layers of paint. The client was excited to use and recreate some of that decoration, which entailed “a lot of gold leafing, a lot of wood graining, and a lot marbleizing.” The process was challenging, but Mark and his team also found it very gratifying, and their success on the job inspired the creation of Ecclesiastical Refinishing Group. In order to kick start the company, Mark began advertising in denominational trade magazines. Word also spread quickly through the Catholic Diocese of Kingston – which had been so impressed by the St. James Chapel restoration that it brought the company back for more work across its parishes. Other churches in the region followed, and before long, Ecclesiastical Refinishing Group had established itself as the go-to firm for interior church work in Eastern Ontario. Over the years, however, the financial landscape for churches has shifted dramatically – they don’t have the money or the congregants they once did, so there are only so many church projects on the market. That reality forced Ecclesiastical Refinishing Group to broaden their scope. To sustain operations between church commissions, the company moved into heritage building restoration more broadly, taking on projects for organizations such as the Ontario Heritage Trust. Their portfolio of non-ecclesiastical heritage work includes Fulford Place in Brockville, Howard House in Maitland, McMartin House in Perth, and Layer Cake Hall in the Village of Bath – a project that stands as one of the company’s most celebrated achievements. Layer Cake Hall is a striking example of Carpenter Gothic architecture, which is a North American architectural style that applies motifs of the Gothic Revival style – such as pointed arches, steep MAY 2026
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