Dave LeBlanc
Toronto
Special to The Globe and Mail

In her inimitable style, Globe and Mail society columnist Zena Cherry described the Estonian-Finnish wedding of Helvi Vickholm and Jaak Iir on June 16, 1967. But, along with the usual anecdotes and noting of attendees, Ms. Cherry dedicated about a quarter of her allotted ink to the church, St. Peter’s Estonian Evangelical Lutheran, which she opined would “add to any sightseeing tour of the city.

“It is unique and beautiful,” she continued, “and according to architect Michael Bach is still the only structure of its kind in Canada, perhaps in North America. There is no ridge at the peak of the roof; instead, the rafters criss-cross to hold it together. The structure is completely exposed and the rafters form the architectural pattern; the roof flows down to form the walls.”

I visited St. Peter’s at 817 Mount Pleasant Rd. just a few days ago. Before that, it was about 20 years ago on the advice of architect Jerome Markson, who counted the Estonia-born Mr. Bach as a close friend. The way soft light washes the altar from almost-hidden, twin skylights that run the length of the winged gable roof is pure architectural magic. And how clever that the congregation enters under a low ceiling, much like visitors to Toronto’s City Hall (by Finnish architect Viljo Revell), and then are treated to the rhapsody of ‘release’ into that high-ceilinged “criss-cross” of warm, laminated timber. Even little details – such as the chevron-shaped pew sides that act as counterpoint to that ceiling, or the how the exterior is carried inside by the use of exposed brick behind the altar and elsewhere – all are masterful.

As has been said by others, the interior can be viewed as an overturned boat that represents the safe harbour Estonians found in Toronto post-1945 (Toronto is home to the largest population of Estonians outside of Estonia).

But there is a real danger that this 1955 tour de force by Mihkel (Michael) Bach (1916-1972) won’t exist for much longer. According to a heritage application prepared by former congregant and Sunday school teacher Tiiu Roiser, St. Peter’s executive committee held a vote in September, 2020 to gauge interest in selling; the building, you see, sits on a valuable piece of midtown real estate and suffers from dwindling attendance. The problem, she wrote, is that “only members who had contributed financially to the church the previous year were invited and allowed to vote” and that “many elderly members may not have fully grasped the enormity and finality of the decision.”

Full article by Dave Leblanc: https://www.theglobeandmail.co...

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