Heritage Brick Restoration

CBS Masonry Ltd Brick Restoration Experts

CBS Masonry Ltd. 4.9/5 on Google

Heritage Brick Restoration

CBS Masonry Ltd Brick Historical Restoration Experts

CBS Masonry Ltd.
4.9/5 on Google

Heritage Brick Restoration of Congregation Emanu-El

CBS Masonry Ltd recently completed a Heritage Brick Victoria’s historic Congregation Emanu-El which was a meticulous outdoor restoration by historic restoration standards. Built in 1863, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Canada, underwent a transformation that took nearly five months. Every detail was handled with care – no power tools, just skilled hands and heritage-preserving techniques. “It’s almost shocking how brand new it looks,” said Rabbi Herry Brechner.

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Restoration work on the brick exterior is now complete at the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Canada and CBS Masonry Ltd crews had to take special care to maintain the building’s heritage standards.

“The historic Congregation Emanu-El synagogue in Victoria has completed its exterior restoration work after nearly five months of construction. The scaffolding has been removed, revealing an almost brand-new appearance that was described as “shocking” by observers.

The restoration project began about 5 months ago on the exterior of this nearly 162-year-old building. The work was necessitated by water seepage through the bricks, visible from the ground up. Given the building’s age, having been constructed in 1863, the restoration had to adhere to heritage standards. This meant using building practices from almost 200 years ago.

Josh Hunter, the project manager, explained that using the wrong type of mortar or incorrect techniques could have caused real damage to the structure. To preserve the building’s integrity, no power tools were used in the project. Every joint was repointed by hand, which was a labour-intensive process that left the workers’ hands sore but provided a sense of connection to the building’s history.

While the work took approximately 3.5 months longer than it would have with modern technology, Hunter believes it was worth it. The hands-on approach allowed workers to feel more connected to the building, a sentiment echoed by the rabbi who spoke of feeling “100 plus years of prayer in these walls.”

The exterior restoration cost nearly $900,000. With the outdoor work complete, focus now shifts to the interior of the building. Plans are already underway for the next phase of renovations, with fundraising efforts in progress to finance the interior restoration. The goal is to ensure that these walls can be filled with another 200-plus years of prayers.

Despite the temptation, the workers refrained from leaving personal marks or initials on the building due to heritage standards. However, they did sign a brick that they hope to place somewhere in the synagogue if permitted.”