As the congregation approached the centenary of that day, and wondered how best to honour these church pioneers, we knew that we wanted to restore the building as a gift to those who would be worshipping here throughout the second century of the Cathedral. So the plans were laid for a major fundraising effort and a technical assessment of the scope of work that was needed.  We knew then that this would be decade long program involving many phases and small projects, and it is satisfying to now see the end in sight.

There was great enthusiasm to gather up the financial resources that would be needed.  Major gifts were offered by members of the congregation and pennies were collected too.  Other parishioners pledged monthly gifts over many years. The Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation was a generous early donor and then offered to match more gifts.  Several local businesses made donations.  The Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation was an early supporter and has continued that support through several phases as have the City of Saskatoon, the Columbarium at St. John’s, the ACW and the Anglican Foundation.  Projects large and small were undertaken to raise awareness and funds – “Memories and Mistletoe” concerts, Octoberfest, Shrove Tuesday suppers.  The most memorable of these was certainly “The Bishop’s Walk” that saw Bishop Tom Morgan and his many supporters walking from St. Alban’s Cathedral in Prince Albert to St. John’s and pledging over $60,000.  It was a memorable moment when, at the anniversary celebration in September 2012 we announced we had passed the one million dollar mark.

It has been a challenge to match the financial resources with the needed work and by 2013 it was clear a pause was needed, having spent well over $1.5 million.

The project resumed in 2015 and Phase 2 encompassed work on the north gutters and the steeple.  The Cathedral has a unique system of gutters, scuppers, downspouts and interior drains that must all be working efficiently to ensure there is no damage to the building from rain and melting snow.  This had not been the case for many years and this phase began to address the long-standing issue of water ingress to the Cathedral.  It left us reassured that the treatment proposed was an effective one for the remainder of the building.

Phase 3 in 2018-19 focused on the south gutters, a hidden but necessary part of the overall project and within our means at the time.  The doors on the Cathedral were restored at this time to remind us of the welcome within.  Emergency repairs were also made to the roof and this was a reminder that the re-roofing could not wait much longer.

Supporters like you have given generously and often to future restoration work in the past and so the parish has $290,000 in funding set aside. The Cathedral’s leadership team has also set aside matching funds of $250,000 for future work. The Columbarium as a member of our parish family has also committed to contributing $100,000 to the project.  And finally an anonymous member of our parish has offered a gift of  $100,000 to be matched by parish member contributions. We are delighted to share with you that this match has already been initiated with gifts totaling $37,000.  With so many generous contributors, we are well on our way. But we need your help.