The house is currently undergoing a demolition project as the owner – a real estate developer – wishes to construct a 5-storey apartment building with 19 units without meeting any social housing needs. A 33-space parking lot is also planned by the developer. It should be noted that there is currently no building of such imposing size and volume; its template would not fit at all with the architecture of the old houses on one of the oldest streets in Saint-Bruno.
Condemning a house in good condition, designed in the aftermath of the Second World War, appears to be a flagrant lack of respect and sensitivity for the history and identity of the municipality. In addition, the removal of trees to make way for this residential complex and the planned parking lot will create a harmful heat island, thereby reducing the environmental resiliency and quality of life in the area. We believe that this house has a significant historical and heritage interest; along with its 26 trees, most of which are nearly 75 years old, it makes up a unique ensemble in our municipality. The preservation and enhancement of the beautiful residence and its green space is a perfect response to the desire of the population to preserve the character of their municipality as well as their quality of life.
Following a mandate from the Regulation, Permits and Inspections Division of the City of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, the firm Patri-Arch produced a heritage notice on the house in January 2021 (in French). This notice presents a vision opposed to that of citizens concerned about preserving this architectural witness on one of the oldest roads in Saint-Bruno. In fact, according to the firm, the “residence has a rather low antiquity value and no historical interest” given its “average context and landscape value […]” and the presence of other buildings of superior heritage interest in the municipality.
However, the firm offers some important concluding remarks to consider before the municipality makes its demolition decision, repeated in full here (translated from French):
“Given the average heritage value of this single-family home, it would be interesting, before considering demolition, to make the owner aware of the fact that this cottage is still in good condition and rather well preserved and that it would be interesting to first consider its conservation, even if it means renovating, enlarging or transforming it to adapt it to new needs.
If demolition is unavoidable, it would not constitute a major loss of heritage for the city of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, which has buildings of much greater historical and architectural importance. However, the quality of the replacement project should be ensured and the maximum number of mature trees on the property should be preserved.”
The demolition request was ultimately denied following a review of the file. This situation led the municipality to revise its urban planning regulations and to introduce measures aimed at protecting the existing built environment. Around 2023, the City of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville eventually acquired the house in order to preserve it. However, no concrete use has yet been determined.
