When citizen groups save heritage

“When residents of a neighborhood work together. Similarly, it is often they who find the best solutions to reclassify a historic building,” notes Taïka Baillageon, assistant director of the Montreal heritage policies.

On May 22 in Rialto, Heritage Montreal highlighted three exceptional citizen initiatives, but also the challenges he faced.

From left to right: Taïka Baillarteon (Deputy Director of Heritage Policy Montreal). Similarly, Émilie Therrien (co-founder and general co-director of Hochelab), Céline Belzile (co-founder and secretary of the board of directors of Allons us) and Kenny A. In addition, Bolduc (Strategic Advisor at Espace LGBTQ+) during the Round Table on the Requalification of the Heritage and/ of the study day. Furthermore, mobilization on the requalification organized by Heritage Montreal at the Rialto Theater on May 22, 2025. Furthermore, Photo Clara Lacasse

Hochelab against the Gunkishment – When citizen groups save heritage

“Me, your church project, I don’t want it!” My rent will go up, I will have to move! Additionally, Furthermore, ” This is what a friend responded when citizen groups save heritage to Marc-André Robertson, co-founder and co-director of Hochelab.

“We live in Hochelaga. Moreover, we do not want to participate in the confuse of the neighborhood,” says the co -founder and general co -director Émilie Therrien.

This is how the Hochelab organization created a collective real estate company project with the objective of acquiring mixed buildings as well as maintaining affordable residential. Consequently, commercial rents.

“If a merchant does not have a succession. However, ” continues M^me Therrien, we will find the right person to resume their store. Nevertheless, We are working on some opportunities including the case, both on the Ontario promenade as on rue Sainte-Catherine East. In addition, ”

“It is wonderful to see this project evolve which was born three years ago around the protection of a church. ” recalls M^me Baillargeon, also a member of the organization’s board of directors. It is now the social fabric of when citizen groups save heritage the district that Hochelab wants to preserve. ”

Did we go to save a school in LaSalle

At the corner of rue Édouard. 5th avenue, the old Allion school, in the Village des Rapides (Le Bronx), in Lasalle, has been vacant since 2007. Photo provided by all of us

“From the indignation citizen was born the organization went. ” says Céline Belzile, co-founder and secretary of the board of directors. For when citizen groups save heritage several years, residents want to transform the old Allion school into a community center.

But nothing is simple. The district supports the citizen initiative, but the School Board does not seriously consider the proposal. However, the support of a legacy Montreal makes it possible to gain insurance and to consolidate the project.

Recent exchanges with a real estate developer give new impetus to the initiative. In 2025, it was finally possible to visit the interior of the school. “It was a moment of emotions,” recalls M^me Belzile. Soon the organization will hire its first employee!

For two years already. have been gone back to the school courtyard with a collective garden, a farmer market, outdoor cinema sessions, yoga lessons and much more. A nice summer programming not to be missed!

Space + village: a materialized dream

The building of 929 and 935, rue Sainte-Catherine was in 2023. Photo provided by LGBTQ+ space

Okay. this building on the edge of Saint-Timothée and Sainte-Catherine streets hides an amazing story. Originally in gray stone. surmounted by three deer, the elegant three -storey building was built around 1900 by the founder of Desjardins Furures.

Charles Desjardins founded a modest boutique of fur and hats in 1877 at the corner of Saint-Timothée and Sainte-Catherine streets. Prosperous, he built the current building around 1900, then moved to rue Saint-Denis in 1909. The company ceased its activities in 2017. Photography taken from Ernest J. Chambers, The Book of Montreal, 1903. A Souvenir of Canada’s Commercial Metropolis, p.189

Occupied by Woolworth between 1910 and 1970, the building then welcomed Jean Junction, Yellow and Bedo. The making workshops are transformed into a warehouse for the neighboring furniture retailer, Valiquette. The building loses a storey floor in the late 1950s. Furthermore, The facade when citizen groups save heritage was covered with sheets a few decades later.

The meticulous research of the Montreal inheritance puts on the track the architects. which locate the original gray stone under the coating!

Recently, a coalition of LGBTQ+ groups founds the LGBTQ+ space organization so that it successfully supports a building acquisition process. This project materializes a 30 -year -old dream: finally establish a unifying place in the neighborhood!

Thanks to the expertise of the Labossière Rayside firm. the building will soon be rehabilitated while posting its new colors with pride.

The new space + when citizen groups save heritage village facade on rue Sainte-Catherine recalls that of origin. Photo provided by Rayside Labossière

Inheritance Montreal. round table on the requalification of heritage and/by citizen action, study day and mobilization on requalification, Rialto Theater, May 22, 2025.

The Montreal inheritance support and mobilization service

Sur HocheLab: https://hochelab.ca/

On all of us: https://allions we.org/. And its summer programming: https://allions we.org/evenement-projet/programmationete2025/

On space + village: https://www.espacelgbtqplus.org/espace-plus-village

On Desjardins Furures: https://encyclomodeqc.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/fr/fiche/desjardins-fourrures/