Sunshine Coast church landmark lovingly restored by shelter guests | CBC News

A well-loved landmark in Sechelt, B.C., has been restored with the help of unhoused locals who wanted to show their gratitude to the community.

After a fire left the Sunshine Coast’s only permanent shelter uninhabitable in February, 20 of its residents have been temporarily living in a building on the grounds of St. Hilda’s By The Sea Anglican Church on Barnacle Street.

As a gesture of gratitude, those residents banded together in July to fix the church’s well-used labyrinth that was looking a little worse for wear.

“They have been very kind to us, and I just thought perhaps it was a fair deal,” said Sean Hill, a guest at the temporary shelter who spoke to CBC’s The Early Edition Monday.

Labyrinths are circular paths that twist and turn toward a centre point, and walking them can be a form of active meditation where people can clear their minds and focus on prayer or a spiritual question.

The outdoor labyrinth at St. Hilda’s was built just over 20 years ago and is open to anyone who wants to walk it. It is an 11-circuit meditation labyrinth similar to one found embedded in the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France.

Rev. Steve Black said the landmark needed some maintenance work after the pandemic, and the parish had been meaning to redo it for a while. When Hill and others offered to do the job, volunteers from the congregation also joined in the work party, and even the mayor stopped by to see the transformation.

“It turned into a beautiful community event,” said Black. “It really surpassed my expectations.”

Hill, a house painter for 20 years before an accident made that line of work a challenge, said it was a joy to spruce up the”beautiful labyrinth.”

“It turned out quite lovely,” said Hill.

Black is appreciative of the help, especially from people left in the lurch that he wishes had better living circumstances. They are currently staying in a converted mobile home, waiting for B.C. Housing to repair the permanent shelter.

The reverend said he wishes the displaced group had a more comfortable situation while they wait.

“We are more than happy to help them, but we are not giving them a wonderful experience,” he said.

Black said it felt like the provincial housing agency had been “dragging their heels” but that he expects the old shelter to reopen again by October.

In a statement to CBC, B.C. Housing said it is working closely to complete the necessary remediation of the Sechelt Shelter, and repairs are currently estimated to be completed in the fall. 

In the meantime, Hill said he and others living in the temporary space are “getting by and grateful.” Hill also has his eyes on repairs that could be done at his current home, saying it has good bones, and a little elbow grease could breathe new life into it as well.