City Council approved a request for brickwork and foundation parging repairs at St. Aidan Anglican Church during the regular June 26 meeting, with the item also serving to highlight a recent crisis for the officially designated Municipal Heritage Property — a 550-per-cent insurance premium hike.
Coun. Crystal Froese presented the item from the City of Moose Jaw Heritage Advisory Committee. The repairs to brickwork and concrete parging were approved without debate, but Froese noted that St. Aidan is facing what could be an existential threat.
A May 17 report from the St. Aidan parish included an assessment from Walchuk Masonry that the structure is in excellent condition overall. However, during the cost estimates it was reported that the building's current insurer, UK-based Ecclesiastical Insurance, had increased the annual premium for the property by approximately 550 per cent.
The reason given was the insurer's concern that in the event of significant damage or a total loss, the heritage status of the building would necessitate a complete rebuild, essentially a replica of the original.
"Our current insurer," the report reads, "is not willing to consider a building valuation of less than $15,000,000 and no other insurer identified by our broker ... is willing to take on the risk of a church building with heritage status without a written assurance from the governing body (in this case the municipality) stating that replacement will not be required."
Parish administrators said that the increase leaves St. Aidan's congregation in an "untenable position," as they cannot afford insurance premiums of $50,000 per year.
"There's nothing else that council needs to approve, although I did want to bring Council's attention to an item on there regarding St. Aidan's struggling with a real severe increase in their insurance," Froese told city council. "They have come before the Heritage Committee for help in and around that.
"That matter has been tabled for further information, and in consultation with them, I'm sure that will be coming before Council within the next couple of months."
As a solution, St. Aidan has proposed repealing the 1994 bylaw that gives the property Municipal Heritage status.
City Administration has endorsed St. Aidan's proposal to repeal its heritage status. A May 8 report from the City of Moose Jaw planning department states that:
"St. Aidan Anglican Church has always been good stewards of the property and it is believed that this will not change without the heritage designation. The increased cost of the insurance would make it unaffordable to continue operating and maintaining the property. There is a risk that the property could become vacant if the City refuses to repeal the designation and the Church cannot afford the costs to maintain."
