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Travel Story

A backcountry treasure

Historic Church of the Holy Cross in bad repair

On a trip to the St. Agnes Well hot springs, my son told me to drive a few kilometers further to the small Indian town of Skookumchuk on the Lillooet River to see the picturesque Church of the Holy Cross. "Picturesque" does not even describe half of what this church is all about. It sure is photogenic – it’s also an exceptional artistic work, odd and bizarrely out of place. But all that makes this delicate wooden structure worth a visit.

In the mid-1800s this Skookumchuck, not to be confused with all the other places by the same name in B.C. that are near "swift moving waters," must have been a little boomtown since it was right on the Harrison-Lillooet gold-rush route that provided the initial access to the goldfields and the settlements of the Interior.

About 55 kilometres off the Duffey Lake Road, along the logging road on the east side of Lillooet Lake, one suddenly finds – totally unexpected – three tall church steeples below the road on the right in the small Skatin First Nations Reserve that borders the Lillooet River. The town, with only about 15 or so homes, was sizzling in the midday sun. Two very cute children were playing on a veranda in the shade; a few stray dogs were the only other signs of life. The girl, Baby Darling, said she was living across the street next to the church. I am not a churchgoer by any means and only visit them if I can find historical or artistic value. I was happily surprised this time.

It is rarely that you find a treasure of this significance on a backcountry road in B.C. Seen from the logging road, there is the graveyard with its Gothic arch halfway down the hill, and the church below that looks almost surreal with its octagonal, cathedral-like spires, incongruous against a backdrop of forest and coastal mountains.

This church was built exactly 100 years ago by local craftsmen under guidance of Oblate missionaries, most likely from Quebec, and after French design. Once I got closer, around the bends and down to the front entrance, I could see the poor condition of this historic church. The harsh climate has taken its toll and the plain white paint is flaking everywhere. Some smaller windows are patched with cardboard or triplex but the large rosette window on the front and neo-gothic windows on the side are still in fairly good shape. Most impressive, however, are the three tall steeples and the fact that everything is still standing and not burned down after 100 years. That is a miracle by itself.

With no sign of anybody around to let me in, I was hoping the doors would not be locked. They weren’t, and with a bit of perseverance I pushed a heavy door carefully open and walked inside to see a much more grandiose interior then the outside would suggest. The sun created a cheerful, vibrant effect through the bright coloured stained-glass windows. They made me think of my house in Mexico, warm and cozy. Mind you, it would be different here in winter with no insulation and only one large wood burning stove in the centre.

Just like the outside, the interior is entirely made out of wood. Three altars, statues, moldings, confessionals, pews, the peace-dove in the centre of the ceiling, make it all a true masterpiece of handcrafted folk art. A description in the book Sacred Places by Vancouver Architect Barry Downs says it precisely: "The altars are the most elaborate pieces in the church and show a dazzling display of niches, canopies and flat pinnacles, crocketed and topped with trefoil finals and crosses in true Gothic splendour. The delicate curved altar railing and the open latticework of the confessional complement and complete this exuberant display."

I wandered around for a while and after shooting a few rolls of film, I went outside the church and closed the door behind me with very mixed feelings. For one, I had found a treasure that I would like to share with more people, but there were none around. Second, that at this time, during strong national and provincial economic growth, there is no money put aside by our so-called "rulers" of the day for proper maintenance to preserve this site for future generations.

This church was nominated a National Historic Site in 1981. Apparently, between 1981 and 1985, the British Columbia Heritage Trust awarded three grants to the Skookumchuk Indian Band, totaling $56,000, for restoration and a new roof. That roof needs replaced again but now the Heritage Trust, with its ample gifts, is history and nothing has been done.

It is a shame that this church is crumbling away while administered by Parks Canada. We do not have that many historic sites to show, and particularly not one of this stature. It is off the beaten track, but that is just what is so unique about this place and should be reason enough to come up with a solid plan to restore the Church of the Holy Cross, before it is too late.

There is a private group at work to help the historic church. They are trying to raise the necessary funds to deal with the repairs demanding immediate attention. The Ama Liisaos Heritage Trust Society can be reached through Sharon Syrette, 604-866-4668, Amaliisaos@canada.com.

Last year, Commonwealth Historic Resources conducted a Commemorative Integrity Statement of the site for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board. A plaque unveiling ceremony is scheduled for September this year.