St. Henri may get new housing
Canada Malting complex studied
The Canada Malting complex has towered over St. Henri for more than a century.
A symbol of Montreal’s industrial past, it has fallen on hard times since it was abandoned in the 1980s. It’s defaced by graffiti, and squatters often break in.
Now, the Sud-Ouest bor- ough is working on guidelines for a possible eventual residential redevelopment of the sprawling property at St. Ambroise and St. Rémi Sts., on the Lachine Canal.
After consulting experts, neighbours and local groups, the borough announced on Friday it is working on a framework that will be put before public consultations.
Once Canada’s largest malting plant, the privately owned complex features enormous silos, some of which are unique in North America. But the borough said some are crumbling and will be difficult to save. If a residential property is built, other challenges will involve traffic and parking, the borough said.
“It’s a monumental building and preserving it presents monumental challenges,” Sud-Ouest Mayor Benoit Dorais said in a press release.
“All options are on the table,” he added. “We hope to see a project that meets the principles and values that inspired the development of the area in recent years — an inclusive project where families play an important role, one that is focused on sustainable development and the history and identity of the neighbourhood.”
Groups already consulted include Heritage Montreal, Parks Canada and Solidarité Saint-Henri. Guy Giasson, president of the Société historique de Saint-Henri, said the group hopes any redevelopment of Canada Malting will preserve and reuse the complex, as other former plants on the canal have been.
Other industrial buildings have been turned into condos and artist lofts.