Abandoned former church building in Sorrento.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Ann Steenhuysen

There’s a charming, wooden building sitting empty in the middle of farmland next to a CPR line at Notch Hill in Sorrento, and it’s over a century old. 

Built in 1922, the former Holy Cross Catholic Church still sits on its original foundation. It is often the subject of area photographers and has been well-loved and cared for by volunteers in recent years. 

“It isn’t for public purposes, it was stabilized to represent a building from earlier days, but many people go and take photos of it,” said local historian and Sorrento resident Louise Barber.

Barber said the building was constructed on the private property of Rufus Hammond in 1922 for his niece’s wedding. Roofing, shingles and lumber were ordered from a sawmill in Port Moody and brought in by train. The area was busy back then.

“It was a bustling CPR town and there were a lot of CPR employees who helped build the church,” she said. “There were shops and schools, a post office and a train station operating the steam engines full time.”

In 1926, Hammond donated the church and the land it was on to the Catholic Diocese and the church served the area for roughly 30 years, overseen by the Catholic Church in Kamloops. By the sixties, diesel trains replaced steam trains, and the Trans Canada highway was put through Sorrento.

“There were very few parishioners going to the church at that time,” Barber said. “The station at Notch Hill was torn down and the little town ceased to exist. The building sat empty until the Catholic Diocese deconsecrated it and it became Crown land property in the 70s.”

Abandoned century old former church building in Sorrento in the snow, 2017.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Greg Eppel

In 2009, the building was falling apart, so Barber obtained a temporary lease agreement from the province, and a team of dedicated volunteers worked to fix up and stabilize the beloved relic, eventually rebuilding the roof and bell tower.

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The historic building is surrounded by the Agricultural Land Reserve. It is empty and doesn’t have an address, or even glass in its wooden frames, but it’s a charming reminder of a bygone era.

“It should be stressed there is no access and is not to be used by the public,” Barber said. 

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Barber was partly raised in Notch Hill and has collected local historical knowledge on Sorrento and surrounding areas for over 60 years. She’s part of a society that works to maintain the cemetery grounds and a small historical museum, and provide education to school children and the public. She’s involved with the Salmon Arm museum and has written historical pieces for local press.

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