A Church amongst the frozen tundra
When we first arrived into town my father and I did a couple of victory laps to familiarize our selves with our surroundings. Google maps was an invaluable tool; we spent days honing in on our sites - printing off enlarged street maps of the town. With very few resources out there and no internet that far north in the community readily available, we knew navigating was our largest obstacle.
One building stood out. From all the photos i could find online at the time in 2018 - Uranium City Church was still standing and very much intact. I don’t have much history on the building, but i would surmise it closed down around the same time as the mine.
On our second lap around town jotting down building locations and conditions, we noticed the tall steeple poking over an abandoned home; without hesitation the Tacoma’s nose was instantly pulled around and honed in on our excitement.
And there it was. Still standing in all its glory - magnificently still intact. The most notable attribute is the loud speakers installed at the top of the steeple. In all of my travels - it has been one of a kind.
Googling this notable feature:
“Loudspeakers were installed on church steeples primarily to broadcast sermons and services to overflow crowds who couldn't fit inside the church, as well as to accommodate listeners in outdoor spaces. This allowed people to hear the spoken word during services and religious broadcasts, extending the reach of the church beyond its walls, especially for large gatherings.”
The next morning it was first on our list to explore. We rushed out of the B&B after a hot breakfast - determined to see it up close and personal before the rest of the town was dissected. Unfortunately we weren’t able to gain access, but the exterior was a wonder to behold. We had to trudge through thigh high snow to circumvent the site - all the while my eyes were locked onto the mesmerizing size of the building. It towered over most of surrounding structures, a true beacon in its time.
It was a beautiful start to our day, and more was to follow. We eventually dug into the town core - but that’s another post!
