This year, Christ Church is celebrating the completion of the repair work on the tower and spire of the cathedral.  Due to corrosion, repair of the spire was urgent, but the process involved complex planning and engineering given the age of the building and the complexity of the site.  In celebration, the Cathedral will be sharing this story with the larger community.

During your visit, you can learn about the history of the cathedral spire and the recent repairs, as well as enjoy displays on the social and architectural history of the Cathedral. These include:

The History of a Spire in the Heart of Montreal – Learn about the history of the spire and some of the challenges faced by the architects and engineers in trying to reinforce the tower and repair the spire along with its clock and church bells.

Citizens of Montreal – Information regarding some of the reputable, and at times disreputable, citizens of Montreal who are commemorated in the plaques on the walls.

Self–guided tours – Use your cell phone to explore the architecture.  There is one tour of the interior and another of the exterior.

Printed information – Printed information will be available to explain the meaning of the many symbols found in the cathedral.  Members of the Cathedral will also be present to answer questions.

Fun for everyone! Scavenger hunts for children, young and old, encouraging everyone to explore the building and its history.

Needlepoint and the Cathedral: a long history illustrated in a special exhibition – The association between needlework and Cathedrals dates from at least the Middle Ages when both monasteries and convents, men and women, produced beautiful robes for use during services.  In fact, it is only in the last two hundred years that needlework became associated with femininity.  (There were exceptions to this, sailors for example, but that is another story.)  This association was reflected in the beautiful embroidery and needlepoint work done by women at the Cathedral since it was built in 1859. Visitors will be able to see examples of needlepoint and learn about the longer history of needlework at the Cathedral and in the history of the Church.  Visitors will be able to try a few stitches themselves!
In addition there will be the following special event on Saturday, September 9 at 11 am :

Public conference (in French): Saturday September 9, 11 :00 a.m.

Lise Desjardins (OAQ, APT)
Montreal Christ Church Cathedral – La révolution industrielle au service du patrimoine religieux

Lise Desjardins is the architect overseeing the work on the spire of Christ Church Cathedral.  Having a background in both engineering and architecture, she has managed a number of complex heritage conservation projects involving both challenging engineering problems and knowledge of architectural history.  She is currently working at EVOQ Architecture and teaches in the area of architectural technology at Collège Montmorency.  She is an active member of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTi). Click here to read her biography. The conference will be in French.  Questions may be asked in either French or English.