Coaticook MRC publishes residential heritage renovation guide

The Coaticook MRC has released A Practical Guide for the Renovation of Old Residential Buildings (Guide pratique de rénovation de bâtiments résidentiels anciens ) with a view to preserving and enhancing the heritage character of the area.

The guide has been designed to educate homeowners on the main components of traditional architecture and to advise them on principles to be followed during renovation, the addition of ornamental elements, or enlargement. The twelve pages of the guide are full of information and advice on cladding, doors and windows, roofs, enlargements, and colours.

"We are extremely proud of this guide,” said Waterville Mayor and MRC Records Keeper Nathalie Dupuis. “In addition to educating homeowners about the heritage value of their homes, it also equips our municipal staff when they are involved in a renovation or expansion project. In concrete terms, you can find some simple and informative solutions. In the end, we are all winners, because by being better informed, owners are able to make informed choices that contribute to maintaining the heritage wealth of our municipalities."

As the guide was being designed, architectural technicians from the Heritage Renovation Assistance Service (SARP) toured the territory to examine photographs of old residential buildings in the area, making the guide a unique tool adapted to the local reality. SARP'S mission is to support communities and citizens in the development of heritage and contemporary buildings.

The guide stemmed from the success of the residential architecture conference and the training on the restoration of old houses offered in 2017 to owners and elected officials of the MRC. Several studies carried out on the built heritage in the village centre also pointed to the impact of changes to which the traditional architecture of our region has been subjected. The replacement of old materials with synthetic ones and the removal of ornamentation, wooden doors, and windows contribute to the disappearance of the authenticity of old buildings. The guide was designed to make knowledge and skills available for the preservation of the character-defining elements that have shaped regional identity.

The guide is available on the Coaticook MRC website and on those of several of its municipalities. In the fall, printed copies will be available for consultation at municipal offices, libraries, and businesses in the region. All owners of residential buildings that qualify can get the free printed guide at the Coaticook MRC office with proof of address and the identification of their building in the guide.

Finally, the MRC is reminding citizens that the renovation of old buildings is covered by the Rénorégion program of the Société d'habitation du Québec, which subsidizes major work on residential buildings of up to two residences up to $12,000 or 95 per cent of the cost. Applicants must contact their municipality or the Coaticook MRC to find out what conditions apply to the program.