given that the original quote was provided last summer. We are now working with Kathlene, our designer, and Gibraltar to bring the costs down to very close to the original quote to keep the project on budget. As a result there will likely be some changes from the original plan and we will update you once those have been finalized.
We are still waiting for our building permit to be issued and we’re hoping that may happen by early to mid-April.
Capital Campaign Update: We have received pledges totaling $247k which is only $100k short of our goal! To date we have received $120k in pledges plus our $10k grant from the Anglican Foundation. The $130k has been invested in short term options to accrue interest until we need it. In terms of our capital campaign, starting in mid-late April you should expect to hear more from us.
January 21, 2024
The renovation and capital campaign are moving forward with great excitement and anticipation.
- Construction updates:
-We will be meeting with our contractor to discuss the final drawings so that the final estimate can be determined and the contract signed
-The Diocese has signed the building permit application and we are waiting for its return so that it can be submitted as soon as the we have our contract signed
-The Anglican Foundation is about to send us a $10k cheque which is their grant to us. We are also submitting the necessary paperwork to obtain the $100,000 loan from the Foundation
-On January 24, the Diocese will be re-confirming their support for our grant and loan as the grant from the Anglican Foundation was reduced by $5k. We are anticipating full support
-The Cataloguing Committee, Chaired by Carla McGie, is starting to work on cataloguing all the items in the sanctuary in preparation for the construction as everything will need to be stored or re-homed
-The Liturgical Committee, Chaired by Joanne Epply-Schmidt, is beginning work on planning for services in the hall during construction
-Our new chairs have been ordered and are being prepared. We should receive them in a few months
- Capital Campaign updates:
-We have received initial donations of $92k which is the first installment of the pledges totalling $192k.
-The official kick-off of the Capital Campaign was on Feb. 11. We're hoping for big win on our fundraising efforts
-We now have a page set up on the St. Laurence website where you can get information and see these updates. Find us at: https://www.saintlaurence.ca/ministries/capital-campaign
As things are moving ahead quickly, you can anticipate hearing more about the Blessing our Future campaign and construction about every 2 weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Curt or a member of the Project Team.
December 7, 2023
Good news! The Anglican Foundation of Canada is giving us a grant of $10,000 and a loan of $100,000. The Diocese of New Westminster will also be giving us a grant of $40,000 and a loan of $50,000 once it makes a technical amendment next month to its’ grant motion to include the actual amount of the Anglican Foundation grant. That means Renovision is a go!
