Trinity Anglican Church, an intrinsic part of the Saint John skyline since 1879, will begin the second phase of its restoration this spring.

Five years ago the church's steeple began falling apart, and the church has been fundraising to save it since 2018.

Phase one of restoring the steeple wrapped up in September of last year, when Coastal Restoration & Masonry Ltd., a Halifax-based company, finished replacing the old grout used to bind the limestone and the sandstone to the east and south faces of the steeple.

The church's bells, which were decommissioned during the work, have been reinstalled.

Phase two, expected to be completed in August, will involve replacing the grout and fixing loose stones in the west wall, which faces Germain Street.

"It's part of our heritage," said Derek Oland, a warden at Trinity Anglican Church.

"We want to preserve this and continue this for the future and for our grandchildren."

Derek Oland is a warden at Trinity Church. "The parishioners are proud of the building and happy that people are taking an interest in restoring it,' Oland said. 'It’s an icon that people can’t imagine not being here.' (Julia Wright / CBC)

Trinity Anglican Church's steeple began deteriorating because of a botched repair job in the 1960s.

Portland cement, a construction material known for its cheapness and ultra-strong bond, was used to bind the limestone and sandstone to the steeple at that time.

The cement ended up drying and cracking, allowing water in.

"The stones were actually falling down," Oland said, adding many of the hand-shaped limestone and sandstone blocks for the 1800s needed to be reset.

The church bells that have been ringing every hour in uptown Saint John for over a century have been silenced, and there’s a good reason behind it. 1:00

Oland said it would have been more expensive for the church to tear down the steeple than restore it, and he's glad Trinity's steeple didn't meet the same fate as the city's Gothic Arches, which was torn down in December.

Oland believes the Gothic Arches are a reminder of what can happen to old churches when they're neglected.

"It's just awful to see that pile of rubble of what used to be a beautiful church," he said in an interview with Information Morning Saint John.

Three-phase $1-million project

Trinity Anglican Church's steeple restoration is the most substantial renovation the church has seen in many decades.

"It's up to our generation to do this to make sure that … our children and grandchildren will have something that is very important to them."

Restoring the steeple is a three-phase process that's projected to cost around $1 million total.

The church needs to raise $312,000 to meet its goal to complete phase two of the project. So far, it's raised around $250,000.

The church will be holding a fundraiser in support of its steeple fund on Feb. 13. The fundraiser takes place at Trinity Anglican Church and will feature light opera and songs from Broadway musicals performed by Sally Dibblee and Paul Bustin. Tickets cost $45 per person and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.