Moncton cathedral fundraising campaign launched

A fundraising campaign to saveMoncton'sNotre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedralwas officially launched on Tuesday.

Organizers hope to raise $7 million for much-needed repairs to the roof, windows, stone, mortar and foundation.

About $3 million has already been raised.

ArchbishopValryVienneausays he is encouraged by the show of support.

"I meet some people at the stores, different places they know me, they stop and say 'You can't let that be demolished.'They're not interested necessarily in church life as is, but they're interested in the building and what it represents," he said.

The cathedral, built in the 1930s,is considered a cultural landmark and a symbol of the resilience of the community. No major repairs have ever been made to the exterior.

It was built right after the Depression, in the midst of a war, and paid for entirely by ordinary Acadians.

John Leroux is an architect and historian from Fredericton who says the building needs to be preserved.

"It really marked Moncton's place on the earth for generations and so it's really important as a marker it really says a lot to the skyline of Moncton and the city would be very different,it would be a lot poorer if this still didn't exist," he said.

When the cathedral was opened, it served roughly 1,500 families, but now, only about 300 use it as their church regularly.

The fundraisingcampaign slogan, also unveiled on Tuesday,is: Yes, I support theMonctoncathedral.

Leroux says it is vital to honour the past.

"In a day like today, where the world moves so fast, we have to keep our monuments and we need something that grounds us in our local culture and our heritage," he said. "It reminds us of things that matter.Our community matters, our city matters, where we come from matters."