Alberta’s former Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench is weighing in on the move to demolish an aging church east of Edmonton, and said he’s willing to put forward his own money to help find other options for the building.

Honourable Allan Wachowich was shocked to hear Spaca Moskalyk, near Mundare is going to be demolished by burning in early March.

“If that takes place, there’ll be a lot of tears that are being shed,” Wachowich said. “Maybe enough to put out the fire.”

The former Chief Justice has close ties to the church – in 2010 he attended the 100th anniversary prayer at the site where the 89 year old church stands.

He believes his parents were married there, and a number of his family members are buried there.

“These types of buildings ought to be saved,” Wachowich said. “We don’t have that many historic buildings.”

Wachowich said he’s received e-mails from people as far away as the west coast on the fate of the church.

Wachowich told CTV News he’s prepared to help fund a safety fence, to protect the building and the public, until church members get another opinion on the cost of repairing the church’s crumbling foundation.

“Have it assessed by engineers, and maybe get two opinions, not just one,” Wachowich said. “See what can be done to save it.”

Wachowich is one of several people coming out in support of finding another option for the building, Jim Henry is another.

Henry is one of 19 photographers who have banded together, and put their pictures of the building online.

“It’s fabulous, it’s a piece of Alberta history,” Henry said. “It’s a great photographic subject; it’s kind of heartbreaking to see its being neglected.”

The photographers said if the building is indeed burned down, they will be there to document it.

“It’s been there for 89 years, so I think it kind of deserves the attention, even on its last day,” Henry said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Catholic Church Eparchy isn’t sure as to whether the church will be burned down, but for now, the tentative date for the building to be burned is still March 9.

With files from David Ewasuk