THE STORY
I have extended my branches like a terebinth tree, and my branches are honor and grace. Like the vine, I have born the fruit of a sweet fragrance. And my flowers are the fruit of honor and integrity (Sirach 24: 22-23)
WHO WE ARE
The Monastery of St. George & St. Paul The Anchorite will be located on Range Road 263, south of Highway 11 in Red Deer County, Alberta and will be an integral part of the Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver and Western Canada. In 2013, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II established the first Coptic Orthodox Diocese in Canada and appointed His Grace Bishop Mina to oversee it.
The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Mississauga, Vancouver and Western Canada is comprised of the following:
- Alberta
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British Columbia
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Saskatchewan
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Manitoba
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The Western Cities/Towns in Ontario, including Mississauga
OUR COMMUNITY
H.H. Pope Tawadros II
H.G. Ava Mina
The Monastery will serve the Coptic and Christian communities of Western Canada
THE MONASTERY STORY
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We started our search for farmland in Central Alberta over three years ago
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During this time, we examined approximately 50 different lands and decided on this blessed land
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We made a reasonable offer on this land
THE CRITERIA
We considered the following criteria in our search:
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Large area – at least 120 acres
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Location in Central Alberta, in the County of Red Dear. This County is currently zoned as AG Zoning, which allows projects like monasteries and retreat centres.
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A land without existing buildings that could limit our vision for the Monastery/Retreat Centre.
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Clean land – clear from pipelines, gas lines, and existing oil wells; to avoid future environmental concerns, to limit the concerns from lenders, and to avoid future expansion limits
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No water channels such as lakes, ravines, and rivers that run through the land; to avoid environmental reserves and environmental precautions
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Land topography to be accessible and easily developed
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Healthy top soil for agricultural purposes.
From
Distance to Land (km)
Travel Time
Edmonton
163 km
1 hour 50 minutes
Red Deer
12 km
12 minutes
Calgary
160 km
1 hour 42 minutes
Red Deer Airport
26 km
23 minutes
Sylvan Lake
35 km
31 minutes
WHAT WE FOUND
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Crop Land: +/- 103 Acres
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Acres Treed Improvable: +/- 25 acres
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Treed Pasture: +/- 7 acres
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Total site area: +/- 144.65 total acres
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Site Features:
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Prime Farmland
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Fenced Corner Lot
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Located at Highway 11 – David Thompson Hwy and Range Road 263
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Natural view – Red Deer River can be seen from some high points
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No Gas lines or Pipelines
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No abundant Oil Wells
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No existing Oil wells
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No Environmental reserves
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No water channels such as ravines or rivers are running inside
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Only one registered land title for the site (no double land titles for the site as for energy and mines)
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WHAT WE HAVE NOW
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We have a valid land offer for $1,080,000 (originally listed for $1,103,000)
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The Monastery Charitable Organization currently has approximately $500,000 in cash, but needs $580,000 to finalize the deal
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A new website for the future monastery and retreat center to help collect donations, and to introduce the project to a much wider
community in Alberta, BC, Canada, and the USA
WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW
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Raise $580,000 to finalize the deal. Our plan is to have the land in CASH prior to completing building designs based on our needs
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Execute land due diligence once the deal is approved. This includes:
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Environmental study
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Water availability and its quality study as for new water wells on site
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Red Deer County will be contacted as to confirm our project intent and land usage
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Contact banks for a mortgagee for the new construction
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Produce new building designs for the Church, Monastery, and Retreat Center based on our needs and programs
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Estimate costs for all new construction based on the approved designs
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Calculate all expected infrastructure utilities required for our needs based on the approved designs
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Contact Red Deer County for permits and approvals
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Construction can start in the Summer of 2020
LOCATION ON THE MAPS
