There are 800 vacant buildings in Montreal. Many could be reused, and a number even have strong heritage value. Here are the stories of some of these abandoned places and the dreams to bring them back to life.
Abandoned since 1989, the former Canada Malting factory was recently purchased by a developer who wants to set up an ambitious real estate project there. The revitalization of the Saint-Henri district site, which is home to a famous pink cabin, may however take longer than expected, as the former owner is threatening to repossess the land.
Les Développements La Malterie are “a few weeks” away from presenting an official version of their Canada Malting revitalization project to the Sud-Ouest borough, according to developer Noam Schnitzer. Even though he assures us that his project is on the right track, the path seems strewn with pitfalls.
The lot, which had been vacant for 35 years, was first sold to Steven Quon by his father. After several changes of heart, Mr. Schnitzer, founder of Renwick Development, finally acquired the land for $5.5 million on March 28. The developer proposes to build condos and family homes on the site, combined with about 60 social housing units as well as common areas, such as art studios, a commercial area and an integration centre for young adults with autism.
The South-West borough aspires to a similar vision: a project including offices, local shops and affordable housing.
But a dispute between the old and new owners is jeopardizing that revitalization. To buy the building, Mr. Schnitzer took out a $1 million mortgage from Steven Quon. But Quonta Holdings, Mr. Quon’s company, claims Mr. Schnitzer has defaulted on the first two months of the loan.
Quonta Holdings is therefore giving Développements La Malterie 60 days to repay the loan in full, failing which the building will be put back up for sale in August, according to documents consulted by The duty. Noam Schnitzer assured us that all payments have been made; Steven Quon declined our interview requests.
A landmark of the South-West
While the businessmen settle their dispute, nature is slowly taking back control of the old malthouse: plants are growing on the rails and shrubs are sprouting all over the land.
Among the wild grasses, winding paths are drawn by graffiti artists and urban explorers who have ventured there over the years. At the foot of the dilapidated walls, scattered on the ground, spray paint cans, residue from pyrotechnics and pieces of beer bottles remind us of what these abandoned places are now used for. A visit to the Duty allowed us to come across several people who had slipped through a hole in the fence facing the Lachine Canal cycle path.
A few steps away is the Riverside Terrace Bar, whose owner, Justin Jolin, has witnessed the rapid deterioration of the plant. “There are bits falling off every day,” he explains.
The malthouse has three terracotta silos covered with purple ceramic tiles, the only ones of their kind still standing in Canada. They are a rare feature that should be preserved, according to Emilie Girard, historian at Usine à histoire(s), an organization fighting for the preservation of heritage.
Over the years, the malthouse has become a neighborhood landmark — even more so since artists painted the old checkpoint atop the plant pink. According to Mme Girard, this facility is also a modern part of the history of the place, which deserves to be preserved in the same way as the rest of the building. “We cannot imagine Saint-Henri without Canada Malting,” says the historian, reiterating that the industrial complex is important in the landscape of the neighborhood.
Noam Schnitzer says he shares this vision. Despite his desire to preserve the original elements, the developer says he cannot promise their conservation, because the site is in an “extremely advanced state of deterioration”. He gives the example of the main façade, whose structure is unstable and will have to be rebuilt. Decontamination of the site will also be necessary before it can accommodate housing.
Apart from sealing the entrances to keep the curious out and two modifications in the 1990s, the Canada Malting facilities have not been regularly maintained since they were abandoned in 1989.
Affordable housing for all?
With Montreal’s housing vacancy rate at historically low levels (1.5% in 2023), the À nous la Malting collective, which is fighting for social housing on the former factory site, is proposing the creation of a housing cooperative that would administer the building’s finances. More affordable rents would provide a respite for Saint-Henri tenants, whose average income remains lower than that of Montrealers in general, according to city statistics. “That’s the solution to the housing crisis,” says the collective’s co-founder, Shannon Franssen.
According to her, the Canada Malting site is the only land large enough in Montreal to build more than 200 social housing units and community spaces such as a childcare centre and community gardens.
The realization of the organization’s project still depends on the municipal authorities to set aside the land. The current project of the collective remains “feasible and realistic,” says Mme Franssen. For its part, the South-West district considers that the project would require major financial investments that would be impossible on the part of the City.
Mayor Benoit Dorais estimated, during a recent district council meeting, that “there is more feasibility for a project to integrate social housing than to move forward with all the current steps led by the À nous la Malting collective.” Despite these differences, Mr.me Franssen reiterates that the collective will fight until the end for a completely community project. “We’re not going to give up,” she exclaims.
A building full of history
Built in 1905, the Saint-Henri malthouse was the most modern in the country at the time. Hundreds of workers soaked, germinated and dried malt, processing it to produce beer. The size of three football fields, the plant received barley from the Canadian Prairies via the Lachine Canal and, later, the Grand Trunk Railway — which was unusual at the time, explains historian Emilie Girard.
1969 marked the beginning of the end: Canada Malting joined the deindustrialization of the Lachine Canal by building a new malting plant in the Port of Montreal, a site still in operation.