It's been three years since Surrey’s St. George Coptic Orthodox Church fell victim to arson. Now the congregants want to build their church in Port Kells.
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate / St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church applied to rezone 18555 88th Avenue “from Acreage Residential Zone to Assembly Hall 2 Zone.” The application request includes the desire to build a place of worship on the site and include a childcare centre.
Steven Faltas, project manager for the construction of the new church, spoke before council Sept. 9 during the delegation part of council's public hearing.
“Our church, nestled in the heart of Surrey, has been a pillar of strength and faith for our community for many years,” he said.
Faltas said the arson attack his church suffered in 2021 was “devastating” and had a profound impact on the congregation and the services they provide to those in need.
“This event shook us to our core, but through it all our faith has been steadfast,” Faltas explained. “It has been the support of our community and the grace of God that has carried us forward.”
Faltas said the rezoning application is more than just a milestone on his congregation’s journey back from one of their “darkest moments” when the centre of their community was reduced to ashes. He said it’s also a symbol of their resilience and commitment to rebuilding what was taken from them.
“Our church is not just a place of worship,” he added. “It’s a beacon of hope and a sanctuary for all those who seek comfort and community.”
Faltas said with the rezoning application, the church hopes to enhance its ability to serve the needs of its growing congregation.
Deb Jack, who said she was part of “Surrey Environmental Partners,” objected to the application in regard to 33 trees that are currently on the site.
“There are special trees,” Jack said. “Gonna kill 25 to keep eight, require nine, and are going to plant 71, which sounds really good. However, the tree reports indicate that there going to be six off-site, which are going to be killed off, or one of which is going to be killed off, and five are going to be kept. That requires two replacement. That’s what's in deficit.”
Jack added that she could not find anything in the application about the two trees or where the “off-site” location was.
Jack also objected to the Parks and Rec. Department and their support of the application and its “proposed minimum safeguarding of a water course” on the site. “Why is it minimum safeguarding?” Jack asked. “The report indicates that the applicant worked closely with [city] staff and filed a biodiversity conservation strategy recommends a 50-metre target width for the green-infrastructure network. The settlement was for a (16.5-metre) buffer.”
According to the public hearing agenda, the application includes a “Development Variance Permit to reduce the minimum rear and side yard setbacks to the principal building face; to vary the maximum building height allowed; and to reduce the minimum number of off-street parking spaces for a place of worship.”
A representative for the City of Surrey told the Cloverdale Reporter, the application received its third reading on Sept. 9. Council supported it at the time. Faltas and St. George's will come back to Council when they are ready for consideration as there may be items to be completed prior to th final permits being issued by the city.
The new church is estimated to cost about $35 million. Some of that money will be generated from selling the old church property, some of it will come from insurance, and some will come in the form of grant money. Faltas said, they will still be short and are trying to raise a few million dollars. If anyone would like to donate to help the church rebuild after the fire, they can visit stgeorge.ca and donate online.
According to stgeorge.ca, the website for Surrey's St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church, the church brings together “a diverse congregation of Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Iraqi, and Lebanese Orthodox believers.”
