This weekend: interested in buying The Church By The Sea Inc. fund raising items/souvenirs?

- T-shirts ($15.00 each/2 for $25.)
- Calendars [18-month; July 2011-December 2012] ($15.00 each/2 for $25.)or 1 T-shirt plus 1 calendar for $25.00
- Fridge Magnets $3.00
- Crochet Books $10.00
- Painting "steeple" prints, by artist Phyllis Flynn ($50.00)

This weekend July 23 - 24 2011 at The Avalon Mall
Saturday 10AM - 5PM
Sunday 1PM - 5PM
Display table at Sears interior entrance/CIBC area or contact us anytime via email at [email protected]

Concerned residents and others of PCSP want to ask the Bishop why the steeple has not been placed back on the St. Philip's 1894 Anglican Church Tower, after being torn down over a year ago.

Those attending the Information Session on Sunday, decided spontaneously that they will march and protest at the Bishop's office this Friday at 1PM June 17 2011, in order to get an answer.

If you believe in heritage and restoration, please join the peaceful protestors at 19 Kings Bridge Road, St. John's, in front of The Bishop's office, at The Anglican Diocese of Eastern NL (just up from and opposite the old St. John's Memorial Stadium, now the Dominion Supermarket).

Learn about the future of the St. Philip's 1894 Church, a heritage icon. Presented by the heritage group The Church By The Sea Inc. dedicated to preserving and properly restoring this Municipal Heritage Building. Take a look at the flyer for further information about this important event:

The Church By The Sea Inc. (TheCBTS Inc.) was given standing and participated in discussion of issues raised at the July 22nd Dept. of Municipal Affairs Appeal Board. Kevin Stamp, the lawyer for the Diocese and Parish (the Appellant), challenged our right to participate and tried to prevent anyone other than representatives of the town and church from speaking. The Board rightly allowed TheCBTS Inc. to make a presentation and interventions.

The Chair of the Appeal Board explained that the Diocesan Synod of Eastern Newfoundland & Labrador, and the Anglican Parish of St. Philip's had appealed two decisions made by the Town of Portugal Cove St. Philip's:

1. on March 30 2010, to reject a permit to demolish the old St. Philip's church building;
2. on March 31 2010, to designate the 1894 church as a Municipal Heritage Building.

On July 30 the Eastern Newfoundland Regional Appeal Board reported:

1. "The Board ... found that the Council of the Town of PCSP has the authority to exercise their discretion in the granting of permits ... (the) Council may either approve or refuse a permit. ...The Board will therefore confirm Council's decision".
2. The Board found that the declaration of the church as a heritage property did not involve a development application, revocation of a permit, or a stop work order. ...The Board found that the authority to declare the property as a heritage structure is provided by the Municipalities Act through Sections 200 and 414. ...The Board therefore determined this matter is outside of the jurisdiction of the Board".

TheCBTS Inc. understands that therefore both decisions by the Town of PCSP stand. Hopefully the Appellant will now not spend more money on lawyers to file another appeal. Instead we implore Bishop Pitman (Synod Office 19 King's Bridge Road, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1C 3K4 Telephone: 709-576-6697 Fax: 709-576-7122 [email protected]) to sit down with TheCBTS Inc. to discuss putting the steeple back on the church tower, and preserving the 1894 church building.

An appeal of the above Appeal Board decision has to be filed no later than 10 days after the date of the Board's July 30th decision. Such an appeal would have to go to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland & Labrador Trial Division.

We congratulate the PCSP Town staff and councilors for their success in handling this matter. Please contact them at www.pcsp.ca or 709 895-800 to express your congratulations and interest in saving the old Anglican Church. Special mention should be made of the councilors who recognized the importance of preserving the 1894 building for the Town, and who voted to designate it as a Municipal Heritage Building, including

Mayor: Bill Fagan
Deputy Mayor: Jane Tucker
Councillor: Joe Duggan
Councillor: Doug Neary
Councillor: Gordon Tucker
Councillor: Patsy Whitten

The only councillor voting to demolish the old church, and who was against the 1894 building being designated a Municipal Heritage Building was

Councillor: Moses Tucker

The Town did due diligence in not only making the right decisions in the first place but also defending (at the Appeal Board) its authority to make such decisions.

Congratulations again, and let's move forward to protect the steeple and 1894 church building. The Church By The Sea Inc. is prepared now to properly place the steeple back on the belfry, and is ready to accept responsibility for the 1894 church building - we simply need the church's agreement and permission to do so.

Appeal date set: Thursday July 22 2010 at 9AM at the Holiday Inn, 180 Portugal Cove Road, St. John's.
The Diocesan Synod of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Anglican Parish of St. Philip's have appealed, (through their solicitor Kevin Stamp), to the Regional Appeal Board, Department of Municipal Affairs, two decisions of the Town Council of Portugal Cove-St. Philip�s.

The Town�s two decisions being appealed are:

• The Town Council's rejection (on March 30 2010) of the Parish of St. Philip�s permit request to demolish the old St. Philip�s Anglican Church.
  
  • In its letter (addressed to the Anglican Parish of St. Philip's, Rev. Edward Keeping) the Town: �� noted that the former Anglican Church is considered a landmark property for the Anglican Parish, the Town and the Province, and there is a significant amount of support in the community to find a means to save the facility.�
• The Town Council's designation (on March 31 2010) of the 1894 St. Philip�s Anglican Church to be a Municipal Heritage Building.
  
  • In its letter (addressed to Rt. Rev. Cyrus Pitman, Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador) the Town ��advised that a building designated by Council as a heritage structure shall not be demolished or altered, unless approved by Council�.

In conjunction with The Portugal Cove-St. Philip's (PCSP) Annual Regatta Festival events, at the St. Philip's Marina: "The Church By The Sea" will be having a booth Saturday, July 10th at the PCSP Regatta: face painting, fish pond, smiling darts game, plant sale, genealogy charts. Trace your ancestors to the builders of the 1894 St. Philip's church: add your name and genealogy.

In conjunction with The Portugal Cove-St. Philip's (PCSP) Annual Regatta Festival events:
"The Church By The Sea" will host Afternoon Tea/Desserts at the PCSP Recreation Centre, 1119 Thorburn Road @ 1PM - 4PM. Special "1894 fruit pudding" desserts, served by volunteers dressed in 1894 period costume; plus a Plant Sale; and St. Philip's Old Church artifacts on display - see the actual 1894 workers time booklet and the workers' family trees - trace your ancestors to the builders of the 1894 St. Philip's church - add your name and genealogy. It is an afternoon of history and socialization.

Learn about Saving the Old St. Philip's Church from Demolition.

Demolition Permit
The Anglican Rector and Vestry has asked the Town Council of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's to approve a permit to demolish and remove the 1894 St. Philip's Anglican Church, a heritage icon of the community, the province, and the country. This will be voted on Tuesday March 30th 2010 at the regular Town Council Public Meeting starting 7:30PM.

The Church by the Sea Inc.
The Church by the Sea Inc. (TheCBTS Inc.), a provincial not-for-profit corporation, has been working to preserve the church. Rather than destroy it, we propose to restore it and put it to use as a museum for displaying the history and culture of the parish and the community, the arts and crafts of PCSP citizens, and as a venue for other uses that would be deemed appropriate by the parish.

Proposed Plan
Recently, we submitted a detailed action plan and budget to the parish showing how TheCBTS Inc. would take responsibility for the building and having it designated as a community heritage building under the ownership, guidance and direction of the parish. Unfortunately, the parish has rejected the plan.

Information Session
Come Hear How We Can Save the Old St. Philip's Church
We are extending an open invitation, especially to all residents of the town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, the St. Philip's Anglican Parish, and anyone interested in saving the 1894 church, to come to an Information Session from 2:30 - 3:30pm on Sunday, March 28th at the Town Recreation Center, 119 Thorburn Road.

To show the Town Council your support for preserving the Old St. Philip's Church, please also attend the Town Council Meeting; Tuesday, March 30th at 7:30pm.

The St. Philip's Anglican Parish "Annual (Congregation) Meeting" (for parishioners) will be held Sunday March 14th. at the Church Hall. The regular 10:30AM church service will be followed by a Pot-luck luncheon; then the Annual Meeting will begin. Participation is wanted. The church bulletin states: "decisions have to be made".

At tonight's Portugal Cove-St. Philip's Town Council meeting the permit request to remove the old church will be voted on by Council. The meeting takes place at 7:30pm and all those who care about the future of the church are urged to attend. Come early and let the Councillors know your thoughts before the meeting. The Council needs to see this support so that they know this is a community issue that requires their attention.

Notice has been given (in the November 22 & 29 Church Service Bulletin) that a special meeting of the St. Philip's Anglican Church congregation will be held in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, December 1st at 7PM. All members of the congregation are encouraged to attend. THIS MEETING IS FOR THE CONGREGATION ONLY! Please note, the time of the meeting is 7:00 PM.

Friends of "The Church By The Sea" invite you to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the consecration of St. Philip's old church. Join us on November 20th from 7pm - 9pm at the Rotary Sunshine Park on Thorburn Road. On display you will find old church memorabilia, including the original 1894 workers' names booklet. Come enjoy some cake while you discover our town's rich history. Feel free to share your own pictures, artifacts, or stories of this historic landmark. If you are interested in the future of the old St. Philip's church, it's necessary to do your part now before time runs out.