'It's an important part of the community': Historic Assumption Church being assessed
The current cost and timeline for renovations are unclear
Windsor's Assumption Church has begun the assessment process of its renovations.
Workers have been in to see the extent of plaster damage, among other restoration concerns.
For the church, it's one of the first steps in figuring out how much the renovations will actually cost. Initial estimates of the project had it ballooning anywhere from $15 million to $20 million.
Lawyer Paul Mullins has been volunteering with the church to help in the restoration effort.
He said the assessment stage is important in understanding the full extent of repairs and potential costs.
"Part of what's happening here today is part of the assessment of the condition of the building — the condition of the plaster, condition of the paintings — to see what costs would be involved in actually restoring it," said Mullins.
Funding woes
Renovation funding has been an issue for the church, which has held two previous fundraisers.
Mullins said a thorough assessment stage will ensure all costs are accounted for.
"Part of the work that is being done is to make sure that the amount of costs that we've estimated in the past is valid," said Mullins. "We've done similar things with other aspects — in terms of the restoration of the masonry work, the heating system, all of these components would have to be addressed."
The church is still looking for additional sources of funding.
What about parishioners?
Despite the funding issues, Mullins has confidence in the church's ability to maintain longevity.
"[The parish] is very healthy financially. and one of the big concerns, if they can restore the church, is whether they can keep it up in the future."
The church closed in 2014, leaving its parishioners in limbo as to when they could come back.
Currently, Mullins said many of them worship at Holy Name of Mary church. He also emphasised many of them have a vested interest in seeing Assumption Church open.
"It's an important part of the community from the heritage perspective and there's a great desire to see if there's any way to be able to get the job done."
Mullins was unable to provide solid numbers relating to costs and church attendance. He said more details will be given in an upcoming report on the restorations.