The Blasted Church

 

A friend of mine who lives in Okanagan Falls, B.C. would drive by a certain landmark every day on her way to work. “The Blasted Church” she would read. “Oh, that's so sacrilegious! Why would a church be called 'blasted'?" Sure enough, there was a story behind this unusual name.

In the late eighteen hundreds, gold had been found near present day Oliver, B.C. A whole city sprang up. A small Presbyterian church was one of the amenities built to support a burgeoning population. When the gold petered out, the miners left the town of Fairview, and it fell into disrepair, becoming a ghost town.

Nearby Okanagan Falls had become a ranching and freight centre. The residents decided to transport the neglected church from Fairview for their own use. It seemed a daunting task, until an engineer suggested boarding up the windows, and lighting four sticks of dynamite, suspended from the rafters. The explosion from the dynamite loosened the nails, and the boards were easily dismantled to be transported to Okanagan Falls. The United Church in the town is nicknamed The Blasted Church, and lends its name to a winery as well.

The boards of the church were transported to Okanagan Falls in 1929 and reassembled.

Nothing exists now on the site of the once booming town of Fairview, except an information kiosk. Plans are to upgrade the 1 km walking path around the grounds, and to designate a few more landmarks. Terry and I walked around in the blustery wind.

The site of the original Presbyterian church.

Close up of the sign.

The story of The Blasted Church is a reminder not to judge a book by its cover! Or to jump to conclusions based on the outward appearance of something or someone.

 Samuel 16:7  The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. [NLT]