Location: Toronto, ON
The first Catholic Cathedral in Toronto was designed by William Thomas and consecrated on September 29th, 1848. The Church is the principal church of Canada’s largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese, located in the center of Toronto’s busy downtown area; St. Michaels Cathedral is a sanctuary of quiet prayer amidst the city’s busy sidewalks and streets.
St. Michael’s Cathedral over the last 5 years has conducted successive restoration and conservation work to all architectural aspects. Having renovated and restored several elements including the stained glass windows. EGD was commissioned to conduct the restoration and conservation of the nave windows.
The two original windows pictured above had deteriorated, causing buckling and glass breakage. The panels had to be removed from their original locations in the building to essentially be rebuilt, restored and reinstalled back into the openings. All aspects of the repair work were carried out to the best conservation practices. During the renovations to the Church the roof top was also restored, EGD also restored the clerestory windows at this time.
Secondary glazing was implemented using bronze mesh reducing the issue of condensation, preventing deterioration and damage to the stained glass windows, as vandalism has been an issue in the area. St. Michael’s Cathedral was extremely pleased with EGD’s work and continues to work with them today.