A historic landmark is being returned to the top of a Guelph church, after it fell off due to a lightning strike during a summer storm.
The statue of a rooster has sat on top of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in the heart of Guelph’s downtown since it was created in 1858. It’s a highly visible landmark from almost anywhere in the city.
John Borthwick, the minister of St. Andrew’s, says the bird has been a staple of the church since the start.
“Our rooster draws a lot of attention. It's sort of our landmark, it's a thing that people recognize our church by,” he says.
The church caught fire in late August after its steeple was struck by lightning. The height of the strike made it difficult for firefighters to extinguish the flames.
The weathervane came crashing down, and with it the rooster, which thankfully suffered minor damage.
Members of the community got the chance to take photos with the stone bird on Tuesday, before the church returns it to its rightful perch in the next few days.
“I’ve done a lot of ribbon cutting in town, but never a rooster raising, so this is a first,” says Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie.
According to church records, the rooster has come down before in 1920, 1942, and 1948 due to strong winds.
It has been repaired, but never replaced.
With reporting by Maleeha Sheikh
