Description of Historic Place

Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church is a modest, one-storey, Gothic Revival style structure located in a mixed-use neighbourhood in the northern section of the city. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.

Heritage Value

Built in 1938, Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church is a very good example of Gothic Revival architecture, a popular style for churches in this period and typified by its overall vertical emphasis and pointed arch windows. The building's modest proportions and minimal ornamentation reflect its construction during the Depression.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church is an excellent example of a community project. Built by volunteer labour, under the supervision and to the plans of parishioner Joseph Myette, the building typifies the once common methods and means of construction of public buildings in smaller communities, where funding was not available for either professional plans or paid labour.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church is significant as an example of building preservation. Originally located in Lantzville, just north of Nanaimo, the building was moved to its current location and maintained in mostly original condition, including much of the interior.

Source: City of Nanaimo, Development Services Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church include:
- all of the elements of the modest Gothic Revival style as expressed in the simple form and overall vertical emphasis, double hung wooden sash and pointed arch windows, front gable roof, and slim steeple.