Heritage home faces wrecking ball
Some Dorval residents are upset the city has granted a demolition permit to tear down one of the city’s oldest homes.
The Maison LaFrance at 18 Martin Ave., just up the street from city hall, was built in 1888 by Joseph LaFrance, a blacksmith.
The home was awarded a prize in 2002 by Patrimoine Architectural de Montréal for its preservation, but has since fallen into disrepair, according to Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau.
Rouleau personally visited the home in May, along with other town officials, to get a firsthand look at the inside of the 130-yearold home.
“The urbanistes, the DG (city manager) and some councillors who were available during the day, we toured the house. And look, forget it. There was three feet of water in the basement. Everything leaks.”
The current owner, who purchased the property last year at auction, wants to demolish it and build a new home on the property, the mayor said.
But Richard Picard, a local resident and the former president of the Dorval Historical Society, said he wants to see Maison LaFrance spared from demolition.
“The house deserved to be protected because the city of Dorval and the Dorval Historical Society have identified it as being heritage by installing a heritage plaque in front of the house,” said Picard, “and it is also included in a guide of heritage buildings in Dorval, which was published by the city of Dorval and the Dorval Historical Society in 2000.”
Picard also noted that Maison LaFrance is also included in a list of Montreal heritage buildings.
But Rouleau said the home, despite its age, is not a heritage property. “It’s an old building, not historical,” the mayor said.
Rouleau said once a building undergoes a renovation or change to the original structure, it often loses its heritage status.
As for 18 Martin St., Rouleau said the original home has undergone many changes since 1888.
“When you get in the front door, there seems to be a living room and a wooden floor. I would say that’s about what’s left of the historical house. Everything else in Gyproc: it’s all been redone.”
But Picard said the house has been allowed to decay. “I have seen this house, having lived near it for over 50 years. Since it was sold by auction in September, the new owner neglected the house.”
Picard says the city isn’t doing enough to protect historical homes like Maison LaFrance.
“Dorval needs a heritage preservation committee. Many communities across Canada have this,” he said.
“Under La loi sur le patrimoine culturel, any municipality has the power to designate an immovable.”
Picard also pointed out another building of historical significance that needs to be preserved.
“There is the old gatehouse of the historic Forest and Stream Club, which was purchased by the city a couple of years ago. It has the qualifications as being a part of a national historic site but the city is letting it rot.”
Rouleau denied the city is demolition happy. He said anyone who sees the inside of 18 Martin Ave. would likely agree it should come down.
“First of all, it’s not historical. After that, we tried to get the owner to keep it. But after we visited inside, forget it. There was three feet of water in the basement. I guess because the foundation leaks or somewhere else. And water dropped from the ceiling and the roof leaks.”
The mayor said the home “has been empty for years.”
With property values rising in the West Island, Rouleau said property owners may want to demolish and rebuild, especially if an older property requires a lot of repairs or simply is not up to modern standards.
“More and more you’re going to see that,” he said. “Look at the Pioneer bar in Pointe-Claire. The city is getting into the same discussion we’re having.”
Rouleau said demolition permits are not automatically granted.
“It has to be done case by case. We will be seeing this more and more. A lot of houses here were built in ’50s and ’60s.”
He said Maison LaFrance will not be demolished until the city approves of a proposal to rebuild on the property.