‘We’ve achieved a milestone in the history of our indomitable little village’: Wesleyville Church reopens after 2021 fire
By editor/reporter Sarah Hyatt
Five years ago in 2021, during the early-morning hours on the Easter long-weekend, a heartbreaking fire ravaged the 1860s Wesleyville Church.
But almost immediately, the Friends of Wesleyville Village (FOWV) vowed to rise from the ashes and save the cherished church and heritage heart of activity in the village.
Fundraising initiatives quickly launched, and residents, business leaders and more didn’t hesitate to answer the call – and continued to answer the call for help in the years that followed.
“One thing about our community … is we are indomitable,” said an emotional Sue Stickley, chairperson of the FOVW board of directors, while speaking to restoration supporters, project partners, leaders, residents and more, who all gathered last Sunday, Nov. 1 for the official grand-reopening of the church, marking a monumental turning point in the village’s story.
“We really have faced many challenges, and we’re going to conserve this village and it’s going to be used by the community for many, many years to come.”
Her pointed introductory remarks of: “Well, folks, isn’t it great to be back,” received a roaring round of applause.
The reopening celebration offered people a chance to step into the now beautifully-restored church – and take in the new steps to the 1899 schoolhouse. There was music, displays, a harvest-inspired lunch in the schoolhouse, gifts, and fundraising, which included the return of the popular “Celebrity Baking Auction” featuring Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini as auctioneer. Local leaders brought in homemade contributions to help, including Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland who gifted some “beautiful cupcakes.”
Well-known Port Hope resident Blake Holton, who is also a former FOWV director, served as emcee for the celebration.
Holton spoke of the restoration work that had been underway leading up to the fire.
Prior to blaze – which in the community is commonly cited as believed to be “an act of arson” – the volunteer-driven FOVW group was known for working tirelessly to restore the historical buildings housed at the village – including the church, which was the Friends’ first restoration project – and ultimately transforming the area into a rural heritage community hub for all kinds of activities.
Wesleyville has long been considered a community gem because it offers a special heritage experience with its natural landscapes and historic buildings, which offer a glimpse into the past.
“And then some people came one night and started a fire,” said Holton, explaining this meant all that earlier money and work that had gone into the building prior “went up in smoke.”
Damages from the fire were earlier described as significant near the entrance and to the interior despite a quick knockdown by firefighters.
Holton shared that he imagines one day, the person(s) responsible will come to the restored site as grown-ups – they’ll see people working on the lawn or inside, and they’ll become volunteers and make amends.
And the future is bright, attendees of the gathering heard.
“It’s not a church anymore,” noted Holton. “It’s a public meeting space, it’s a concert hall, it’s going to be so many things to so many different people …”
During the gathering, there were a lot of thank-yous – the number of people who came together and tackled some painstaking work to bring the church back to life were many. But it wasn’t just about honouring accomplishments – there was also a focus on securing Wesleyville Village for future generations to come.
The reopening also shone a light on community supporters, project partners, and municipal and provincial support, including Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) capital grants totalling $176,900 in 2025 and 2026 to support church restoration efforts and historic schoolhouse improvements.
“I think this is what a community is all about when you have people who give back to protect our heritage and rich history, and I’m honoured to be here to celebrate the reopening of Wesleyville Village Church, this gathering place, (and) the incredible work that has gone in the schoolhouse as well,” said Piccini, while calling for a round of applause in support of the FOWV board for members’ relentless efforts to see this restoration through.
“Of course, the history dates back to the mid-1800s, and it was such a focal point for the community I believe operating the schoolhouse into the early 1960s and has been a place where we’ve gathered as a community,” continued Piccini. “And I know, as you heard Blake say, (there was) some really horrific arson that ravaged this building before – but when community can come together, there’s no stopping the incredible fortitude and work ethic of Sue (Stickley) and the board and team who have been working collaboratively with the Ontario Trillium Foundation through the Government of Ontario to support the restoration of this space, in addition to incredible philanthropy from community members like all of you,” he told attendees.
Paul Rosebush, chair with the OTF grant review team for the Durham, Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge area, noted the team’s coverage area is massive and they receive hundreds and hundreds of grant applications. Put another way, he admitted it can be hard to get their attention.
“(But) this one we found so deserving of the support of the province and the support of the (Ontario) Trillium Foundation. This is history, but this is also community, and I think those two things really help support the mission of Trillium, which is to build healthy, strong and vibrant communities.
“And the work of the entire team has really shown that can be accomplished when good people come together …”
The hope is this restoration will mean the church stands for another century.
Stickley also said it was a true team community effort to get the doors reopened. There were “saviors” on the board of directors and others working as directors on FOWV committees, such as Robert Sculthorpe, who chaired the property committee and managed the project, as just one example, community partners, and many more. At Sunday’s celebration, there were also displays honouring supporters adorning the inside of the church.
“Looking around, I see reflections – reflections of the beautiful sunshine that comes through the stained-glass windows and gleams across the floor – and really what it brings to my mind is a reflection of you and the pride that each and every one of you has on your faces from accomplishing this goal – thank you all,” Stickley told attendees.
“And for the financial aspects, we have invested over half-a-million dollars to restore this building (and) of that, about 42 per cent came from provincial and Municipality of Port Hope grants,” explained Stickley. “But the rest of it came from the community, from professionals like Reno Piccini, who contributed his time and effort to do our architectural work, along with Phil Carter … Phil also worked really hard on the design for restoring the church, and then Henderson Construction … they made many contributions.”
And the list goes on, acknowledged Stickley, who later pointed to ACO Port Hope stepping up to help fund a new roof needed in order to tackle interior restoration, as just one more example. She also said Rod Stewart and Masumi Suzuki contributed and helped with the design of the “beautiful entrance door,” (which the fire ripped through this area.)
Of course, Stickley also said the OTF grants were significant and key to making year-round community use at the village possible.
The first $154,400 grant in 2025 specifically helped restore the interior of the fire-damaged church and with work on floors, walls and ceilings. These improvements also helped the church regain an occupancy permit.
Meanwhile, this summer, the Friends got an additional $22,500 capital grant to support improvements to the schoolhouse, including to help with repairs to the entry stairs and interior heaters.
But Stickley was also quick to note that grants don’t cover all costs. There’s still more work to do to upgrade, maintain and actually operate the village for the community, she explained.
“Look around the church and you’ll see there’s much more work to be done. We want to continue using, enjoying and sharing it for years to come.
“We’ve achieved a milestone in the history of our indomitable little village. We’re here to stay, and we hope you can support us.”
Residents can learn more about the Friends via www.wesleyvillewillage.ca.
In terms of the fire, Northumberland OPP Const. James Clarke told the Independent there are no new updates to share on the investigation, which is still ongoing. He again echoed the call for anyone with information to reach out to OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
The Office of the Fire Marshal previously handed the probe over to OPP back in 2021.
It’s believed the blaze occurred during the early morning hours on April 3, 2021, with crews responding to reports of a fire just after 5:30 a.m.
- With files from Tim Burgess
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