A Toronto church has been honoured at the 33^rd annual Toronto Heritage Awards. On Oct. 15, the massive building project at St Paul’s, Bloor Street won the Award of Excellence in Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship. This category recognizes projects that have restored or adapted buildings or structures that have been in existence for forty years or more. In addition to the quality of craftsmanship, appropriateness of materials and the use of sound conservation principles, the jury considers how well the project meets current needs while maintaining the integrity of the original design. 

The architect for the project was Black and Moffat Architects Inc. while the main contractor was J.D. Strachan Construction Ltd.

St. Paul’s had three buildings – the “Old Church” (1860), the “New Church” (1913), and “Cody Hall” (1928). The goal of the Nehemiah Project, as it was dubbed by the congregation, was to provide universal access, security and flexibility while transforming the existing heritage buildings into a functional, cohesive facility that retained the historic architectural design. The project involved extensive restoration work on the masonry, roof and stained glass windows of the old church, as well as interior renovations and the intervention of new architecture to join the three buildings into one space. – Heritage Toronto