(Starting Dec. 22 and ending Dec. 31, GuelphToday will count down its top 10 stories of 2017.)
The weather vane rooster at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, the only casualty of a morning fire on Aug. 22, was restored to its rightful place in a November ceremony intended to thank the first responders that likely saved the church.
With a great deal of wood in the steeple and the roof of the church, a restoration expert said the potential for extensive damage to the structure was very real, if not for the quick work of Guelph Fire Services.
“That fire could have taken right off on them — there’s a lot of ventilation and air going up through that steeple. The fire could have just climbed right down that steeple and been a lot worse for sure,” said Phil Scott, project manager for Belfour Property Restoration in a November interview.
Some water damage occurred within the steeple and front entrance of the church, but the sanctuary itself was spared from damage.
The iconic rooster survived the 150-foot fall and was replaced at the top of the steeple in a ceremony at the completion of restoration work in November.
During the ceremony, Rev. John Borthwick thanked Guelph Fire Services and Guelph Police Service for their work in keeping everyone safe during the fire.
While the August fire was still being brought under control, Dorothy Grasett and other employees from the W. Gerald Burnett and Associates law office distributed some 12 tins of shortbread cookies to the firefighters.
“We have a dozen tins of cookies, why not put them to some use?” Said Grasett at the time.
No one is entirely sure how long the rooster has sat atop the church, said Borthwick, but he said it’s entirely possible it went up 160 years ago when the church was erected in 1857.
The rooster is intended as a reminder of the story of Peter denying Jesus, said Borthwick in a November interview.
During his Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus predicts Peter would deny knowledge of him and would disown him before the crowing of the rooster the next day.
“When the rooster does crow in that story, Peter has denied him three times and he recognizes that and is very sad and repentant,” said Borthwick.
The restoration was completely covered by the church’s insurance.
