Just before 8:00 pm on Saturday June 19, lightning struck St. John's Bell Tower. It blasted apart a number of stones from the top of the tower. One or more of the stones went through the roof of the Narthex and another large one was left embedded in the church roof. Other stones fell on the lawn, the sidewalk, and some even landed on Queen Street.

Reconstruction of the tower is now underway. Workers have had to remove a quantity of upper stones from the bell tower in order to reach a stable base. These will be put back in place so the tower will look the same as it did prior to the lightning strike. The church and church hall are usable, but the Queen St. entrance is blocked off while work is underway, so be sure to go to the Regent Street entrance. Work on the interior of the Queen Street Narthex cannot be completed until reconstruction of the bell tower is completed.