After sitting on the front lawn for the past decade, the steeple will be hoisted on top of St. Anne's Church in Tecumseh in just a few weeks.
Father Eugene Roy says contractors are looking at either October 23 to 27, or October 30 to November 3.
"The real variance here is, of course, weather conditions. It has to be dead calm. Can't have any strong winds, even mild ones," he says pointing out the steeple and cupola weighs about 4 tonnes.
Back in 2007, the church had to quickly take down the steeple and cupola when it found out wood rot had threatened its structural integrity.
"The wood almost becomes like a sponge," Roy says.
Fixing the steeple and cupola is expected to cost $2.4-million. It is part of a larger restoration project underway at St. Anne's which includes new masonry. The entire project will cost $3.8-million.
"The issue at the time was the funding," Roy says explaining why restoring the steeple to its former glory has taken so long. "With the big donation from Mr. Al Quesnel, that catapulted our project into what we are able to achieve at this time.
Quesnel has donated $2.5-million to restoration, while the Town of Tecumseh has provided a $15,000 grant.
The church is still raising money. Roy says it is holding a concert called "An Evening of Sacred Music" on October 14. That starts at 8pm.
The St. Anne's Parish was established in 1859, but the church was built in 1873.
