The Heritage Society and the City of Saint-Raymond jointly revealed the recipient of the 2023 Claude-Huot Prize, which was created to recognize the protection and conservation of built heritage.
“The award pays tribute to Mr. Claude Huot because of his important contribution to the protection of heritage in Saint-Raymond,” said the mayor, Claude Duplain. It is the residence of Sébastien Tremblay, located on Rang Saguenay, which deserves this annual honor. “This residence is representative of traditional Quebec architecture. Its gabled sheet metal roof, its vertical plank wood cladding and its paned windows recall the original style of the house. Its very good state of conservation, the quality of the materials used and the respect for the original architectural characteristics allowed Mr. Tremblay’s house to stand out and be chosen by the selection committee,” explained Christiane Huot, member of the Heritage Society, and daughter of Claude Huot.
The winning house is located in Rang Saguenay. Photo: Offered by Yvan Bédard
Major renovations
Although it dates back to before 1860, the precise date of construction of Mr. Tremblay’s residence remains unknown. “Numerous repairs have been carried out in recent years by Sébastien Tremblay and Marie-Lise Paquin, his wife. Let us mention, among other things, the roof, the insulation, the dormer windows, the windows, the exterior cladding, the gallery, the foundation, the chimney, the bathroom, the plumbing and the electricity,” adds M.me It’s crowded.
The original beams, the stone fireplace and the piece-by-piece structure have been preserved in this adventure aimed at restoring the residence’s letters of nobility. “It’s a great adventure. Yes, it is my name that is on the tax bill, but it would have been completely impossible to do it without my girlfriend, because it took a lot of courage,” underlined Mr. Tremblay.
The couple purchased the house in 2010 and spent 14 years, part-time, renovating it. “We are happy to be able to remove the scaffolding. I think it was a dream I had to renovate an old house. It was us who did everything from A to Z. There was no contractor who came,” they confided. To mark this unveiling, the City gave the owner a framed photograph which is the work of photographer Yvan Bédard.
