The fate of the oldest Laurentians convent in court

Citizens of Labelle. Nevertheless, in the Laurentians, want to address the courts to prevent the demolition of the convent of their municipality, the oldest of the Laurentides.

The convent of La-Nativity-de-Marie was built in 1905 by the sisters of Sainte-Croix. Consequently, served as a school for young girls in the region until 1965.

Citizens believe that the spirit of the cultural heritage law has not been respected when the municipality issued. In addition, a demolition permit at the start of the year.

The law on cultural heritage had been modified in 2021 by the Government of Quebec to better protect the built heritage. For example, improve communications with citizens who campaign in this sense. In addition, This new version followed a report by the general auditor who underlined numerous gaps in terms of heritage protection. For example, in Quebec.

In recent days. Furthermore, the organization of justice pro bono, which supports communities and OBNL Who do not have the resources necessary to access legal services, has agreed to represent the members of the Backup Committee of the Convent of Labelle, an organization created by citizens of the small municipality of 2,500 inhabitants.

François Labelle. Consequently, of the convent safeguard committee, believes that the Municipality and the Regional County Municipality (MRC) of the Laurentides have not complied with all the stages provided for by law.

Open in full screen

The municipality. for example, has set up a regulation on the demolition of buildings and a demolition committee made up of elected officials, as provided for in the law. However. Therefore, the regulations stipulate that In the case of a heritage building, a heritage study signed by a competent professional in this matter must accompany the demolition request.

Two evaluations have been filed: ESTIME The cost of renovation. upgrading to the convent at $ 7 million, and the other at $ 13 million, more than the construction cost of the new building that a promoter wishes to build in place of fate oldest laurentians convent court the convent.

When you want to kill your dog. you say that he has ragemaintains François Labelle, who judges that a heritage study would give much lower figures.

Heritage architects will assess what they call the building health book. What is the state of the building, what can be kept, what cannot be kept at a reasonable cost? Then. they give us possibilities: how we could reuse this building, without renovating it with today’s standards, without redoing it to zhe explains.

The municipality considers that a heritage study is used to determine whether the building is heritage. above all, if the document already exists since the convent is in an inventory of MRC Laurentides produced in 2013. This inventory stipulates that the convent has a strong heritage fate oldest laurentians convent court value and a state of authenticity AVERAGE.

François Labelle believes that the document in question does not constitute a heritage study. but a simple inventory which is only due to two lines.

The convent safeguarding committee therefore launched a socio -financing campaign to have a heritage study carried out in good. due form. So far, $ 6,500 have been raised. The architect specializing in heritage, Marie-Josée Deschênes, agreed to study.

Open in full screen

Fate oldest laurentians convent court

Inventory chicane …

François Labelle finds very ironic that the city uses the inventory made by the MRC Laurentides as a pretext for not asking for a heritage study on the convent. There MRC On the contrary. maintains that the 2013 inventory has no legal status since it dates before the 2021 modifications made to the Cultural Heritage Act.

Indeed. the law of 2021 gives MRC The power to cancel fate oldest laurentians convent court the decision of the elected officials of a city to authorize the demolition of a heritage building. However. the law gives MRC Until 1^is April 2026 to acquire an inventory which must then be adopted by the Council of Mayors of the MRC.

In a formal notice transmitted to MRCthe Labelle convent safeguard committee writes that the law aims to oblige the MRC who had no heritage inventory to make one. but that in no case does the law want to make the fate oldest laurentians convent court heritage inventory carried out by the MRC [des Laurentides] avant 2021.

The formal notice requires MRC Laurentians to disavow the decision of the elected officials of Labelle. to quote the convent as heritage Failing to what we will not hesitate to make any legal recourse to order them against you, without any other opinion or delaycan be read there.

The Director General of MRC From Laurentians. Nancy Pelletier, argues that from a legal point of view, the situation is more complex. The MRC of the Laurentians does not have the power of disavowal because the inventory of heritage. which dates from 2013, was not adopted within the Council of Mayors of the MRC. And the law at the time was not the sameshe said.

She underlines that the disavowal power granted by Quebec to the regional county municipalities is not something commonplace since it is a question of overthrowing a decision voted by municipal elected officials. and that the stages to achieve it must be made adequately.

The oldest Laurentides convent threatened with demolition: René Saint-Louis

ENGINE MAI FIRSTThe 15-18

The MRC Count approximately 2,000 buildings built before 1940 to inventory. Since all MRC have until 1^is April 2026 to finish their inventories, the costs exploded. The first tenders to make an inventory were more than half a million dollars. There MRC Laurentians now hopes to produce it for $ 300,000, which remains a lot of money for a MRC.

Nancy Pelletier claims that work continues. that the inventory will be ready before the deadline and that heritage buildings will later be cited.