Meta / Robert Paradis

By Lisa Parent

New York woodworker crafts replica of Medicine Hat church

Jun 25, 2024 | 5:06 PM

A woodworker from Ogdensburg, New York, has taken a particular interest in one of Medicine Hat’s landmarks.

Three years ago, Robert Paradis wanted to create a miniature replica of a church.

He scoured the internet, looking all over the world for the perfect structure, but ultimately decided on St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church.

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“When I ran across ST. Patrick’s up in Medicine Hat, my search ended,” Paradis said.

“I just loved the structure, I love the spires, the pinnacles on it. Then I read a lot of the history of the church and I really kind of fell in love with it.”

Originally, the replica was going to act as a bird house, but it evolved into a lot more.

Recently, Paradis posted the nearly finished replica to the Facebook group Ask the Hat, inquiring about the church’s details because he isn’t able to see it in person.

The post received over 1,000 likes and 300 comments, full of support and praise for the replica.

“That just opened the floodgates. I was overwhelmed at the amount of people that responded to my post. Over a thousand, I mean, it’s just unheard of for me,” Paradis said.

When Paradis finishes the church, he wants to donate it to a museum in Medicine Hat.

But before that, he’s asking Hatters to help fill-in the last details of the church.

Those who are interested in getting into contact with Paradis can email rparadis@twcny.rr.com.