Historic Swedish church on the move in logistical feat
After a smooth ride, a brief lunch break and frequent technical checks inside the church, the transport stopped for the day around 3.50pm (1.50pm GMT), more than an hour before schedule.
It was to resume on Wednesday morning and scheduled to arrive at its final destination in the afternoon.
'Hopefully tomorrow will be a walk in the park again,' LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom told AFP, admitting he had been 'a little worried about this'.
'Unique event'
The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people.
King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in the festivities in Kiruna. And Swedish television was broadcasting the entire journey live – a new iteration of the 'slow TV' trend.
The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022.
The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB.
Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40m tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews.
The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece.
LKAB has called the relocation 'a unique event in world history'.
Other larger, heavier objects have been moved before, but usually in ports or industrial areas – not through small towns.
The roads on the route have been widened, from nine to 24m, and levelled to provide a smooth ride.
'Not just any building'
Elisabeth Turq, a 66-year-old French tourist who travelled to Kiruna to follow the move, was awestruck.
'It's quite remarkable to be able to move such a building,' she told AFP.
Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius, a Kiruna native best known for her novel Stolen, which was made into a Netflix drama last year, said she had mixed feelings.
'I'm glad the church is being moved... anything else would have been a scandal,' she told SVT. 'It's such a big part of Kiruna's soul.
'I was baptised, confirmed and married in this church,' she said.
'But it is extremely difficult to see your town disappear,' she added, lamenting the loss of other landmarks razed in the town's move.
LKAB offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings.
'But when it came to the church, we decided it was best to move it in one piece,' LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told AFP, saying the move was being handled 'with great reverence'.
'This is not just any building, it's a church.'
Particular attention was paid to protect both the church's large organ, with its more than 2000 pipes, and altarpiece, a pastel landscape painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947).
The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week.
-Agence France-Presse
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RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Historic Swedish church on the move in logistical feat
With great fanfare, a historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings began its slow move from its home in the Arctic town of Kiruna on Tuesday (local time) to allow the expansion of Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna's entire town centre is being moved because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates the region, whose ever deeper burrowing over the years has weakened the ground, increasing the risk of collapse in some parts. Kiruna Kyrka, an imposing 672-tonne Swedish Lutheran church from 1912, is being moved five kilometres on remote-controlled flatbed trailers, inching along at a pace of half a kilometre an hour over two days to the new Kiruna town. The complex and costly logistical operation kicked off after a blessing by Bishop Asa Nystrom and Vicar Lena Tjarnberg, with the trailers' 220 wheels slowly pulling out under sunny blue skies. One of the trickiest parts of the meticulously choreographed journey was the start, officials said, with the 1200-tonne convoy required to make a turn and roll down a slight incline to reach the main road it was to travel on. An aerial view shows people gathered to watch the moving of the wooden Kiruna Church, in Kiruna, Sweden on August 19, 2025. Photo: AFP / Jonathan Nackstrand Throughout its journey on Tuesday, workers in yellow vests and helmets scrambled around the structure, taking measurements and conducting tests to ensure everything proceeded as planned. After a smooth ride, a brief lunch break and frequent technical checks inside the church, the transport stopped for the day around 3:50 pm (1350 GMT), more than an hour ahead of schedule. It was to resume on Wednesday morning and scheduled to arrive at its final destination in the afternoon. "Hopefully tomorrow will be a walk in the park again," LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom told AFP, admitting he had been "a little worried about this". The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people. King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in the festivities in Kiruna. And Swedish television was broadcasting the entire journey live - a new iteration of the "slow TV" trend. The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The wooden Kiruna Church is seen in the background as it is being transferred to its new location, in Kiruna, Sweden on August 19, 2025. Photo: AFP / Jonathan Nackstrand The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor (NZ$88.1 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40 metres tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece. LKAB has called the relocation "a unique event in world history". Other larger, heavier objects have been moved before, but usually in ports or industrial areas - not through small towns. The roads on the route have been widened, from nine to 24 metres, and levelled to provide a smooth ride. Elisabeth Turq, a 66-year-old French tourist who travelled to Kiruna to follow the move, was awestruck. "It's quite remarkable to be able to move such a building," she told AFP. Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius, a Kiruna native best known for her novel Stolen , which was made into a Netflix drama last year, said she had mixed feelings. "I'm glad the church is being moved... anything else would have been a scandal," she told SVT. "It's such a big part of Kiruna's soul. "I was baptised, confirmed and married in this church," she said. "But it is extremely difficult to see your town disappear," she added, lamenting the loss of other landmarks razed in the town's move. LKAB offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings. "But when it came to the church, we decided it was best to move it in one piece," LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told AFP, saying the move was being handled "with great reverence". "This is not just any building, it's a church." Particular attention was paid to protect both the church's large organ, with its more than 2000 pipes, and altarpiece, a pastel landscape painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947). The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week. -AFP
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Historic Swedish church on the move in logistical feat
Throughout its journey on Tuesday, workers in yellow vests and helmets scrambled around the structure, taking measurements and conducting tests to ensure everything proceeded as planned. After a smooth ride, a brief lunch break and frequent technical checks inside the church, the transport stopped for the day around 3.50pm (1.50pm GMT), more than an hour before schedule. It was to resume on Wednesday morning and scheduled to arrive at its final destination in the afternoon. 'Hopefully tomorrow will be a walk in the park again,' LKAB chief executive Jan Mostrom told AFP, admitting he had been 'a little worried about this'. 'Unique event' The move has generated widespread interest, with large crowds thronging the streets of the town of 18,000 people. King Carl XVI Gustaf was due to take part in the festivities in Kiruna. And Swedish television was broadcasting the entire journey live – a new iteration of the 'slow TV' trend. The town's relocation process began almost two decades ago and is expected to continue for years to come. The new town centre was officially inaugurated in September 2022. The relocation of the church alone is expected to cost 500 million kronor ($52 million) and is being paid for by LKAB. Designed by Swedish architect Gustaf Wickman, the church, which measures 40m tall, is a mix of influences and includes designs inspired by the region's Indigenous Sami people on the pews. The neo-Gothic exterior features slanting roofs and windows on each side, while its dark interior has elements of national romanticism as well as an Art Nouveau altarpiece. LKAB has called the relocation 'a unique event in world history'. Other larger, heavier objects have been moved before, but usually in ports or industrial areas – not through small towns. The roads on the route have been widened, from nine to 24m, and levelled to provide a smooth ride. 'Not just any building' Elisabeth Turq, a 66-year-old French tourist who travelled to Kiruna to follow the move, was awestruck. 'It's quite remarkable to be able to move such a building,' she told AFP. Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius, a Kiruna native best known for her novel Stolen, which was made into a Netflix drama last year, said she had mixed feelings. 'I'm glad the church is being moved... anything else would have been a scandal,' she told SVT. 'It's such a big part of Kiruna's soul. 'I was baptised, confirmed and married in this church,' she said. 'But it is extremely difficult to see your town disappear,' she added, lamenting the loss of other landmarks razed in the town's move. LKAB offered to financially compensate those affected by the town's relocation, or rebuild their homes or buildings. 'But when it came to the church, we decided it was best to move it in one piece,' LKAB project manager Stefan Holmblad Johansson told AFP, saying the move was being handled 'with great reverence'. 'This is not just any building, it's a church.' Particular attention was paid to protect both the church's large organ, with its more than 2000 pipes, and altarpiece, a pastel landscape painted by Sweden's Prince Eugen (1865-1947). The belltower, which stood separately next to the church, will be moved next week. -Agence France-Presse
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Striking Air Canada flight attendants defy back-to-work order
By Allison Lampert, Rishabh Jaiswal and Promit Mukherjee, Reuters Flight attendants protest in front of the Air Canada headquarters near Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Photo: AFP / Andrej Ivanov Air Canada's striking flight attendants have refused a government-backed labour board's order to return to work, forcing the airline to delay restarting its operations and leaving its passengers in limbo. The Canadian Union of Public Employee said the 10,000 Air Canada attendants it represents would remain on strike, calling the order unconstitutional and "designed to protect the airline's profit." Instead, it invited Air Canada - the country's largest airline - back to the table to "negotiate a fair deal." In response, the airline said it would delay plans to restart operations from Sunday until Monday evening (local time). The refusal by the union to obey the order left many travellers at Toronto Pearson International Airport confused and frustrated on Sunday afternoon. Many of them were camped out in airport lounges, uncertain whether when and if flights would resume or whether Air Canada would make tentative arrangements. "We are kind of left to figure it out for ourselves and fend for ourselves with no recourse or options provided by Air Canada at this time," said Elizabeth Fourney of Vancouver. Francesca Tondini, a 50-year-old from Italy, said she was about to return home after visiting Canada when her flight was cancelled on Saturday and again on Sunday. When she asked Air Canada when the flight would finally depart, the airline responded, "maybe tomorrow, maybe Tuesday, maybe Friday, maybe Saturday - they don't know!," she said. The flight attendants began their strike early on Saturday morning, after negotiations that had dragged on for months reached an impasse. In anticipation, the airline cancelled most of its 700 daily flights, forcing more than 100,000 travellers to scramble for alternatives. Within hours of the strike declaration, the Canada Industrial Relations Board complied with a request by Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu and ordered binding arbitration. The Canada Labour Code gives the government the power to ask the CIRB to impose such an order in the interest of protecting the economy. Air Canada had encouraged the government to act, while CUPE had pushed for a negotiated solution, saying binding arbitration would take pressure off the airline. "The federal government has entrusted a board to administer these rules in the Canadian Labour Code, and if you defy them, you are transgressing and essentially violating the law," said Rafael Gomez, a professor of employment relations at the University of Toronto. It is exceedingly rare for a union to defy a back-to-work order. In 1978, Canadian postal workers refused to comply with back-to-work legislation, resulting in fines and the jailing of their union leader for contempt of Parliament. The government's best option is to go to court to enforce the order and secure a contempt order if the union refused to back down, said Michael Lynk, professor emeritus at Western University's Faculty of Law in London, Ontario. "The union leadership could face the same consequences as what happened 45 years ago. It could be fines against the union ... potential of jail time for the union leaders," he said. The minority Liberal government could also try to pass back-to-work legislation, but that would require support of political rivals and approval in both houses of parliament, which is on break until 15 September. "Like many Canadians, the minister is monitoring this situation closely," Jennifer Kozelj, Hajdu's press secretary, said in a statement. "The Canada Industrial Relations Board (the Board) is an independent tribunal. Please refer to them regarding your question," she added in response to questions about the union's defiance of the order and about the refusal of the board's leader, a former Air Canada counsel, to recuse herself from the decision. The CIRB did not respond to a request for comment. The government, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, intervened last year to head off rail and dock strikes that threatened to cripple the economy. Lynk said the CUPE was also likely to file a legal challenge to the order. The government's use of its extraordinary power to force binding arbitration through CIRB, called Section 107, is relatively new. Unions have criticized the provision, saying such interference favours employers and denies their right to collective bargaining. The most contentious issue has been the union's demand for compensation for time spent on the ground between flights and when helping passengers board. Attendants are largely paid only when their plane is moving. -Reuters
