Published on : October 14 2021
Last modified on : October 14 2021
Alert submitted by: Catherine Danis
According to the Répertoire du patrimoine culturel of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, the Charbonneau house “is representative of the French-inspired rural house by its massive volume of rubble stone masonry, its one-and-a-half-story elevation, its gable roof and the asymmetrical distribution of its openings,” hence its heritage interest.
Located on a piece of land granted to the Charbonneau family in 1711 by the Séminaire de Québec, then lord of Jésus Island, the house was probably built around 1736 if we are to believe a stone marked with that year, located under the doorframe. The house remained in the family’s possession until 1878. The Chartrand family acquired the property in 1885 and occupied it until 1972.
Maison Charbonneau
Source: Source: Catherine Danis
Maison Charbonneau
Source: Jacques Nadeau, Le Devoir, 2018
The house was classified in 1977 by the Quebec government and was granted a protection area in 1979 (link in French). Pierre Thibault, the penultimate owner, restored this heritage house to its former glory; unfortunately, the house has been in constant disrepair since his death.
The current owner, who acquired the house in 2008, filed a demolition application with the City of Laval in 2014, which was rejected. However, no restoration and protection work was undertaken, which precipitated the building’s deterioration.
According to Jean-François Nadeau of Le Devoir in a November 29, 2018 article (in French), “the Ministry does not intend to require a complete renovation of the building, but rather work that would preserve its heritage values and slow its deterioration, so minimally the consolidation of the structure. In principle, the law [on cultural heritage] allows the State to intervene to protect a heritage property under its responsibility. In this case, as in others, the Ministry prefers to continue hoping that the owner will eventually agree with its arguments.”
However, in 2019, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications obtained an order from the Superior Court “that will allow it to proceed itself with the protection work of the Charbonneau House in Laval, neglected by its owner,” according to Jeanne Corriveau of Le Devoir in a November 27, 2019 article (in French); a rare phenomenon, but one that was hailed by the heritage community. Despite this order, a follow-up is still necessary so that the work can be completed and the Charbonneau house can regain its original luster.
Laval
Mechanisms for protection
Private
Vacant
No upkeep
Lack of knowledge
Demolition
Owner
Residential
Around 1736
Classified heritage building
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