Saint Joachim Church closer to $1.4 million goal for renovations

Saint Joachim Roman Catholic Church is closer than ever to its more than million dollar goal and renovations are progressing nicely as the church celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.

“We are just shy of the $900,000 mark to date,” said Lucien Grenier, president of the 125 Committee of Saint-Joachim Parish. “We need $1.4 million. So, it’s in sight.”

As part of that fundraising, the committee is hosting a 1920s themed gala on Saturday.

“The gala is an elegant, really – we’re trying to do a high-class, very elegant, very chic gala. And we’re using the theme of the 1920s, so we’re trying to dress up in that style. People don’t need to dress up in that style, but that is the theme…since it goes good with the year of the church itself. So, really high-class, really elegant, really—in French, we would say chic,” said Grenier.

The gala will be held at Bentwood Hall on Highway 52 just east of Steinbach. Grenier said 2,500 tickets have been sold to date, but there are still about 10 to 15 available for $20 each. At the gala, the winners of the sold out raffle will be announced. The committee is raffling off an ATV, the rental of a houseboat in Lake of the Woods in Kenora, and a $1,000 Clearview Co-op gift card. All the money goes towards church renovations.

To date, the renovations include the complete restoration and replacement of the windows, new lighting, insulation in the roof and walls, a new accessibility ramp and exterior doors, installation of weeping tiles and water barrier protection for the basement and foundation to prevent water damage.

The committee now has to fundraise to repair the brick work, the fascia, soffits, eavestroughs, downspouts, roof repair, and the addition of a room in the basement for meetings and educational purposes. Grenier said while the foundation needs to be stabilized and the joists and teleposts have to be brought to code, the church is still usable as there is no safety concerns.

Grenier said it feels really good that two years ago today, he was with his co-chair, vice-president Ron St. Hilaire, and the church had no money for the renovations so he, St. Hilaire and other committee members each gave a set amount of dollars to kick things off.

Grenier said it’s really great to see how the community of La Broquerie has come together to support the renovations.

“It really feels good seeing the community come around. And not only the community, it’s other communities. We’ve got money coming in from different provinces – from Quebec, from Ontario, and stuff like that. So, it’s just fabulous to be able to see all that that’s coming along, which is unbelievable after you see from where we started to where we’re at.

“And I know one organization in Quebec…we had to send a report every time, and they’re so pumped (for) what we’ve accomplished.”

Grenier was told by donors outside of La Broquerie that they are supporting the Saint Joachim renovations because they appreciate the history of the church and the restoration project.

“They see the value in restoring historical buildings,” he said, noting local tradespeople are hired to do the restoration work.

The church has a municipal heritage site designation from the province and not only is it getting provincial recognition, but national and international as well. Grenier said people from France, Norway, and Germany have come to La Broquerie specifically to view the church. Grenier said he doesn’t know how the church and the project are becoming known outside of La Broquerie as the committee and the church do no promotion.

Grenier expects to have the church fully renovated by September 2028.

For those who would like to purchase tickets to the gala, call Grenier at 204-981-7549.