Parishioners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church will soon have an improved roof over their head.
Work is underway to repair the roof of the iconic Red Deer church designed by architectural legend Douglas Cardinal.
Lorraine Turchansky, spokeswoman with the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, said work began this summer to redo repairs done after hail damage in 2015.
“Apparently, the product used to repair the roof wasn’t working, so it resulted in leaking from the roof, and further repairs were delayed due to weather conditions and finding someone who could work with the design of the roof,” Turchansky said.
An insurance claim related to the initial repair also delayed the work, she said.
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Built in 1968, with its billowing, brick walls, St. Mary’s is one of Cardinal’s early commissions, and is still considered one of his masterpieces.
In 1983, Cardinal was awarded the commission to design the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Que.
Turchansky said the roof is constructed of separate slabs of concrete, so rain will get in until the new coating has been applied to the entire surface.
The new coating will be a different colour than the one that was used previously.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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