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Conversion of the former Sulpicians’ philosophy seminary

Les amis de la montagne are up in arms concerning Minister St-Pierre’s decision

Residential conversion of the former Sulpicians’ philosophy seminary on Mount Royal

Les amis de la montagne are up in arms concerning Minister St-Pierre’s decision to give consent to this private residential project that puts into question the principles of the protection and enhancement of Mount Royal as a provincial heritage site

Montreal, November 30, 2009 – Les amis de la montagne learned through an article published in La Presse on Friday, November 27, that Quebec’s Minister of Culture Christine St-Pierre, who is responsible for the Mount Royal Historic and Natural District, has given her consent to Développement Cato’s private residential construction project on the former Marianopolis College site, an institutional domain whose origins and landscape date back to the founding of Montreal.

Defenders of Mount Royal are profoundly disappointed by this decision and are surprised by the timing, given that the municipal council of the Ville de Montréal has not been given the chance to reconsider this project that requires derogation to the city’s urban plan. The Minister’s declaration is in fact, a highly unorthodox gesture regarding one of the most controversial dossiers in the mountain’s recent history.

Does the 46 million dollar sale – with no conditions – of an institutional property to a private developer justify a different treatment of the established process, a treatment that favours the developer? If the answer is yes, citizens of Quebec will lose confidence in those institutions required to ensure the protection of our collective heritage, as well as our democratic participatory structures currently in place.

None of the 60 individuals and organizations who participated in the public consultations held by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal, including Les amis de la montagne, has yet to see the developers’ modifications to the project since the report issued by the Office. Les amis de la montagne are concerned about how the Ville de Montréal will proceed with its decision in light of Minister St-Pierre’s declaration and considering that fundamental elements regarding the protection of the mountain, such as the “mountain’s limited capacity to receive new construction”, the preservation of institutional properties on the mountain and the protection of green spaces are still not resolved.

Is the process being by-passed for a project that requires a change to the city’s urban plan?

Since the decree of 2005, all projects on Mount Royal require final approval by the Minister of Culture, who intervenes once the municipal authorities have proceeded with their analysis and approval processes. In no other case to this day has the Minister made her opinion known before the decision of the municipal council. In the case of the conversion of this former seminary, which until 2007 housed Marianopolis College, Mayor Gérald Tremblay confirmed to representatives of Les amis de la montagne that the decision by the municipal council would not be taken before the November 1^st election considering the controversy and the complexity of the project. The Mayor insisted that the Ville de Montréal would take the time required to properly examine and proceed with the project in light of the report issued after the public consultations held in August.

Les amis de la montagne are astonished to learn therefore, that the Minister would give her consent even before the new municipal council has had the chance to discuss the project in council. The information is even more troubling, since Développement Cato, who during public consultations presented a construction project including 325 residential units and 671 parking places on an historic site of great value, has not received a permit modifying the city’s urban plan providing the change in zoning from institutional to residential. The zoning for the site remains institutional.

A test case for all other institutions on Mount Royal

Significant institutional and private projects on the mountain, such as the expansion of the Montreal General Hospital to the detriment of the surrounding neighbourhood, have planted doubts in the population regarding our municipal and provincial authorities’ genuine commitment to protect the mountain and the position of the Minister of Culture on the Cato project is far from reassuring. The future of institutional properties on the mountain will be affected by the outcome of this dossier. This project will serve as a test case for the hospitals, universities and religious congregations that may by inspired by this situation and encouraged to liquidate their properties on the mountain for profit, to the detriment of a heritage that we all recognize as exceptionally important and rare. All are following closely the results of this proposed conversion of the former philosophy seminary, that until recently belonged to the Sulpicians.

The Minister must clarify her position publicly

This site is of too great an importance for the mountain and for future projects to deny a rigorous and transparent planning process in line with the governmental decree and the city’s urban plan. Les amis de la montagne are asking Minister St-Pierre to clarify her position publicly regarding news of her consent for this residential conversion of the former philosophy seminary. We are asking the Minister to publicly commit fully and strongly to her role as the protector of Mount Royal and its heritage, on behalf of the interests of the collective community rather than the particular interests of private or institutional developers. Finally, we wish to meet with the Minister in person to discuss this dossier and the setting up of an efficient system of protection and enhancement of Mount Royal that is exemplary in nature and that corresponds to the exceptional emblematic value of the site.

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Information:

Gabrielle Korn

Director of Communications

Les amis de la montagne

T: 514 843-8240 ext. 237