{"id":29648,"date":"2021-07-15T23:22:34","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T03:22:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=29648"},"modified":"2021-07-22T23:22:29","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T03:22:29","slug":"ground-officially-broken-on-new-aurora-united-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/ground-officially-broken-on-new-aurora-united-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Ground officially broken on new Aurora United Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As they watched their spiritual home be destroyed by fire one April afternoon in 2014, Andy Comar and Lorraine Newton Comar never dreamed it would be more than seven years before they would set foot once again in a church building they could call their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it will likely still be a year or two before they can cross the threshold, a new home for Aurora United Church took a significant step forward on Tuesday morning with an official ground-breaking ceremony at Yonge and Tyler Streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Comars, long-time leaders of the Aurora United Church community, presided over the ceremony, which was also attended by Mayor Tom Mrakas, members of the church council, Succession Developments and representatives from Amica Senior Lifestyles, a partner in the redevelopment that will see a seniors\u2019 resident built alongside the new church and community hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the ceremony, the Reverends, along with Brian North, Chair of the church\u2019s EDGE Property Committee, told The Auroran that the last seven years had been a challenging journey but the July 13 event was the beginning of a long-awaited new chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou watch a blank piece of land for the longest time, now there\u2019s so much happening it hasn\u2019t really felt real for folks until now \u2013 and now it is real and it is happening,\u201d says Newton-Comar. \u201cSome very wise friends from British Columbia, who have gone through similar circumstances, said to us, \u2018Don\u2019t be surprised if it takes ten years.\u2019 We wouldn\u2019t have believed them. Honestly, how can you think in a 10-year increment? I don\u2019t think we could think that far ahead, but it is true. Everything takes time and that is what we\u2019ve learned. At every step, we have learned that it takes more time than we anticipated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, some of the speedbumps along the path to this point were anything but expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. North says the discovery of the remains of nearly 200 early settlers of Aurora on land previously occupied by the church, along with sorting out an easement on the property with Bell Canada, set the rebuild back at least two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The early settlers buried on site were part of the original faith community, but were not claimed by their relatives when the former cemetery was decommissioned for reinterment in Aurora Cemetery on the south end of Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do believe that if we didn\u2019t have the number of remains on the property from the old cemetery and we didn\u2019t have the Bell easement we gave them in 1989, we would be further ahead than where we are,\u201d said Mr. North, noting the remains that were excavated are being held in a secure site until further \u201clegal complications\u201d can be hammered out before their reinterment at the cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the cemetery, where other settlers\u2019 remains were moved more than 150 years ago, the individuals recently re-discovered will be memorialized with a commemorative marker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that the sod has formally been turned, until construction begins in earnest, there is still not a firm timeline on when Aurora United Church will rise from the ashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt might take a couple of years,\u201d says Mr. North. \u201cIt is not something that is going to happen fast. We might find that the church is ready prior to the retirement home being ready. There are still a lot of unknowns. We don\u2019t want to make a lot of promises as to how long and when.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the church community has been \u2013 and remains \u2013 ready to see action on site almost since Day One.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have lost a lot of prominent people over these years that were very involved and influential in the church, which is a sad thing, but we\u2019re still going strong,\u201d says Comar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adds Newton-Comar: \u201cIt\u2019s sad because there were those who would say, \u2018We can hardly wait for the church\u2019 and \u2018I hope I make it to be there,\u2019 and we will certainly remember them when we do get there. Whether you\u2019re there or not, you\u2019re there in spirit and those we\u2019ve lost we will always hold their memory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until that time, Aurora United Church will continue to share space at Trinity Anglican Church, a congregation that opened its doors to the United community just hours after the devastating fire, and hope to welcome parishioners in person once again this fall, pending public health restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of our sister churches are looking at September and our energies are really going towards how we will come back together as a community and [the church] council will be looking at that as soon as we get back,\u201d says Newton-Comar. \u201cWe\u2019re all getting anxious about getting back together and seeing each other in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur outreach ministries have continued during this time. We worried about that more than a year ago what the pandemic would bring to what we normally do and worship has continued, council has continued, the Saturday morning breakfast has continued, this time as an outdoor event, and I think we remain deeply hopeful that the mission of our church is still being realized and we have great hopes for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is coming to be!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir<\/strong>
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/em><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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