During this year’s Columbia Basin cultural tour discover one of Nelson’s heritage jewels and enjoy the A Cathedral Whispers presentation on the magnificent memorial stained glass windows at St. Saviour’s Anglican Church.
The church, located at the corner of Silica and Ward Streets, will be open Saturday August 13 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday August 14 from 1 p.m. till 5 p.m. as part of the tour.
In addition to this; at 2 p.m. each day local history researcher Greg Scott will give a half-hour presentation highlighting the people and history of the 16 memorial stained glass windows and some of the memorial plaques in the church.
These stained glass windows are unique and collectively the best example of church stained glass in the Kootenays and on par with those in Cathedrals in Vancouver and Victoria.
St. Saviour’s Pro-Cathedral is a by-law designated heritage church built in 1898 and rebuilt in 1929 after a disastrous fire. It is an excellent example of Gothic Perpendicular church architecture and its impressive size and detailing make the building a stand-out among its contemporary Pprotestant churches, which are generally much smaller, and very simply detailed.
In addition to half-timbered and carved wood architectural highlights, the church contains 16 memorial stained glass windows, including the remarkable Good Shepherd window, as well as numerous memorial plaques and furniture.
The church is also open for self-guided tours 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday inclusive, during the months of July and August. Volunteer tour guides are in attendance to answer questions or, alternately, visitors can pick up an informational pamphlet for a self guided tour or just enjoy a quiet contemplative time.
Admission is free to the daily tours, though donations are accepted and books detailing the church’s history are available. The church is also open Sundays for regular service at 10:30 am.