Another RPA with 120 places closes in Montreal

Dozens of seniors and their loved ones at the Manoir Louisiana residence, in eastern Montreal, were recently informed that their private seniors’ residence (RPA) will be officially closed by next summer.

The four-story building, built in the 1990s, is located near the Botanical Garden, in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Au CIUSSS of the East Island of Montreal, a spokesperson confirms that the complete closure must take place on July 2.

The CIUSSS will ensure that the closure of the RPA takes place in compliance with regulations and the rights of residents […] our establishment does everything it can to adequately support users in their relocation process.

We were unable to contact the owner for comments and explanations.

Around 70 residents to move

At present, the RPA Manoir Louisiana has some 70 residents as well as tenants outside RPAwith a capacity of 120 places. About half of the seniors in the RPA are over 75 years old.

According to the provincial register of RPAManoir Louisiana is listed as category 3, that is to say for semi-autonomous residents. In principle, there are personal assistance, nursing, domestic help, meal and leisure services.

Certain conversions prohibited

The director of the office of the mayor of the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Laurent R. Beaulieu, indicates that Manoir Louisiana is in principle used as a rooming house and that it must remain a rental rooming house comprising 121 housing units. .

We recently learned that the owner of Manoir Louisiana is considering selling the building which currently houses tenants. [mais] however, no request for permits, conversion of use or work has been receivedhe specifies.

The district is keen to preserve the current purpose of the building and to protect tenants. Any request for an exemption to change this vocation will be refused by the elected representatives of Projet Montréal who are in the majority on the borough council.

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The borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is one of those which adopted, in the fall of 2022, modifications to their zoning by-law prohibiting conversions of RPA for another residential use.

The decision was taken in the wake of the attempt to convert the RPA Mont-Carmel, near downtown Montreal, which caused a lot of noise and met resistance from residents.

In the borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, the announcement in January 2024 of the closure of a RPA of 150 places had also provoked strong reactions. According to our information, the owner ultimately converted the building into collective residence equipped with common areas.

Over the past five years, around 500 RPA have closed their doors in Quebec, which illustrates the fragilities of the business model of these residences which house more than 136,000 seniors.

The pace of closures has slowed to around thirty over the past six months.

It is certain that it is extremely difficult for RPAresponded this week in the National Assembly the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, to a question from independent deputy Youri Chassin. The latter recalled that hundreds of millions of dollars had been invested in RPAespecially for sprinklers, salaries, insurance and resident care.

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Owner of two other RPAs

According to public information collected by -, the RPA Manoir Louisiana was opened in 1991. The property’s property value is $8.6 million.

The owner also owns two other RPA in Greater Montreal, with less than 40 places each. One of the residences is the subject of a legal hypothec from the Quebec Revenue Agency, for the sum of $162,000, since September 2024.