12 Apostles Campaign to Save St. Thomas

UPDATE: Because of the success of the first two weeks of our campaign, our original goal was increased to $34,125, the amount of the estimated cost for a building condition survey (now completed), and we will continue to add new goals. Many of our donations are coming in offline, and we will continue to add these donations to those received on GoFundMe.

The St. Thomas Restoration Committee of the Moose Factory Heritage and Hospitality Association is working to restore the historic St. Thomas Church. This building and site have been made sacred by generations who have been welcomed, married, and buried here. We want to reopen this heritage building in ways that allow for its original use and new purposes and activities, especially those that serve our entire community by strengthening families, language, and culture. 

We, the “twelve apostles” and our helpers are seeking your donations and stories! 

Jennifer Cool (Campaign Co-Chair) and Jane Scanlon (Campaign Co-Chair, assisted by Daniel Berg), Frances Sutherland (assisted by Mildred Dick), Yvonne Morrison (assisted by Betty Gunner), Andrea Jolly (assisted by the Jolly-Gagnon clan), Rev. Grace Delaney (assisted by Marion Maybee), Heather Moore (assisted by Bill Louttit), Ann Wesley (assisted by Kim Cheechoo), Melissa Cheechoo, Rev. Jim Scanlon (assisted by Doris Thomas), Debora Fleming (assisted by Wendy Kirk), and Most Rev. Anne Germond (assisted by Rev. Patricia Dorland).

To launch this campaign, we are each donating $144 ($12 a day for the 12 days of Christmas) and seeking eleven more individuals, families or groups, like you, to do the same and to share your own stories. But we also welcome other donations of any amount, from any individuals or families. We are also reaching out to local businesses to top up individual donations. 

Please join our Save and Restore St Thomas Facebook Group and share your donations and stories there! 

100% of the funds are going to the St. Thomas Restoration Committee for this project, but GoFundMe donations are being processed through one of our partners, the Synod of the Diocese of Moosonee, to allow for tax receipts to be issued. 

Cash or Cheque donations can be made by contacting Frances Sutherland in Moose Factory or Amelie Wesley in Moosonee or by mail to P.O. Box 360, Moose Factory, ON, P0L 1W0. Please contact us through GoFundMe page or using this form: https://www.mrhha.ca/contact.

Tax Receipts: If you need a tax receipt, make your cheque out to the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee. If you don’t need one, make your cheque out to the Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association. 

We want to hear your stories about why this building matters to you. We want your input on the vision for its restoration and future use. When you donate, as an individual, family or group, please share your reasons for supporting our campaign, or a personal or family story about the importance of the church for you. Your stories or comments can be a brief or long; written or recorded in a short video or audio clip.

Print an pdf information sheet to share with someone off-line.

To get involved, share a longer story, contribute to our vision, or find out more information, get in touch with us: https://www.mrhha.ca/contact 

Supporters & Partners:

This restoration initiative has already received funding through the co-founding jurisdictional members of the MRHHA (Moose Cree First Nation, MoCreebec Eeyoud Council, and the Town of Moosonee), from Wakenagun Community Futures Development Corporation and from the Ontario First Nation Limited Partnership . This initiative is also championed nationally by the National Trust for Canada and is featured on their top 10 list of Endangered Places . The Synod of the Diocese of Moosonee , as the owner of the building, is partnering in the restoration of this deconsecrated church as a heritage venue for the community, as a way of restoring relationships. A long-term co-management agreement with the MRHHA is in preparation, and will give community members a primary voice in the future vision and use of the building. We have also nominated St Thomas Church for inclusion in the World Monuments Watch . Even if we do not end up successful with this application, it has received many letters of support .

View the St Thomas Restoration Committee webpage 

View St Thomas Church in Moose Factory Heritage Documentary Film

Restoration Updates:

Stage One: Emergency works to stabilize and protect the building 

Completed in fall by Innes Construction, with support from Wakenagun Community Futures Development Corporation and the IEDF-BCF Ontario program, the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership, and the MRHHA’s co-founding jurisdictional members: Moose Cree First Nation, MoCreebec Eeyoud Council and the Town of Moosonee.

Stage Two: Planning, investigation, project development & major fundraising

This stage includes building and site surveys and detailed drawings, soil samples, archeological investigations of foundations, timber investigations, structural engineering work, architectural design, etc. It will lead to the production of detailed restoration specifications that can be used for fundraising and tendering.

Stage Three: Full Restoration Work

We hope to be able to start the final stage of major restoration work by summer 2023.