Location: Toronto, ON
Leaside United Church offers a uniqu story of stained glass reclamation. Leaside, located in Toronto’s East York district, is a beautiful old church with a large congregation. The church is in good condition and windows are all well maintained. The Church chose to contract EGD to carry out a reclaimed glass project, where an existing stained glass from a church or institution is removed and installed into a new building and opening.
Leaside United Church wished to replace an existing pale yellow diamond patterned leaded glass of their balcony, window with a figurative stained glass window.
With limited funds the committee needed to be imaginative. They approached a local school where the adjoining church had recently been dismantled, including the stained glass windows. Leaside United Church obtained a stained glass window imitative of the eminent William Holman Hunt’s painting ‘The Light of the World’.
EGD was commissioned to re-size ‘The Light of the World’ for the opening available at Leaside United. Due to the shape and size of the window opening at Leaside, the new stained glass panel was widened and a tracery panel was added. To remain sustainable, EGD went forward attempting to salvage and use as much of the original glass as possible.
Taking into consideration both artistic and financial requirements, EGD worked with structural architects to install the new window into Church’s balcony window. The Church was incredibly pleased with Eve Guinan’s design and the outcome of the reclaimed glass project.