Last summer, the Minister for
Culture announced the
suspension of funding for
heritage places of worship, as
well as the formation of a
National Committee on
Religious Heritage Buildings
to review how such projects
are funded. Whilst this work
continues with a view to
publishing recommendations
this autumn, the subject of
religious heritage is
currently in the news.
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In recent months,
several churches have been
tragically lost in fires
that have served as a stark
reminder both of
communities’ attachment to
this architectural and
artistic heritage, and of
its vulnerability. The loss
of these landmark buildings
is often compounded by the
equally painful loss of
archives, artefacts,
stained-glass windows,
organs, bells and other
heritage items, whether
sacred or community-related.
Not to mention the acts of
vandalism to which many
places of worship fall
victim. Beyond addressing
each case individually, a
protection strategy is
sorely needed, bringing
together local authorities,
government, decision-makers,
citizens and professionals.
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The case of the Saint-Gérard
Majella church in
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu also
illustrates the challenges of
preserving this heritage in
the context of property
development projects. Whilst
the Minister has announced his
intention to list the modern
church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs
in Repentigny,
Saint-Gérard Majella, an
award-winning modern work by
architect Guy Desbarats and
artists including Jean-Paul
Mousseau, is on the verge of
disappearing, as the City
Council has yielded to the
arguments of the developer,
who had nevertheless
committed, in exchange for
property development rights,
to preserving it. This
situation has drawn objections
from local stakeholders as
well as experts and
organisations, including
Héritage Montréal.
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Des
colloques et des réflexions
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From 7 to 9 May, an
international conference will
explore the reinvention of
places of worship, a topical
issue both here and elsewhere.
Organised
at the invitation of the
Conseil du patrimoine
religieux du Québec (CPRQ)
and its academic partners at
UQAM and the University of
Montreal, this conference is
being held at the Centre
Saint-Pierre, a heritage
complex notable both for its
architecture and for its
purpose and ongoing adaptive
reuse. Whilst there are many
conferences on the subject
(the University of Sherbrooke
will hold one on 4–5 June
focusing on law and Christian
communities), the CPRQ’s event
brings together academics,
managers, community leaders
and professionals.
Bolstered by an interfaith
mobilisation of Catholic,
Protestant and Jewish
communities, this convergence
of stakeholders dates back to
the 1980s and 1990s with the
ICOMOS Canada conference on
sacred heritage and the
formation in Montreal of the Pierres
vivantes collective,
whose reflections would lead,
in 1995, to the formation of
what is now the CPRQ and to
the Quebec model of concerted
action on religious heritage,
its conservation and its
future contribution to
community life.
This week’s CPRQ symposium promises
to be rich in experiences and
discussions on a variety of
topics, such as the fate of
bell towers, land strategies
and the impact of standards on
this particular type of
building. We await
its conclusions and
proposals with great
interest to see how
they can be put into practice
for this heritage, which
shapes the identity of the
territory and communities of
Quebec and the city.
On Saturday 9 May, Claudine
Déom, Associate Professor at
the School of Architecture
within the Faculty of Planning
at the University of Montreal
and a member of Héritage
Montréal’s Heritage and
Planning Committee (COPA),
will chair the panel “Religious
heritage: regulations,
compliance and
accessibility”.
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For
Montreal, let’s move beyond
a case-by-case approach!
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For years, the state of
religious heritage in Montreal
has been the subject of
discussion across
neighbourhoods and boroughs.
Whilst the number of worrying
cases is growing —
Saint-Eusèbe de Verceil,
Saint-Bernardin de Sienne, St
John the Evangelist,
Villa-Maria and Saint-Albert
le Grand, for example — the
city still lacks an action
plan that would enable it to
move forward with public
confidence and the right
tools.
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In light of this,
Héritage Montréal has asked
the Mayor of Montréal, Ms
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, to
mandate the Office de
consultation publique de
Montréal (OCPM) to hold an
independent consultation in
2026 on the future of
religious heritage buildings
and sites (places of
worship, vicarages, convent
complexes, etc.). We believe
this exercise is not only
necessary but urgent; it
must be carried out
diligently, drawing on the
OCPM’s expertise and taking
advantage of the opportunity
presented by the
implementation of the Urban
Plan and the ongoing
ministerial review.
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At its April 14 meeting, the
Ville-Marie Borough Council,
chaired by the Mayor of
Montreal, confirmed the
decision to authorize the
demolition of the former Y
des femmes building at
the corner of René-Lévesque
West and Crescent, despite an
appeal filed by residents.
This decision is based on the
condition of the building, but
one can also imagine the
city’s interest in replacing
it with a 30-story tower
containing 400 units.
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Héritage Montréal had
objected to this approval,
citing the building’s value
to the community. The
development of the city
centre should not be driven
solely by quantitative or
speculative objectives, but
should place equal emphasis
on preserving spaces that
contribute to community
life, as this former YWCA
building did for some 75
years.
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From May 21 to May 29, 2026
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Heritage:
Conservation and Intervention
– OAQ Training x Héritage
Montréal
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This training is
intended for architects who
wish to familiarize
themselves with, or deepen
their knowledge of,
heritage. Designed
and presented by Héritage
Montréal, it aims to equip
architects with the tools to
understand the issues
affecting built heritage and
the role they can play in its
conservation.
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In a context where a
significant portion of
architectural practice in
Quebec will soon involve
working with existing
structures, and where the
rehabilitation of existing
buildings is recognized as a
driver of sustainable
development, architects will
be called upon to exercise
leadership in the conservation
and enhancement of
heritage.This training is
offered in French.
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Session 1: What is heritage?
The notion of heritage value
- Session
2: Heritage evaluation and
regulation
- Session
3: Contemporary
interventions on heritage
buildings and sites
- Session
4: How to intervene in an
interior?
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This training, offered
in four sessions, is
structured to ensure a
balanced approach between
acquiring fundamental
concepts and applying them
in professional practice,
through case studies and
discussions with
participants.
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- This
training is offered in
French, in person, online,
or in a hybrid format.
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Registration deadline: May
21, 2026
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Fondation
Héritage Montréal
480-3575 Saint-Laurent,
Montréal, Québec H2X 2T7,
Canada
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© Héritage Montréal Foundation,
2026. All rights reserved.
Registered charity number
118923218RR0001.
Photo: (1) Saint-Gérard
Majella Church, in
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Photo: Religious Heritage
Council; (2) Saint Eusebius
Church in Vercelli. Photo:
Anthony Plagnes Payá; (3) The
Villa-Maria complex. Photo:
Anthony Plagnes Payá; (4) A
shoebox in Villeray. Photo:
Olivier Gariépy / VSP Borough;
(5) Interiors of the Fulford
Residence. Photo: Brian
Merrett, Héritage Montréal
“Héritage Montréal™,” “At the
Heart of the City™,” and
“Visites Entretiens™,” along
with their respective logos,
are trademarks of the Héritage
Montréal Foundation.
“ArchitecTours®” and
“Memento®” are registered
trademarks of the Héritage
Montréal Foundation
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