A brand new elementary school, “in accordance with the principle of sustainable development,” says the Ministry of Education in its presentation, will be built at a cost of $20 million in the municipality of Saint-Damien-de-Buckland. However, this municipality of 1800 inhabitants, located 75 km south of Quebec, does not lack quality buildings, ready to be recycled. A religious community, the Sisters of Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours (SNDPS), has left one of the largest real estate heritages in Quebec, including an imposing multi-purpose college designed by renowned architect Jean-Marie Roy. In addition to the elementary school, there is a performance hall, a public library and several community groups under this same roof. However, the relocation of the school entails the demolition of this building which has also housed, for years, the offices of the municipality as well as a residence for the elderly with 72 beds. The occupants of this building must all relocate. What will be the overall bill for all this upheaval?
“The idea that it is more economical to rebuild a school and relocate all those people does not hold water,” argues historian Réjean Bilodeau, vice-president of the organization of the Saint-Joseph de L Foundation. ‘Espérance, a local organization that opposes the bad luck that awaits this former college where the Rayons-de-Soleil school is located. “How much is this building worth, that we want to destroy, supposedly to save money? Maybe 60 million or more! Mr. Bilodeau does not see how this demolition is a wise decision. “How can we think of saving by demolishing it to rebuild next door? It is completely false to claim that! It is one of the most beautiful buildings for miles around. The architect, Jean-Marie Roy, was highly rated. […] We want to find other solutions than demolition. It doesn’t make sense. »
Minister Jean-François Roberge and the director general of the Center de services scolaire de la Côte-du-Sud, Jean-Marc Jean, stressed that it was more economical for the government to build, at a cost of $20 million, a new Rayons-de-Soleil primary school than to renovate the large building that houses it.
In 2018, the bill to renovate this set was estimated at $24 million by the school board, explains the mayor, Sébastien Bourget. About 30% of this bill should have been paid by the residence for the elderly. “Costs have gone up a bit since then,” the mayor said. Duty. It would probably be around 30 million, maybe 28 million, well somewhere around there…”
A donation
In 1997, the nuns donated this building to the school board. “I don’t think that many cities receive such a building as a gift”, comments to the Duty Sister Madeleine Fillion, Superior General of the SNDPS. “It would be very expensive to build, that’s for sure. But we have become, I would say, not indifferent, but not far: we have a lot of other buildings to take care of…”
By endorsing the demolition rather than the renovation of this building, the 72 beds for the elderly at the L’Oasis center are forced to migrate. In principle, they will be moved to the former mother house of the nuns, which must also accommodate accommodation for foreign workers. Mayor Bourget estimates that the modifications to be made to accommodate them in this place will not be too significant.
Where will the municipal offices, the cultural centre, the performance hall, the municipal library and the community organizations be after the demolition? The mayor still ignores it, while admitting that this cascade of displacements will end up costing money. Isn’t the overall bill likely to exceed the cost of renovating the existing building, without managing to maintain the same services afterwards? “I have to say that you are right,” says Mayor Bourget, while saying that he has no choice but to give up. “It’s not me who wants to demolish!” But the project is defined like that. Every year, the school board came back to us saying that college was too expensive for them. Mayor Bourget claims to have had enough. “I couldn’t oppose the construction of a new school. I had the question of Saint-Damien College above my head for years. The [avec la démolition], at least the folder is settled. We won’t talk about it anymore. And by leaving the college to its fate, he says he can at least focus on saving the nuns’ motherhouse, a building that will be handed over to the municipality in the spring.
“It’s undressing Paul to dress Jacques!” retorts Pauline Mercier, the former director of the secondary school that was also housed in the old college. Mme Mercier also took care, for years, of the L’Oasis seniors’ residence. “What municipality of this size in Quebec can boast of being able to benefit from such a building? The Oasis found itself trapped: it was told that it had to pay a percentage of the renovations. She has no money. So she kind of finds herself forced to move out. However, we are at a time when multigenerational projects between seniors and a primary school should be favored by the existence of such a building! »
An important architect
Emeritus professor at UQAM’s School of Design, France Vanlaethem cannot explain why the Quebec state does not see the point of preserving such a place, for the benefit of all citizens of the region. “When are we going to learn to think a little beyond the end of our nose before considering destroying such a building? »
President of Docomomo Quebec section, an international organization dedicated to modern architecture, Ms.me Vanlaethem underlines the misuse that is made of the concept of “sustainable development”. Here it is diverted from its meaning, she says, to better swallow the destruction of a building that is nevertheless important. “Sustainable development also and above all means preserving what we have! The minister wants to build a new school. Electorally, it always sells better to build something new. Isn’t this a problem, this excessive valuation of novelty? Society finds itself trapped in always wanting something new. In his opinion, the overall effects of the actions taken should be assessed, while recalling the importance of such a building.
“Poor Jean-Marie Roy! ” laments France Vanlaethem, while explaining that “he is one of the most important architects that we have had” and who is however mistreated. “To justify the destruction of one of its buildings, the mayor of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures had said that it looked like a butter box! We suffer from a misunderstanding of this kind of building. »
It is one of the most beautiful buildings for miles around. The architect, Jean-Marie Roy, was highly rated. […] We want to find other solutions than demolition. It doesn’t make sense.
“Let’s talk about Jean-Marie Roy!” retorts Mayor Bourget, recalling that small pavilions near the college, designed by the same architect, housed a Youth Center that the government has abandoned. “The buildings were left to themselves, then sold to the private sector. They are now abandoned. It’s a wart on the face of the municipality. Put yourself in my shoes! What power do I have to keep these buildings well maintained? Almonds ? It will end up costing more lawyers! I have no power to maintain these buildings! »
Born in Saint-Damien, lawyer Annie Godbout, president of the Saint-Joseph de L’Espérance Foundation, considers that “it is a mistake that governments make to justify demolition. It is a heritage building […] a building of great wealth, with a swimming pool, a performance hall, services and everything. Demolishing it goes against the notions of sustainable development! »
She insists that many citizens are not opposed to the idea of a new school, but that they still want to “keep the place as a complement, for the benefit of the people of the region” . For her, “it is not true that collectively, we will have more by demolishing, that it is by shrinking that we will grow! If we put the 20 million planned for the school in the renovation of this building, imagine what we would get! […] Just what they’re going to put in the new school, plus what it’s going to cost to relocate everyone around, we’re going to quickly have invested millions to get spaces that will never be equivalent in quality to what’s already there. the. » Mme Godbout says he still has good hopes of convincing elected officials to recycle this building.