Willowdale Zion Presbyterian Church has arrived at Sunnybrook Farm Museum.
The church, which was located 10 km southeast of Red Deer, arrived very early Friday morning after it was driven into the city on a flatbed truck late Thursday night.
The original Willowdale church was constructed in the early 1900s and was rebuilt in 1950.
The museum’s first church will sit next to the historic Calder School that was moved to the south end of the museum’s 10-acre property in 2017.
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Floyd Moritz, site superintendent with Shunda Construction, said moving the church required the assistance of city and Fortis workers.
“They had to turn some street lights and lift some wires,” said Mortiz who expected the church to be positioned on its foundation before noon on Friday.
Work on the church’s new foundation at the museum started in early October. Steel beams were used to hoist the church onto the flatbed and onto the foundation.
Shunda will soon begin the restoration of the church.
“The priority right now is to get the heat in the basement, all the holes closed up, get a floorboard downstairs.”
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The basement will be used to store artifacts that aren’t on permanent display, and the main floor will be the museum’s church exhibition.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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