Protect Notman Garden from demolition: group
It might appear as a postage stamp on a map of Plateau-Mont-Royal, but to many people in the neighbourhood surrounding it Notman Garden is a big deal.
It is barely noticeable to passersby, but the tiny green space at the corner of Milton and Clark Streets has withstood the test of time despite being a literal stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of the intersection of St-Laurent Blvd. and Sherbrooke St.
The Citizens Movement for the Preservation of the Notman Garden says it contains trees that are rare to Montreal and centuries old.
Dozens of concerned citizens turned out for a demonstration on Saturday to protest against potential development just west of the garden, on Milton St.
A small neglected building that borders the trees and tall grass might be demolished soon.
Tony Antakly, the founder of the group, is concerned demolition will include cutting away part of the garden to make room for trucks and equipment. The building sits on the same lot of land as the garden land that is worth $1.6 million, according to the most recent municipal evaluation.
“That will create a hole and things will go downhill. (The real estate development company that owns the small building) does not have the permit to build yet,” Antakly said as people held up placards and others signed a petition that will be sent to the city of Montreal and Quebec’s minister of culture.
“We’re advocating the importance of the garden so no destruction will occur. More importantly, we want to preserve the trees. If bulldozers show up who knows what will happen.”
The garden has been protected from development in the past because it was part of a property that includes Notman House, a building facing Sherbrooke St. W. that was built during the 1840s as a greystone, two-storey home, with columns on either side of the front entrance.
It was sold to Alexander Molson, the son of the founder of the Molson brewery, in 1866, and then sold to photographer William Notman a decade later.
In 1893, it was purchased by philanthropist George Drummond and was turned into the St. Margaret’s Hospice for invalids. A building constructed in 1894 that served as a hospital annex still sits between the house and the garden.
The Notman House was classified as a provincial historical site in 1979. But, Antakly said, the property the garden sits on was somehow sectioned off by the city and sold during the early 1990s.
“No one can find traces of the deeds. Someone authorized the sale, but we can’t find any record of it,” Antakly said. “It may exist, but we can’t get our hands on it. We’re still searching. It looks like it was a mistake. So, if a mistake was done, now is the time to correct it.”
Terrence Regan, another resident of the area, said he took part in the demonstration because of the lack of green space in the neighbourhood.
“There are five or six daycares in the area and they have very little green space to take their children to,” Regan said.
According to land registry records, the property has been sold three times since 2004, including the most recent transaction in 2014 for $2 million. In 2015, Project Montréal made efforts to have the garden protected.
They asked the province to declare it as a Heritage Site.
“Unfortunately, the province turned us down,” said Projet Montréal councillor Alex Norris, while adding the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough cannot afford to purchase such a property to preserve it.
He said he is awaiting a decision from the city of Montreal on whether it can still be protected. The current owner has submitted permits to demolish and develop the area where the small building west of the garden sits.
We’re advocating the importance of the garden so no destruction will occur.