The All Saints Anglican Church in Duck Lake was deconsecrated in 2021. It is badly deteriorated and will be taken down. (submitted photo/Alex Parsons)

By Susan McNeil

Bell tolls for church

Historic Duck Lake church to be dismantled

Oct 17, 2022 | 4:00 PM

The old church at Duck Lake has been deconsecrated and will be dismantled, the Anglican Church says.

In the time since it was deconsecrated, the building has deteriorated badly for multiple reasons, Alex Parsons, executive archdeacon with the Diocese of Saskatoon said.

“At the moment, the church is still somewhat standing. It has become an oversized pigeon coop. It has been vandalized over the last couple years. We haven’t had services there since 2018,” Parsons said.

The contents have been taken out and some went to the local museum. A local person was contracted to take care of the weeds and straighten any gravestones that need it but the building has been deemed irreparable.

“It does have to come down but there isn’t a fixed date for doing so. That’s somewhat based on funds and the availability of contractors,” he said.

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Once the building is removed, it will be replaced with a memorial plaque but the cemetery will get continual maintenance by church volunteers or contractors until either the province or the town takes over.

“Yes, it was a historic building but it’s in such a state of disrepair and rot and damage that it is unreclaimable in its present state,” Parsons said.

The interior of the church before all the contents were removed. (submitted photo/Alex Parsons)

All of the windows have been broken, the pigeon smell is overwhelming, and the building is sagging on its foundation.

The cemetery is still an operating facility although no one has been buried there recently.

The final service in the building was conducted in 2018 and there are no parishioners that would regularly attend services there anymore.

The family that cared for the property can no longer do so, Parsons explained.

The church is willing to share pieces of the remaining building to those who may want to reclaim the wooden features.

“There is a lot of wood in there that could be re-purposed,” Parsons said. “It would be great if someone would come and take the wood and take it down. They could have it. If it can be re-purposed, that would be wonderful.”

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com