ICOMOS welcomes changed plans for the Église Sainte-Marie

BACKGROUND

The Église Sainte-Marie was constructed under the leadership of Léo-Jean Melanson and stands as a powerful symbol of Acadian history and identity. Following its desacralisation in 2023, the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth requested the removal of its provincial heritage status and its demolition. ICOMOS, jointly with ICOMOS Canada, issued a Heritage Alert in May 2025 in response to the imminent threats, highlighting the church’s international significance and calling for coordinated intervention to safeguard the property at a federal, provincial, and municipal level.

DESTRUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT PLANS HALTED

At a provincial level, the Association Sainte-Marie Héritage et Développement (ASMHD) launched a petition gathering approximately 1,340 signatures and secured a $50,000 grant through the John Bragg Award for Atlantic Canada to support the high-resolution digital scanning of the church. In parallel, an “Opération Pigeon” was led by volunteers to clean and turn the church into a safer working environment for engineers, architects and scanning specialists partaking in preservation efforts.

As an outcome of these achievements, Nova Scotia authorities halted all destruction plans by maintaining the designation of the Église Sainte-Marie under the Nova Scotia Heritage Property Act. On 24 October 2025, ASMHD co-presidents Stéphanie St. Pierre and Gabrielle Bardall won the Governors’ Award of the National Trust of Canada, which honours exemplary heritage initiatives to enhance community identity and demonstrate the social and environmental value of heritage conservation.

LOOKING AHEAD

The ASMHD is now planning to transform the Église Sainte-Marie into a museum dedicated to the history of the Acadian civilisation. This project could significantly contribute to the region’s economic activity and help address its demographic challenges.

What is the goal of ICOMOS Heritage Alerts?

ICOMOS Heritage Alerts are an advocacy tool designed to constructively raise awareness of threats to sites of international importance in the context of local, regional and/or national pressures for, among other, demolition or irreversible character altering actions. ICOMOS’ goal is to provide its internationally recognized professional input in order to encourage thoughtful and respectful conservation, taking into account present as well as future needs and aspirations.

ICOMOS considers the change of plans for the Église Sainte-Marie to be a successful example of the positive impact of such advocacy efforts.