St. Josaphat Cathedral has been designated by the Province of Alberta and the City of Edmonton as a historical site. The Cathedral was completed in 1945 using the volunteer labor of the parishioners. This presented challenges for the restoration, as the masonry is consistently inconsistent. The joints vary in thickness and the bricks used were whatever could be acquired. Concrete bond beams with a sculpted profile are installed at various elevations. As a result, repointing of the brick required attention to detail. Matching mortar colour and removal and replacement of the deficient mortar were performed to a very high standard. The bond beams were reinforced by bolts, as this was material readily and cheaply available at the time. The bolts rusted and caused the concrete to crack. Pieces of concrete started to separate and fall off the building. Scorpio Masonry had a form constructed that matched the profile of the beam, and drilled dowels into the existing concrete. One cannot tell where these repairs occurred. All of this restoration work was approved and accepted by Alberta Culture.
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