The board of the Arnes Lutheran Pioneer Memorial Church tendered its resignation a few months ago, saying the fate of the church now lies in the hands of the RM of Gimli.
The Arnes Lutheran Pioneer Memorial Church is shown in 2019. The church sits at the junction of PR 222 and Arnes Road. It was built in 1910 and moved to its present site in 1920. The RM of Gimli designated it a heritage building and heritage site in 2009 (Bylaw No. 09-0010). The RM’s Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee passed a resolution in 2019, stating the church is an important heritage site in Arnes
The church board’s resignation letter was posted under council’s Nov. 12 agenda, and council was to vote on whether to accept the ownership of the church.
In a handwritten letter dated Aug. 29, 2025, to the Charities Directorate of Canada Revenue Agency (the church is a charity), the board wrote:
“We, the board of trustees, have resigned and are giving the church to the municipality. The Rural Municipality of Gimli will be controlling the destiny of the church. Enclosed please find the key to the church.”
The copy of the letter posted under council’s agenda shows the letter signed by Harold Thorkelson, Joan Sigurdson and Ken Pete.
The board of the Arnes Lutheran Pioneer Memorial Church resigned in August with a letter to Revenue Canada
Charitydata.ca shows the church had no cash/bank accounts/short-term investments in the years 2020 to 2023 inclusive (no 2024 and 2025 data are provided). It shows five people on the board – Harold Thorkelson (appointed in 1976), Joan Sigurson [sic] (appointed in 1980), Kenneth Peterson (appointed in 1976), Phyllis Hurdal (appointed in 2022) and Norman Hurdal (appointed in 1976). The land/building was worth $57,200 in 2019, the last year data is provided for the land/buildings tax line. Total assets in 2023 were stated as $56,225.
Designated a municipal heritage building and heritage site in 2009 by the RM of Gimli (Bylaw No. 09-0010), the Arnes Lutheran Pioneer Memorial Church is an example of pioneer baroque style. The front of the church has a square tower and a rectangular wood-framed body. The church was built in 1910 with its interior completed in 1919. The church was moved in 1920 to its present site at the junction of Arnes Road and PR 222 after a family called Peterson donated land for it. The church no longer belongs to the Lutheran synod, but local residents used it to hold church services, family reunions, weddings and funerals.
In 2019 the church board had signed an agreement with the Arborg & District Multicultural Heritage Village to transfer the church to the museum. Thorkelson had said at a 2019 council meeting that the best way to preserve the church was to move it to the museum in Arborg (see Nov. 7, 2019, edition of the Express Weekly News). A moving company had shown up in September of that year and was preparing to take the church to Arborg when the RCMP was called and the Gimli Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee and a Gimli councillor were alerted. The transfer to Arborg was stopped.
The Arnes church is one of the only original remaining New Iceland churches.
With regard to the church board’s resignation and how Gimli council plans to move forward, the Express sought comment from councillors. It also reached out to Thorkelson for comment.
