A bona fide landmark on Monk Boulevard in the Ville-Émard neighbourhood, the former Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours Church is a fine example of repurposing of a religious heritage property in Montreal. Construction of the church originally began in 1914, to plans by architect Hippolyte Bergeron. The work was interrupted in 1920 and did not resume until 1939, under the supervision of architect Paul-Marie Lemieux. The stained glass is the work of John Patrick O’Shea and Guido Nincheri; the latter was also responsible for the painted interior décor. The church closed its doors in 2009 and was put up for sale the following year.

Groupe Paradoxe, a community and social economy organization dedicated to social reinsertion via the performing arts, bought the former church in 2010. The reconversion allowed it to fit up spaces for teaching in the basement, with a concert hall upstairs in the nave. Students can therefore get hands-on experience in their future trades in real-world conditions, while rentals of the concert hall and reception space bring in revenue for the group.

The renovation, undertaken with care by the firm Rayside Labossière, has preserved the stained-glass windows, the doors and several other original decorative elements. To make room for standing audiences, the pews were removed, but the wood was recovered and used to build the bars.

The presbytery was also converted into housing for the youth clients as well as office space.

A former church remains accessible thanks to the initiatives of Groupe Paradoxe. Besides playing a part in the revitalization of Monk Boulevard , this project has ensured an ongoing social and cultural role for the former church as a civic space.

The repurposing of the church posed numerous technical challenges, and a multidisciplinary approach was the key to its success. The project made the most of the property’s qualities, its magnificent interior design, including the presbytery and the church space, applying coherent solutions that took into account the buildings’ superior heritage value. To bring a project of this scale to fruition, support from the community is also essential.