Saturday, April 26, 2014

Better Late Than Never (the Basta%^&s) Finally Save a House in the Griff

Well only 50+ years later & Drapeau's draconian direction to rid Montreal of unsightly neighbourhoods finally is halted & the last home in Griffintown is saved. I think this is a good thing but I also think there should be in every neighbourhood that was leveled by Drapeau ,a museum with the history of the areas affected clearly documented for anyone to see. Afterall we do have a lot of museums in Montreal so some dedicated ones to show the ignorance of some political whims ........We need to salvage & remember as much of history as possible , instead of leaving it to politicians to tell the story the way they want to spin it instead of actual documented stories & photographs to tell the real stories behind the neighbourhoods.  However I digress.......lol
So here is a story from today's Gazette about a Home in Griffintown Saved at Last.
 
                                                       



MONTREAL — A condominium developer has been refused permission to tear down a row of buildings that includes the oldest house in Griffintown.
The Sud-Ouest Borough’s Comité consultatif d’urbanisme (CCU) ruled unanimously Tuesday against a request by developer Maître carré to demolish three 19th-century buildings at 161-175 de la Montagne St.
CCU Chair Anne-Marie Sigouin said the buildings, facing a park that was once the site of St. Ann’s Church, are a rare surviving example of a typical streetscape in the former working-class neighbourhood.
“We have sent the architects back to the drawing board,” said Sigouin, the city councillor for the Saint-Paul/Émard district.
“We want to send a clear message on heritage protection,” she added.
The buildings covered by the decision include a tiny house at 175 de la Montagne that is the oldest house in the district, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in Canada. Dating back to 1825-35, the small house was originally built on a different site and moved to its present location in 1865.
The developer had offered to dismantle and reconstruct the tiny house and integrate it into a 12- to 14-storey condo project while demolishing the neighbouring buildings, which date back to 1862.
The CCU approved demolition of neighbouring buildings on Wellington St. just east of de la Montagne judged to have no heritage value. Sigouin said the borough would welcome a development project for the site if it integrates the historic buildings on de la Montagne.
Hugo Girard-Beauchamp, president of Maître carré, did not return a call from The Gazette.
mascot@montrealgazette.com

1 comment:

Les_F said...

It's not the only place left but why let the truth interfere with a good rant/story. .....lol
cheers ! LesF