19 September 2019- Rundle Rock installation has begun! Concrete pour of the sidewalk and parking curbs was a success and work continues to prepare the parking lot for paving.
18 September 2019- Sidewalks and concrete curbs for the parking lot were poured yesterday. Further progress on the copper installation of the bell tower steeple also on ongoing.
15 September 2019- Thank you Jesus and Mary for another successful week of construction! Ongoing work for the paving of the parking lot and during of concrete walkways and parking curbs will take place this week.
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14 September 2019- Shadow, light, mountains, and statues, what a shrine church we are building!
13 September 2019- Further progress on the copper installation of the bell tower. The detail work on the copper cutting is stunning! Framing now also taking place on the two windows that will be on either side of the stained glass window of Our Lady of the Rockies (and allow for some stunning views of the Three Sisters).
12 September 2019- Further framing on the windows in the east and west transepts. Depending where you stand in the nave you can see Mt. Lady MacDonald and Mt. Grotto to the east and Mt. Lawerence Grassi, Ha Ling and Mt. Rundle to the west!
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11 September 2019- A misty day here in Canmore but please enjoy some photos from a few days ago of the first panels of copper being installed on the Bell Tower Steeple
10 September 2019- Restoration work on the Purgatory Statue continues.
8 September 2019- A final collection, this time in colour, of Friday's install of the Purgatory statue in the Columbarium. And a blessed birthday to our Lady and Queen in heaven! More than 2000 years old and her beauty has not diminished!
7 September 2019- A collection of Black + White photos from yesterday's move of the Purgatory Statue into the Columbarium
6 September 2019- A truly grace filled and monumental day at the new shrine church! Thank you everyone for your prayers and a special thank you to our ecclesiastical artist Josef and the crane team from Radius Projects for their incredible work in placing the statue of Jesus and Mary welcoming the souls in Purgatory within the Columbarium.
3 September 2019- Window and wall framing continues in the transepts of the nave. Further preparation work for the copper installation on the bell tower steeple.
30 August 2019- From the right angles, the clerestory windows in the nave offers some epic views of the mountains!
28 August 2019- Black + White photos do a beautiful job of capturing all the arches that are beginning to appear in the new shrine church!
27 August 2019- Further framing on the bell tower steeple in anticipation of the copper installation. Window Framing of the parish hall also moving forward.
24 August 2019- Preparation work on the bell tower steeple is nearly complete! Now to await the copper!
Please keep in your prayers those taking part in today's bike pilgrimage from St. Mary's in Banff to the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies.
23 August 2019- The marble tops of the statue pedestals have been installed! Now to await the arrival of the statues and continued finishing work on the pedestals.
22 August 2019- As the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies celebrates our Patronal Feast today, the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, here is an exclusive sneak peak on the progress of the stained glass window!
As a gift to our Lady and our Queen, please consider making a donation to our building project.
21 August 2019- Prep work is underway for the copper installation on the upper portion of the bell tower
20 August 2019- The curved arches within the nave and sanctuary are starting to take shape. Window framing in the parish hall has also commenced.
16 August 2019- A beacon of hope in the Bow Valley
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13 August 2019- More rooms are being framed in the new shrine. They include the rosary chapel, family/crying room (one photos shows the view from this room), choir practice room, main sacristy and side entrance for people to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle.
11 August 2019- A Sunday stroll at the new shrine! Great to see the first shipment of Rundle Rock onsite and waiting for install! Catwalk for the bell tower also being installed.
8 August 2019- We can begin to see how the clerestory windows in the new shrine will allow for an interplay of light & shadow throughout the building
6 August 2019- The second and third layers of the exterior are beginning to be put in place. The entire shrine is getting closer to being enclosed in the first layer of the exterior! They are also currently digging the area where the Sacrarium sacristy sinks will drain used holy water and water used to wash the altar linens to prevent it from entering into the sewer.
5 August 2019- The Shrine Church hopes you can enjoy the mountains on this Holiday Monday and for the rest of summer! Our Lady of the Snows, pray for us.
3 August 2019- As the interior framing progresses, we can begin to see various rooms in the nave and sanctuary of the shrine. The sequence of the slideshow is as follows: The Rosary Chapel, Traditional Confessional, Confessional Room, Family Room, Sanctuary Sacristy, Choir Practice Room, Tabernacle, and Back Wall of the Nave for future artwork.
1 August 2019
31 July 2019- Our contractor was recently asked if the new shrine church's exterior will be lime green! Rest assured it will not! It is but one of many layers that make up the exterior of the shrine church.
In the final image of this slideshow we can begin to see the next layer of the exterior that will hold the Rundle Rock finish on the bottom portion of the exterior.
30 July 2019- The forms for the statue pedestals (except the one for the statue of St. Catherine of Siena) have been removed. The wooden recessed portions will be where marble frontals and rosettes will be place in the pedestals in the two transepts.
The top and bottom portion of each pedestal will be in marble and the remaining exposed concrete will be sanded and polished prior to the statues being installed.
Also seen here is the wheelchair accessible ramp to enter the sanctuary and to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle.
28 July 2019- Some photos of the Shrine from Fr. Nathan's ascent and summit up Mt Lady MacDonald this afternoon.
27 July 2019- The pedestals for the Shrine's statuary have been poured! They included the statue of Jesus meeting the Souls in Purgatory in the Columbarium, The Death of St. Joseph statue set in the west transept, the statue of Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth in the east transept and the statue of St. Catherine of Siena in the Rosary Chapel.
22 July 2019- The Sanctuary concrete slab has been poured! The steel frames for the sanctuary gate are also in place and the back wall of the shrine where the Tabernacle will be is ready for it to be eventually installed.
19 July 2019
17 July 2019- The Steeple Cross was illuminated for the first time this evening! With many thanks to Mike's Electric for their diligent work to find lighting that would fit our custom made steeple cross! May this white Marian cross be a sign of the divine love of Christ and the pure love of the Blessed Virgin.
17 July 2019- Exterior walls continue to be prepared for Rundle Rock and EIFS installation. Foam insulation is in place for the concrete pour in the main sanctuary. The steel frame for the sanctuary gate is also in place.
16 July 2019- Please check out our construction update for the first part of July
9 July 2019
7 July 2019- Thank you to the visitor to our parish who captured these amazing photos of the Shrine Church after yesterday evening's downpour!
6 July 2019- While these are just tarps hung up around the shrine church to keep the newly poured concrete slab dry, do they not inspire to one day make all the windows in the shrine church stainglass???
5 July 2019- Concrete slab pour of the nave and sanctuary was a success! The elevated portion of the sanctuary remains to be poured. Our Lady of the Rockies, Our Mother and Our Queen, thank you!
4 July 2019- Final Concrete pour is underway! Lots of rain today so please pray for everyone onsite to stay dry and power through the elements!
3 July 2019- The Shrine is nearly prepared for tomorrow's final concrete slab pour! Please pray for everyone who will be onsite tomorrow!
1 July 2019- A Blessed Canada Day from The Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies!
June 2019- Stay tuned for more Construction Update Pages in the parish bulletin, both print and online versions
27 June 2019- Rain in Canmore today. Let's pray for the sunshine to return for our workers!
26 June 2019
25 June 2019- Please check out this YouTube link to see a time lapse video of the Shrine Church's construction from March 2019 to the present:
21 June 2019- Great to have visitors from Calgary and Naples, Fl onsite today! Also exciting see where the Tabernacle will reign as the beating heart of the Shrine Church!
19 June 2019- Our Steering Committee visited the shrine today. Windows are starting to be framed and prep work for next week's final concrete pour is well underway! Thank you St. Joseph for all you have done and continue to do for our building project!
17 June 2019- More photos of the shrine's construction progress coming in the next few days. In the meantime, here is Fr. Nathan and his brother Matthew looking out at the shrine while rock climbing on the East End of Mt. Rundle!
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13 June 2019- Second concrete pour underway! With thanks to St. Anthony of Padua for finding the sunshine today! Prep work for the third concrete also underway.
12 June 2019- Second layer of roofing continues over the nave and sanctuary. Wall framing for the parish office underway and prep work for tomorrow's second concrete slab pour almost complete. Please pray for warm and dry weather tomorrow!
10 June 2019
As we honour Mary today under the title of Mother of the Church, may her maternal love be showered down upon the shrine we are building in her honour.
6 June 2019- Pour for the concrete slab of the parish hall/kitchen and offices was a success! Now prepping for the concrete pour in the narthex, columbarium, two meeting rooms, sacristy/vestry, and front and parking lot entrances into the new shrine church!
5 June 2019- Framing continues at the new shrine.
31 May 2019
This marble depiction of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be featured in the rosary chapel of the new shrine!
30 May 2019- Concrete slab pour in the parish office and hall is currently under way. Please say a prayer for the rain to stay away today! St. Vincent Ferrer and Our Lady of the Rockies, pray for us!
28 May 2019
Sad to see smoke in the Bow Valley but construction at the new shrine church carries on!
25 May 2019- First layer of roofing is complete over the entire shrine! These views come from the various trails near the shrine that can be used for pilgrimage and meditative walks.
24 May 2019
Rain or Shine construction continues at the new shrine!
22 May 2019- Concrete Slab preparation, wall framing and roofing now taking place in the nave and sanctuary of the new shrine church. Every day that much closer to completion! With thanks for the hard work and dedication of all trades involved in our building project!
20 May 2019
Roofing continues at the new shrine and wall framing has begun on the second floor.
11 May 2019
Polishing continues on the second floor concrete slab
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Roofing now taking place over the narthex, columbarium and beginning on the transepts
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9 May 2019- Today's pour of the Second Floor Concrete Slab was a success! Check out the slideshow below to see how it unfolded...
Everything is prepared for the pour of the concrete slab on the second floor meeting room. Say a prayer for all involved today around 10am. St Vincent Ferrer, one of the patron saint of those who work in construction, pray for us.
8 May 2019
Less glamorous shots of the new shrine but great to see all the necessary pipes, conduits and wires are going in place before the concrete slab is poured!
4 May 2019
As wonderful as it is to see the roofing continue at the new shrine church, I must admit i'll miss these spectacular views of the steel superstructure! St. Eligius, pray for us!
1 May 2019
Today’s Feast of St. Joseph the Worker marks one year until the Dedication and Opening of the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies!!!
This marble image of the Nazareth Workshop will appear in the rosary chapel of the new shrine church.
To kick off this one year countdown to the new shrine’s opening, would you kindly offer a donation for our building project? Donations can be made online at the DONATE section of this website
30 April 2019
The shrine church at the end of April 2019. Tomorrow begins the one year count down to opening!!!
27 April 2019
Despite the ice and snow, today's visit to the new shrine church and signing of the columns in the nave and sanctuary was a great success!
Thank you to everyone who were present onsite today!
A special thanks to the Bouchard Family for the photos of their children signing the columns.
For more photos of this event, please check out this link:
https://www.colleensphotoscanmore.com/Client-Access/Our-Lady-of-the-Rockies/2019-OLR-Beam-Signing-WEB-Ready/
25 April 2019
First layer of roofing continues at the new shrine church. Our Parish is excited for the beams signing and site visit this Saturday from 1-3pm! Be advised they are calling for snow in Canmore so please dress warmly and check for road conditions before you make the journey to the mountains!!!
24 April 2019
Let us remember that the Holy Cross is our one true light in the midst of the world's darkness.
Please keep in your prayers all who were effected by the recent terror attacks in Sri Lanka.
22 April 2019
Are you interested in visiting the site of the new diocesan Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies (located at 2 Silvertip Trail, Canmore, AB, T1W-2Z7)?
Please join us on Saturday April 27th from 1:00-3:00pm to visit the magnificent steel structure of the new shrine church for a tour and to write your name on the steel beams throughout the new shrine.
Donations for the construction of the new diocesan shrine are graciously accepted at this event.
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As this is a visit to a construction site, please be aware of the necessary clothing requirements: • No open shoes, no sandals, no heels, no flats. A sturdy shoe is suggested and steel toe boots would be preferred
• T-shirts or long sleeves, no tank tops
• Pants only: no shorts, no skirts, no capris, no dresses
• No dangling jewellery or scarves
There is limited parking at the construction site so please consider carpooling to this event.
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21 April 2019
A Blessed Easter to one and all!!!
19 April 2019
Please join us today for the Outdoor Way of the Cross, beginning at 10:00am @ St. Michael's Anglican church (709 7st, Canmore)
Later, please join us for the Commemoration of the Passion of the Lord, 3:00pm @ Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy (3100a Stewart Creek Dr, Canmore)
18 April 2019
Holy Thursday Moon over the Shrine
Please join us for The Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:00pm @ Our Lady of the Snows Academy (3100A Stewart Creek Dr, Canmore).
One hour of Eucharistic Adoration at the Altar of Repose will follow the conclusion of Mass.
16 April 2019
Roofing has begun!
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This room above the parish offices will be used for meetings, faith studies, conferences, etc.
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12 April 2019
Today was an exciting day at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies! The bell tower and steeple were installed in three stages: First the Bell Tower, then the connection of the cross to the steeple, and finally the steeple was connected to the bell tower.
Here are some photos of the action from earlier today!
Preparing to install the bell tower
Lift High the Cross!
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Bell tower in place and ready for the steeple!
Cross preparing to be connected to the steeple
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Preparing to connect the steeple and bell tower
The Heavens bestow sunlight on the new shrine!
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Connection complete! The crane had only about 1.5 feet until it was maxed out! Thank you St. Eligius for your intercession!
Torquing bolts at 100 feet above the earth!
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12 April 2019
STAGE THREE - Workers installing the bell tower, last of the superstructure.
9 April 2019
Our steel workers installed the beams that were signed by the staff and students of Our Lady of the Snows Academy and some members of our parish. These beams will be above where the Tabernacle will be in the new shrine church!!!
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7 April 2019
The steel superstructure is nearing completion!
4 April 2019
West transept window
Our steel workers connecting the east and west transepts to the nave and the sanctuary.
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Mt Lawrence Grassi and our new shrine church! Centre section of roof being set in place.
Inside the west transept will be 7 of the Stations of the Cross and the Statue set of the Death of St. Joseph, accompanied by the Blessed Virgin and Our Lord Jesus Christ
Thank you Lord for how beautifully all the steel pieces are fitting together perfectly!
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2 April 2019
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Stage 2 - The sanctuary framing is underway. The roof is much higher than the first stage.
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31 March 2019
What an exciting first month of steel construction! Please pray for the ongoing success of the construction our new shrine church!
28 March 2019
The bell tower. The three bells will go inside the three section
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The Parish Hall. The three front windows of the parish hall will be among the largest in all of Canmore!!!
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The roof of the Parish Hall
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View from what will be the back parking lot of the shrine church.
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24 March 2019
17 March 2019
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Many thanks for our corporate donors and sponsors
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15 March 2019
Inside of the narthex. The square top is where the bell tower will be placed
Not a bad view eh?!
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Cross beams for the second floor meeting room, above where the parish offices will be
Parish Office side of the new shrine
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14 March 2019
The base of the bell tower is being put in place
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View from what will be the nave into the narthex. The narthex is the main gathering area before you enter into the nave and sanctuary of the shrine church
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10 March 2019
The Parish Hall, Parish Offices and Narthex are starting to take shape. New Steel is arriving daily!
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Phase One of steel construction has begun!
St. Eligius, patron saint of metalworkers, pray for us and keep our workers safe!
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7 March 2019
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The steel has arrived! It is being put up mostly by cranes.
UPDATE - December 15, 2018
December 15/16, 2018
Dear Parishioners,
We are pleased to provide you with this update on the construction of our new Shrine church.
Project Status
- The civil work of the site which includes site grading and tie-ins of most all of the utilities (storm water, sanitary, water lines) is completed
- Working with Fortis to have primary power brought onto site prior to steel arriving on-site in February. All electrical conduits from property line to the building are complete. Natural gas line to be installed Spring 2019.
- AltaLink has replaced and relocated the two high voltage power poles that cross our site.
- The foundation of the building started with the drilling of 141 piles, some as large as 16” in diameter and drilled to a typical depth of 33 feet and as deep as 60 feet. All piles and pile caps are installed and complete.
- The concrete foundation of the building is backfilled and complete.
- Two light poles that are currently in the middle of the new drive aisle will be relocated by the end of December. This will allow the main access off Palliser road to be complete.
- The steel members are slated to arrive in late February and will be erected in the beginning of March. Fortunately, our steel is being manufactured at specialty shops in Europe and Eastern Europe to avoid the large tariffs that would have been applied had the steel been ordered from the United States.
- Our new Architect, NORR completed a comprehensive review of the prior architect and engineers’ drawings and re-certified them for construction. The revised Issued for Construction drawings were submitted to the Town of Canmore on October 18th.
We are pleased to announce that the official dedication and opening of the new Shrine Church will take place on Friday May 1st, 2020, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the start of the Marian month of May. We have locked this date into Bishop McGrattan’s calendar and will begin planning a weekend of celebration of this most momentous and joyous occasion.
MODCO’s construction schedule forecasts that the new Shrine Church will actually be completed earlier in the Spring of 2020 so we plan to have a couple of months to settle into the new building before the opening dedication celebration.
Project Cost
Working with NORR’s revised drawings and the updated project schedule, MODCO completed a full re-costing of the project in November/December, 2018. While many of the sub trades’ tenders remained the same, the all-in cost of the project has moved from $15.1 million to $16.4 million, representing an increase of $1.3 million or 8%. We absorbed additional costs in transitioning our consultant teams in addition to the revised tendering. The items that saw the largest price increases include: civil work, pilings, HVAC and steel. It is important to note that we are still carrying a $500,000 contingency in the project cost.
The following table shows summarizes our new financial situation for the project.
($ million) May-18 Dec-18
Building Cost $15.1 $16.4
Land Donation $3.3 $3.3
Total Project $18.4 $19.7
Financing
Land Donation $3.3 $3.3
Sale of Existing Site $4.1 $4.1
Donations To-Date $4.0 $4.0
Amount Still To-Raise
$7.0 $8.3
Total $18.4 $19.7
Percent Funded To-Date 62% 58%
Fundraising Strategy
We are pleased that the effort to sponsor key elements of the new Shrine that was launched in May of this year has raised over $300,000. Once the steel begins to be erected in March and the skeleton of the new Shrine emerges, we are planning to relaunch our fundraising efforts for the project in earnest. We and the Diocese believe that our magnificent Shrine will be a special place of worship, not just for our Parish in Canmore but for the Diocese as a whole, the Catholic Church in Canada and throughout the world. We also believe that there will many Marian organizations and pilgrimage groups that will be keen to visit and support our new Shrine. Accordingly, starting in March 2019, we are planning to reach out to a number of identified wealthy donors throughout Western Canada who could be interested in supporting the construction of the new Shrine.
While we might not be able to pay for all of the project costs before our opening ceremony in May 2020, we believe that once we open the doors in 2020, many donors will emerge to help us pay off our remaining mortgage….it is sort of like the saying from the movie Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come”.
It is important to note that the Diocese is aware of all of these new financial numbers and is fully supportive of completing the entire project rather than leaving some elements unfinished. As a Shrine, it must have a long-term vision.
Closing
We have all come a long way on this journey to build our new Shrine church but we believe that we have made very substantial and positive progress on the project in the past six months. NORR has been a breath of fresh air for all of us and allowed us to get this project back on track with a clear line of site on the completion date and project costs.
We ask for your continuing prayers for our project and all of the construction people working on the site. We thank your again for your generosity and support for all members of the project team.
In Jesus through Mary.
The Steering Committee.