St. George Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Surrey (Vancouver), British Columbia

In 2021, the 70-year-old St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey (Vancouver), British Columbia, was destroyed by an arson fire. The St. George community is a diverse congregation of Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Iraqi and Lebanese Orthodox believers, and since the 2021 fire, they have been worshiping in a temporary rented facility. In 2023, after an international RFP process, JNKA was commissioned to design the new St. George Coptic Orthodox Cathedral on a new rural property purchased by the church. In 2024, JNKA completed the initial Design/Master Plan and Zoning Approval Process for the new cathedral campus, including the new 3-story Church, Community Center, Gymnasium, Daycare Facility and Bishop’s Residence. Building Permit Documents for the Phase 1 Church Building were submitted in February of 2025 and construction is expected to begin in the Fall of 2025.