Matthew Farfan

The first phase of restoration work at Holy Trinity Church in picturesque Maple Grove was unveiled this past Sunday. Thanks to the efforts of the newly created Maple Grove Heritage Foundation, with help from Senator Raymond Setlakwe and others, and a grant for $7900 from Canadian Heritage, the church's splendid stained glass windows have all been re-leaded and reinstalled.

To mark the occasion, a ceremony was held at the church, with dignitaries, parishioners, and former parishioners on hand for the event.

Following opening remarks by Rev. Canon Rodney Clark, President of the Maple Grove Foundation, presentations were made by architect Michel Boudreau, historian Renald Turcotte, and artisan Jacques Déry, of Les Verrières du Québec, the firm responsible for re-leading the windows. Speeches were then made by a number of dignitaries, including Senator Setlakwe, Member of Parliament Gérard Binet, MNA Laurent Lessard, and Anglican Bishop Bruce Stavert.

Music was provided by Pierre Chartrand, who played hymns on the fine church harmonium, recently restored with help from the provincial government.

After the speeches, guests were able to inspect the magnificent stained glass windows in all of their glory, enjoy the exquisite woodwork and ambiance of the church, and partake of some delicious refreshments.

Foundation Secretary Joan McCammon commented later that she was "very pleased" with the turn-out for the event, especially considering how overcast a day it was.She was also delighted to see so many French- and English-speaking people on hand. "It shows that our two communities can really work together to protect our heritage," she said.

McCammon emphasized, however, that the work has just begun. "Now we have to come up with a development plan for the church," she explained, "We've just received a grant from the local CLD for $7500, which will help us pay for that, and when it's completed, we'll present it to the provincial government. Hopefully they'll be impressed enough to want to fund the complete restoration of the church."

Until then, McCammon and her colleagues have their work cut out for them. The stained glass, however, will show that they are serious.

Maple Grove is located at the junction of the historic Craig and Gosford Roads, about 15 km northwest of Black Lake (Thetford Mines). Holy Trinity Church is on a hillside overlooking the junction. For more on the history of Maple Grove, click here.

For more photos of the stained glass, click here.


Pictured at right are:
Front row: Ghislain Hamel, Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf; Bishop Bruce Stavert, Anglican Diocese of Quebec; Joan McCammon, Secretary of the Maple Grove Heritage Foundation; Jeanne d'Arc Dubois, Municipal Councillor, Irlande; Rev. Canon Rodney Clark, President of the MGHF; and Beverly Loomis, Board Member of the MGHF. Back row: George McCammon, Vice President of the FHMG; Jacques Beaudoin, Mayor of Irlande; Gérard Binet, MP for Frontenac-Mégantic; James Sweeney; Senator Raymond Setlakwe; George Dinning, Member of the FHMG; and Laurent Lessard, MNA for Frontenac.

(Photos: Matthew Farfan)