An organization is calling for the building of the Collège de Saint-Damien, in Bellechasse, to be classified as heritage, the planned demolition of which would, in its eyes, be an “unacceptable waste”.
The Group of Initiatives and Applied Research in the Environment (GIRAM), known for its actions aimed at protecting heritage places, contacted the Ministry of Culture last week to make the request.
This imposing modern-style building was designed by architects Jean-Marie Roy and Noël Mainguy and completed in 1961, in Saint-Damien-de-Buckland.
Its future has been uncertain since its owner, the School Service Center (CSS) of Côte-du-Sud, decided to relocate the Rayons-de-Soleil primary school which was housed there to a new establishment. The moving of classes was completed in recent weeks.
“Disaster scenario”
According to the school service center, the building is in a very advanced state of disrepair and requires major work, the cost of which would have been higher than that of a new construction.
From 2021, demolition is planned. A “disaster scenario” which goes “against the principles of sustainable development, taking into account the solidity and heritage value of the construction”, deplores GIRAM, in a letter addressed to Minister Mathieu Lacombe.
“Sending this construction to the landfill site would constitute an unacceptable waste of both material and human resources,” we can read in the file supporting the request.
It also highlights the “powerful historical and social value” of this place “for the entire population of this municipality”.
“It’s really a building that represents modernism, with the architect Jean-Marie Roy who was born in Bellechasse,” says the vice-president of GIRAM, Gaston Cadrin, in an interview with The Journal.
Affordable housing
According to him, the classification would make it easier to obtain subsidies for the conservation and restoration of the building.
GIRAM supports the project of a local foundation which proposes to develop 84 affordable housing units in the building while retaining the community and cultural services currently located there, including a performance hall.
Mr. Cadrin adds that the Notre-Dame-de-Foy campus, in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, has similar characteristics and is already classified as a heritage site.
“So we say to ourselves, yes, it is classifiable, because we have classified the Notre-Dame-de-Foy campus. The building is solid, it has interesting characteristics,” he maintains.
“We also do it to [la] intrinsic value [du bâtiment]we are not doing it just to block the demolition,” he adds.
According to our information, although it is considering demolition, the CSS has declared itself open to studying any “viable solution” for the future of the Collège de Saint-Damien. The deadline of January 10 has been set for the submission of projects.
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