- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

Owen Sound's Community Services committee received a deputation Wednesday evening from the architects of the proposed new rectory for St. Mary's Catholic Church.

The proposal involves demolishing the 1872 rectory, a Second Empire-style building that has structural and safety issues and does not meet current accessibility standards. The project will keep the focus on the central heritage feature – the 1871 medieval style church on the east hill overlooking Owen Sound bay.

A new Parish Centre is currently being built, and it will house the parish offices, creating more separation between the two functions. The new rectory will honour the old while blending with the 2019 structure.

Neil Devlin, chair of the building committee for the current parish centre, told the committee that originally he had supported retaining the old rectory, but reluctantly came to the conclusion that the building had been so severely compromised in renovations over the years that nothing remained of any heritage interior elements. Restoring the building aesthetically and bringing it up to codes and accessibility standards would cost an estimated $4 million. The proposed project could be completed at approximately half the cost.

Devlin also reported that all parishioners from St. Mary's Owen Sound and its eight mission churches from Tobermory to Chatsworth were given an opportunity to see the current situation and the plans, and they were overwhelming in favour of moving ahead with the demolition and new structure.

The Committee unanimously consented to the demolition of the rectory; this will now go to council for approval. The decision in no way presumes any future actions about heritage buildings.

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