HERITAGE FOR SALE
The former home of Lionel Groulx in Vaudreuil-Dorion is up for sale. Heritage activists worry it will be bulldozed to make way for lakeside homes.
Lionel Groulx’s childhood home in Vaudreuil-Dorion is for sale.
The house where the influential priest and historian grew up and then died was put up for sale recently, prompting concerns from the public about its future, although the property is designated as a heritage site.
The waterfront home, which dates back to 1872 and rests on a 52,400-square-foot lot on Chemin des Chenaux, is listed at an asking price of $849,900.
Lionel Groulx (1878-1967) was raised at the home, which faces Lake of Two Mountains. In 1967, after a state funeral, Groulx was buried in St-Michel cemetery, not far from his birthplace.
The property was designated a heritage site in 2005.
Norman Cornett, a religious studies scholar and lecturer, said Lionel Groulx was a significant historical and cultural figure for Quebec and Canada.
“This home was his birthplace and he regularly went back to visit,” said Cornett, who made Lionel Groulx the subject of his PhD thesis.
Groulx was a well-known historian and author who tackled the plight of French Canadians, Cornett said.
“As a historian, I believe we have to have history spaces,” he said.
Considering Vaudreuil-Dorion’s population has vastly grown over the past few decades, Cornett is concerned there could be pressure for future development, especially along a beautiful waterfront lot.
He suggested the provincial government should step up and make sure the Groulx family home is preserved and its significance be publicly marked.
“There’s a constant push and pull … over public funds to preserve and make heritage sites known,” he said.
“Could we not make provisions for history,” he added. “When you have a major figure in the history of Canada and its cultural history, this is a once in a lifetime (opportunity). When it’s gone, it’s gone for good.”
Diane Lavallée, Vaudreuil-Dorion’s urban planner, said the property is included in a cultural registry as a heritage site of the Maison-du-Chanoine-Lionel-Groulx. The heritage status offers protection to the external envelope of buildings and land, she said.
“The only permitted use in the zone corresponding to that address is for single-family residential,” she said.
A formal subdivision application for this property hasn’t been filed with the city, Lavallée said, adding any subdivision or demolition request made by a property owner would need to be approved by city council.
Jeannine Lecocq, the real estate broker listing the two-storey heritage home, said a would-be buyer could subdivide the 52,400 square foot property, setting up two vacant lots on either side that could then be developed or re-sold to build new homes.
“It’s declared as a heritage site by the city of Vaudreuil,” she said, adding this means the exterior is more protected than the interior of the heritage home, which she described as being in good shape.
“It’s a pretty big lot,” she added. “If you would purchase it — if you desire — you could make one lot on the left of the house and another lot on the right of the house. Or, you could do one (subdivided) lot of the left and keep all the rest. This option is open.”
A subdivided waterfront vacant lot could be worth about $300,000 on the market, Lecocq estimated, adding it would remain zoned for single-family homes.
The property includes a strip of land along the lake located across a one-way street in front of the home.
The current owner purchased the home in 2005 but he moved out last year, prompting the sale, Lecocq said.
An auction held last Sunday was meant for some antiques or furniture that were inside the home, but the actual property remains on the market, she said.