Located in downtown Toronto, St. Paul's is an imposing Church in the Italian Renaissance style, complete with a bell tower. Recently it underwent a series of maintenance and restoration measures which included the installation of an extensive copper gutter and downspout system, as well as the replacement of the copper roof of the bell tower.
The work was carried out by Semple-Gooder Roofing Limited, under the supervision of Peter McGoey and project manager Tom Shreeve, both with over 15 years of experience with the Company. The project architect was Charles Hazell of Taylor/Hazell Architects of Toronto.
The Church was built in 1887-1889 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. The architect was Joseph Connelly and his design was based on San Miniato al Monte, built near Florence in 1100. Many subsequent churches including Santa Maria Novella by Alberti share this influence. While the pink-and-gray stone exterior is very impressive, the interior is renowned as one of the finest in Canada.
Much of the copper work was done on the bell tower, which was added to the Church in 1905. It involved replacement of the original standing seam roof and recladding of the cross. 16-oz Copper sheet was used for this portion of the project, as well as detailing at the eaves and cross. Flat seam copper roofs were added over the four confessionals at the east end of the Church at the same time.
On the main roof area, black slate quarried in St-Marc-du-Lac-Long, Quebec, was applied to replace asphalt shingles while replicating the original design. Copper flashings and counter-flashings were used, with lead-coated copper for all drip edges.
The copper gutter system was also rebuilt using 20-oz copper, the heavier material being used for additional strength, and was fabricated in a modified ogee shape. Octagonal copper rainwater leaders were fabricated from 16-oz copper. Brackets and stiffeners made from 1 in. (25 mm) copper bar were used to give the assembly additional strength. Snow guards were fabricated from lead-coated copper. Canadian Brass & Copper of Concord, Ontario, supplied nearly 11,000 lb. (5,000 kg) of copper and lead-coated copper for the project.
The restoration project should ensure the continued protection of one of Canada's most notable churches. The new copper detailing, with an expected life span of over 100 years, will complement the already famous architecture of St. Paul's Church.
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