Canada’s abundant supply of empty churches has led to a dilemma as towns and cities grappling with housing shortages and higher rents consider the structures too important to demolish but difficult to revive.
Leanne Moussa, the president at All Saints Developments and chair of The Other Hill, was undaunted by the challenges when she set her sights on the All Saints Church, a once-thriving Anglican house of worship completed in 1899 at 315 Chapel St. in the Sandy Hill section of Ottawa. The church closed in 2014 when the Anglican Diocese merged it with another church.
Moussa and a community group acquired the property nine years ago and have made several improvements, including adding retail space. Now, the property is set for another injection of activity with the impending addition of a nine-floor residential high-rise. Windmill Developments, a real estate developer with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, is set to build 121 condos to replace an older adjacent building now being used as a sales office.
The project comes at a time when Canada’s housing shortage continues and apartment rents increase. The average monthly rent in Ottawa rose to $2,229 in April, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
Meanwhile churches have become less in demand. The National Trust for Canada estimated in 2019 that 9,000 churches would disappear within a decade. The province of Quebec, also keeps close tabs on its religious properties, and found that 25% of the 2,746 churches that existed in 2003 had closed since then.
That provides more opportunity for Windmill Developments, the redeveloper of other religious properties including the Stone Abbey condos in Ottawa last year and the Unions Lofts in Toronto about a decade ago. As a result, Windmill Developments President Jeremy Reeds said he was receptive when Moussa pitched a residential component to the All Saints Church.
"She had a vision and she reached out to us knowing our history and track record in partnerships like this," said Reeds in an interview. "Leanne has been instrumental in the partnership by really focusing on working with us and leading engagement of the community in shaping the project, resulting in the project being tailored to what the people want."
Church property with history
The All Saints property has history and is home to a nine-bell chime tower and stained glass tributes to World War I servicemen and a former Prime Minister, Sir Robert Borden, whose state funeral was held in the church.
In 2016, Moussa and the community group purchased the church property for $1.52 million and undertook several meetings with residents and city officials to help usher in a series of zoning changes that would allow the church and a next-door location to be put to a higher and better use.
A couple of million dollars in renovations later, Moussa oversaw the opening of a bakery and restaurant with a terrace and the area has transformed into a lively spot. Moussa said she is enthused by the final result.
“A property like this can add heritage character to an area," Moussa said in an interview. "To not have contemporary uses in a heritage building is a waste. If you take a heritage building and influence it and make it into a relevant base, that infuses communities."
Windmill's planned condo development at the property will cater to residents, including students, families and seniors. It will contain balconies, terraces, a rooftop patio, coworking space and other amenities, including indoor parking, said Reeds. He said the firm hopes to start selling units within the next few weeks and have the new homes ready by 2028.