Citizen alert
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Published on : May 10 2016
Last modified on : July 10 2025
Alert submitted by: Christian Nadeau
The Douglas Mental Health Institute site is a vast 65-hectare property that includes more than 30 buildings, with constructions dating from 1888 to 2010.
There is a historic root cellar (recognized as a heritage structure), which is the last remaining trace of the Institute’s agricultural past, when it operated a farm to feed its patients and provide them with occupational therapy. This root cellar is in an advanced state of deterioration, and I believe it could collapse within the next few years.
Institut universitaire de santé mentale Douglas
Source: Google Street View
The Institute is also pursuing an infrastructure renewal project that involves abandoning the current heritage buildings, whose history dates back to 1895. The project aims to construct a new hospital that would house all of the Institute’s activities. The proposed site is located on wetlands (in the northeastern portion of the grounds), which serve as a resting area for migratory birds. This project overlooks the built and natural heritage that forms a green corridor connecting the St. Lawrence River to Angrignon Park.
The project was put on hold by the government for budgetary reasons in 2016–2017, but it remains a priority for the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.
In January 2020, the Ministry of Health and Social Services announced $2 million in funding for the preliminary phase of the infrastructure renewal project, which is aimed at replacing aging facilities.
Verdun
Mechanisms for protection
Civic Heritage
Public: provincial government
Vacant
No upkeep
Inappropriate/incompatible use
John William Hopkins (Perry Pavilion); Sir Andrew Taylor (Boiler House and Lehmann Pavilion); Edward Maxwell and William Sutherland Maxwell (Douglas Hall and Dobell Pavilion); James Cecil McDougall (Porteous Pavilion and CPC Pavilion); Fleming and Smith: numerous projects (Burgess, FBC, and Levinschi Pavilions, Roberts Recreation Centre, and the Youth Complex pavilions) as well as renovations and modifications (Dobell, Caton, and Perry Pavilions)
CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
Institutional
1888-1890 (first building, Perry Pavilion)
Located in an area of exceptional heritage value – Douglas Hospital
How do you see this Montreal site? What legacy has it left us? What future can we create for it? Where to start to get there? Who wants to participate in the project?
You have questions? Want to do more, but lack the information? Consult our toolkit to learn more about the heritage of the Montreal metropolitan area, the preservation mechanisms in place and possible actions.
