War of words over contentious village development

West Island landmark or public eyesore?

The Pioneer resto-bar, in its various incarnations, has stood on the corner Lakeshore Road and Ste-Anne Avenue in Pointe-Claire since about 1900. A former hotel, it has served as a local watering hole and live concert venue since the late 1970s for generations of West Islanders, particularly those coming of age — or nearly of age.

But recent plans to demolish the iconic building to make way for a luxury condo project has some local residents up in arms.

Tim Thomas, who operates an antiques shop in the Pointe-Claire Village, said the city is making a mistake if it approves a condo/ commercial project for its most historical and architecturally distinct neighbourhood.

Thomas said a condo project on Lakeshore Road will alter the character of the village that still has buildings from previous centuries. He said condos have their place in Pointe-Claire, just not in the village.

“They ’re building condos everywhere in Montreal, but is that what we really want in the heart of the Pointe-Claire Village?”

Thomas and some other residents opposed to the project are now mobilizing to put pressure on Pointe-Claire Mayor John Belvedere to nix the condo deal before the building falls to the wrecking ball.

Petitions have been circulating, including an online “Save the Pioneer” petition started by John Abbott College students Matthew Trudel and Liam Carr that had collected more than 3,140 names as of Monday.

Another petition making the rounds is the hand-written effort of Pointe-Claire resident Paul Parfett, who says he would be willing to sell his auto shop, located around the corner from the Pioneer.

Parfett says he would use the funds of the auto shop sale to purchase the run-down Pioneer, with plans to refurbish it to its former glory, and allowing it to continue as an entertainment venue for live music.

But the mayor noted the Pioneer has been up for sale for years and no one stepped forward until its sale was announced earlier this spring.

“Talk is cheap,” said Belvedere. “It’s been up for sale for 10 years and nobody bought it.

“The lady who owns the Pioneer said the business is dead, the building is falling apart and she can’t keep up with it anymore. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars of renovations to do. We can’t force her to keep the Pioneer open.

“Everybody out there who wants to save the Pioneer now hasn’t supported it over the last 10 years. It would be a thriving business but nobody goes to the Pioneer anymore. She’s having a closing party on July 21. After that, it’s done.

“That’s her personal decision to close it up and walk away from it. We can’t stop that,” the mayor added.

Belvedere said the condo project, which is to include street-level commercial space, has not yet been approved by city council. But he noted that the type of mixed use development proposed by the developer meets the city’s own criteria for its heralded village revitalization plan.

But Thomas said Pointe-Claire has already lost many of its hotelbars and drinking establishments over the years. He cited the Maples Inn, Edgewater, and Green Hornet as places which were bulldozed.

Thomas, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last November, said a coalition of residents is growing to save the Pioneer, which comes on the heels of the Walton shopping mall demolition plan in another part of Pointe-Claire. Thomas plans to attend the next city council meeting on July 3 to voice his concerns, but he fears the condo project is a fait accompli.

“It’s red tape for citizens and red carpet for condo developers,” he quipped.