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Holy Trinity Cathedral goes ahead without social housing
Father Richard Legget called it one of his “greatest disappointments” as a vicar
Ria Renouf
July 05, 2022
An example of the new stairway for the Holy Trinity Cathedral project (City of New Westminster)
On Thursday evening, the city held a public hearing to discuss the Holy Trinity Cathedral project. Most of the 12 speakers said they supported the revitalization of Holy Trinity Cathedral, not far from 4th and Carnarvon Street. However, there were still questions on the table around accessibility, noise – and especially the availability of social housing.
In-person speaker now. Name is Wallace, in the #newwest area for "a long time." Wants to know if the project could have social level rentals. "I would hope the city...consider the drastic need for less market rentals." He wants a portion of the 15 units to be social housing.
— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf)
1:16 AM • Jul 1, 2022
Of the 285 units on the new site – the new site will include an upgraded cathedral, outdoor plaza and a public crossing from Carnarvon to Clarkson – there will be no low-income housing, something Father Richard Legget called one of his biggest disappointments as a church and community leader. Both Legget and Stuart Thomas of Terra Housing added they’d tried to apply for supportive funding from both federal (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) and provincial levels (BC Housing), but to no avail. According to Thomas, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation felt the project didn’t fit within their funding parameters, while BC Housing couldn’t commit funding to something that didn’t necessarily have a set-in-stone timeline.
Cllr. Puchmayr is disappointed there is no social housing on this site and wants to know why that was the case.
Stewart Thomas answering this question, says it would need funding. CMHC said it wouldn't fit for funding, BC Housing had an application sent to it...
— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf)
1:45 AM • Jul 1, 2022
Spoilers: the funding was unsuccessful. "There was an approval uncertainty at the time," and apparently BC Housing didn't feel confident giving them that money. The next time social housing funding would've been disbursed, potentially was 2023-24.
— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf)
1:46 AM • Jul 1, 2022
The project will include 14 units at market value. About 128 units are expected to be family-friendly, meaning they will include two- and three-bedroom options – all in line with the city’s requirements.
The project is using what is being referred to as a ‘car-lite’ model, in which there is less of an emphasis on parking. The units are just steps away from Columbia SkyTrain Station, with Evo and Modo parking spots nearby.
The project also received praise for the way it incorporated feedback from First Nations partners. Kwantlen First Nation public art will be included in the building design, along with signage in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, a Downriver dialect of the Halkomelem language – spoken by the Kwikwetlem First Nation.
Planning for this project goes as far back as 2014, with Councillor Jaimie McEvoy asking during the hearing about the cost of restoring the church. It’s approaching $7 million, with the potential for that to increase even more – and easily making it, according to the developers – one of the most expensive historical restoration projects New West has ever seen.
Holy Trinity Cathedral held its first Anglican service in 1859; that original structure was destroyed in a fire in 1865. The second church – consecrated in 1867 – managed to survive the Great Fire, which happened Sept. 10, 1898. What you see today does not include the older wooden frame, though the walls and the foundations are much of what was built in the mid 1880s.
Fr. Richard Legget is our next speaker. Wants to note that when they're talking about revitalization, they're talking about revitalizing the purpose - to fit service, pastoral care, taking care of the neighbourhood. Says the existing buildings can't do that.
— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf)
2:25 AM • Jul 1, 2022
Aside from offering a variety of masses, the space is home to a number of community groups, including ESL classes and the food hub.