Sacred Heart Catholic Mission Church - Windermere, BC
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 50° 24.773 W 115° 54.367
11U E 577721 N 5585110
This little Roman Catholic church is to be found along Highway 93/95 about halfway between Fairmont Hot Springs and Windermere.
Waymark Code: WMVTRY
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 05/25/2017
Views: 0
Though no longer in use, this church housed services for approximately 100 years, serving the Akisqnuk or Columbia Band First nations people.
It was built in or prior to 1899 By Father Nicholas Coccola, a Catholic Missionary who left France for British Columbia in the summer of 1880. It is now our understanding that the Akisqnuk Band intends to restore the church, with the intent of using it for occasional services and events, weddings and funerals.
Father Coccola had, in 1893, with the help of a Ktunaxa native named Pielle, discovered rich Galena ore above what is now the town of Moyie and staked claims. After finding entrepreneurs to develop the mine he and Pielle cashed out for $12,000. He used the proceeds to build churches and hospitals, one of them being this church. It was built on land belonging to the Akisqnuk or Columbia First Nations Band
Father Coccola had a bell cast for the church which was inscribed: "Sacred Heart Church. Columbia Lake Reserve. Reverend N. Coccola, O.H.I. Rector" and the date when the bell was cast - 1899. This bell was stolen from the church in October of 1979.
A graveyard was established in the churchyard. The graveyard and
church are under the jurisdiction of the Columbia Lake Band Office. They had occasional services in the church up until at least 1995 and the graveyard is still used.
