Gimli Unitarian Church
72 2nd Avenue N,
Gimli

Designation Date: January 12, 1996
Designation Authority: The Town of Gimli
Present Owner: Trustees of First Federated Church of Gimli

Gimli Unitarian Church, constructed between 1904 and 1905, remains the mother church of the Unitarian movement in Western Canada. The church was erected by volunteer labour for a cost of $1,428.00. In 1921 the church was renamed the First Federated Church of the Unitarians and reverted back to the Gimli Unitarian Church in 1954. The church also provided space for the first Village of Gimli Town Office in 1908 and, for a brief time, room for the Gimli Courthouse.

Church construction was a priority among the Icelandic community, most of whom were of the Lutheran faith. Their church buildings were usually of simple design, often constructed in a modest interpretation of the Gothic Revival style of architecture. Gimli Unitarian Church is a tribute to wooden construction, with its tall, slender tower and gable roof trimmed with decorative wooden detailing. The façade is enlivened with a pointed arched entrance and the windows are highlighted with wooden tracery.