H&G: Creating sanctuary
When Keith and Dianne Hanley purchased the former Avening United Church on Dec. 31, 2014, they had no intention of making it their home. The old church lacked a well, septic system and central heating and it was widely thought that, due to lot size, it would not be possible to make needed improvements. The building did, however, provide storage for Keith’s motorcycle collection.
The building was originally a frame structure, which opened as a Methodist Church in February 1872. The brick cladding was added in the 1920s and the last United Church service was celebrated in June 2014.
The Hanleys were familiar with the area, having skied at Blue Mountain for years. They were looking for a piece of property on which to build.
Four years later, as the cost of vacant land continued to rise, they began asking themselves, “why not renovate the church?” That began a series of hurdles with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) and the Township of Clearview to secure necessary approvals. They had to provide their own geo-technical survey to satisfy the NVCA that the building was not at risk from flood waters. Then township planners advised that the lot size was not sufficient to install a well and septic system. Keith, a long- time manager of major construction projects, had done his homework and asked the township to consider a space- saving Waterloo Bio Filter system, which was eventually approved. The entire process of securing a building permit took more than a year and a half.
They were finally ready to begin construction, just as the pandemic hit. Custom arch-top windows and some structural steel were already on site when the cost of trades and building materials went through the roof. Keith had many contacts in the industry and was able to work with some trades from Barrie and Toronto as well as local contractors but the pandemic caused many delays. Companies did not want the owner on site in an effort to keep their crews healthy, and it was not possible to overlap scheduling for different crews. Supply chain issues meant long delays for things like custom cabinetry.
Dianne says Keith’s fascination with church architecture dates back to work he did on major Toronto churches including St. Paul’s Basilica prior to the Pope’s visit in 2002. They both loved the idea of renovating a church to honour the historical significance ofthe building while creating something unique. Initially, the Avening church was two levels, the ground floor sanctuary and a walk-out basement. Keith says they basically built a new house inside the exterior walls. The ceiling height in the basement was increased and the sanctuary level, which originally had 24-foot ceilings at the peak, was divided into two levels to allow for living space on the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs.
Keith is a master carpenter and stone mason by trade. Even having done much of the work himself, he estimates they have invested more than $800,000 in the renovation. Because the property needed to be rezoned from institutional to residential, they incurred approximately $22,000 in land development fees. He became an ordained minister, and investigated the option of maintaining the lower level as a house of worship before deciding to bite the bullet and give Caesar his due.
The Hanleys lived in a travel trailer adjacent to the church for more than a year while work was underway and were finally able to move in just before Christmas of 2021. There are several small projects to be finished, including installation of some stained glass panels salvaged from a downtown Toronto hotel. The original stained glass windows were not included in the sale of the church. They are in the possession of New Lowell United Church and local parish families.
Keith still wants to finish the 1,000 square foot basement level but the house is largely complete and the Hanleys are enjoying the relaxed pace of life in Avening.
This article appeared in The Creemore Echo’s spring Home and Garden edition on May 19, 2023.
