09/11/2026
It is with deep regret that we must announce that the FRAA will no longer be pursuing the restoration of St. Joseph’s Church. A structural assessment for the building was completed this winter which has revealed that the structure is in far worse shape than was initially realized. The estimates to restore the church came in at over $450,000, much higher than the initially quoted $265,000.
We are deeply grateful to Columbia Basin Trust and the CSRD grant in aid program, which helped us fund architectural and engineered drawings for the original scope of the project. Unfortunately, we are a strictly volunteer led organization and do not have the capacity to fund new drawings for the additional work required nor source funding for the total construction cost.
We are also incredibly grateful to the kind donors who contributed to our fund through the Golden & District Community Foundation. Those donations have been redirected to the Foundation’s Community Grant Program, and will be gifted to other community-oriented non-profits this fall.
The FRAA has been experiencing severe financial struggles in the years since COVID, and the loss of this potential income source as a summer Wedding Chapel is a devastating blow. As we do not have the ability to restore the church or keep up with its insurance costs, the FRAA must divest ownership of St. Joseph’s Church as soon as possible. We expect to surrender the land lease to Parks Canada, however we encourage interested parties to reach out to us at [email protected] to discuss the sale or transfer of the property before a final decision is made.
Your FRAA
