Published: Tuesday, July 25, 2006

St. Brigid's church could have a great future as a fixture in Ottawa's arts community.

Archbishop Marcel Gervais wants to close St. Brigid's, arguing it would cost too much to restore and maintain a church the Catholic community doesn't need. The parishioners of St. Brigid's disagree. They love their church and are fighting to keep it.

Neil Wilson, the founding director of the Ottawa International Writers Festival, thinks a conversion to a performance hall could be the solution. He'd like to see the church remain a sacred space, but one that could be used for musical and spoken-word presentations. Money from rentals or ticket sales could be used for restoration and maintenance of the building. There could still be services on Sundays and holy days.

Ottawa's heritage churches are often used for plays and concerts -- most notably, the Chamber Music Festival. Churches are built for acoustics and esthetics.

If St. Brigid's became a regular venue for performances, a dull part of Lowertown would be enlivened. The church/arts centre would benefit from proximity to the restaurants, bars and taxi stands of the Byward Market.

This might be the only way to save this beautiful heritage building from underuse. Now is the time for a benefactor of the arts to step forward and buy the church, or for the archbishop to consider a partnership.