In Ferme-Neuve, one of the last Victorian residences of the great lords of the colonization of the Hautes-Laurentides risks soon being demolished. Due to its cultural, historical and architectural importance, the Joseph-Lafontaine house, property of the municipality, is nevertheless cited to ensure its protection.
“We have not been municipalities that are very sensitive to heritage,” regretfully notes the mayor of Ferme-Neuve, Diane Sirard.
The Joseph-Lafontaine house, built in 1908, housed a line of landowners who became prosperous thanks to vast timber operations. From these “wooden farms”, the Lafontaines developed a municipality while generating part of the regional activity. This Victorian-inspired residence has a wooden turret more or less reminiscent of that of a European castle. “The people who had this built had a lot of money,” says the mayor of Ferme-Neuve. They owned the entire village. »
The three tenants who now share the premises received an eviction notice for the month of June. “It’s a shame because there is a lack of housing in Ferme-Neuve, as elsewhere,” observes the mayor.
“Inside, we still find magnificent woodwork. […] There are almost no houses like that left, continues the elected official. There are just one or two buildings of this type left in Mont-Laurier. But the most beautiful ones have been demolished, as will undoubtedly soon be the case for the old Mont-Laurier station. » In Ferme-Neuve, the house of the Lafontaines’ ancestor, even more beautiful than that of his son Joseph, was already demolished a few years ago, recalls the mayor. In 1899, Prime Minister Félix-Gabriel Marchand was welcomed by the Lafontaines; he and his entourage had come there in canoes, and some had taken to the water.
Thus, “the Joseph-Lafontaine house is not just important architecturally,” indicates the mayor of Ferme-Neuve, who recalls that the son Joseph had joined forces with Prime Minister Lomer Gouin to develop the surrounding area.
So why want to destroy it?
The price of preserving
Ferme-Neuve was offered the Joseph-Lafontaine house in 2021. Aware of its importance, already noted in several official directories, the municipality cited the building in order to ensure its protection. In this regard, it took advantage of the provisions of the Quebec Cultural Heritage Act.
Three years later, elected officials find themselves forced to backtrack. To the point that Ferme-Neuve could well have to disavow its own obligations in terms of protection of a cited property by authorizing itself to destroy it in whole or in part.
Preserving the house requires significant investments. A public consultation on this subject, among others, therefore took place on the morning of November 25. Prior registration by November 17 was required to participate. Out of 2785 citizens, 70 people showed up, indicates the mayor Duty. Of this number, “only five or six people stayed at home”.
The elected official claims to be sensitive to heritage issues, but adds that she respects “the democratic choices” expressed by her fellow citizens last November.
“We have an annual budget of 7.5 million for the municipality,” she emphasizes. However, an architectural firm commissioned to examine the residence estimated that the costs of a complete and exhaustive renovation, according to the canons of the original structure, would amount to approximately $2 million.
“In fact, it could have been much less,” believes the mayor. I convinced the council to spend around $160,000 to solidify the house. That would have been the basis. And that would have given time to see what happened next. »
Part of the sum would have been covered by the Quebec Ministry of Culture, but the difference remained too difficult for the municipality to bear. “We cannot be responsible for several buildings with the budget we have,” she emphasizes. She also points out that the municipality is now offered to take care of the local church and its presbytery.
The provincial government has offloaded a lot of responsibilities in terms of heritage onto the backs of the municipalities, believes Mme Sirard. “We had online training the other day about heritage. Several of us elected officials wondered if it was reasonable for small municipalities to take on all the responsibilities in this area. »
Give the example ?
The question of heritage remains little present in several municipalities, said the mayor. “Before I was elected as a councilor, there was no question of that,” she says. I have advisors who are former entrepreneurs. For entrepreneurs, old things are never interesting… They prefer new things. »
A non-profit organization could agree to receive the house as a donation and thus save it at the last minute. At least that’s what the elected official wants. “I have a little hope on this side. » Failing this, the municipality will have to request an exemption from its own building maintenance regulations.
Ferme-Neuve therefore risks finding itself in the delicate position of having to request a demolition authorization from the MRC of Antoine-Labelle, since the residence predates 1940 and is considered to be of heritage importance. “If it were just me, I would encourage my colleagues in the MRC to disavow me” in this request for demolition, says the mayor, somewhat jokingly.
Because in principle, municipalities should set an example in terms of preservation, agrees the elected official. “We passed a regulation on the maintenance of buildings”, as the law now requires, observes the mayor. But now the municipality finds itself incapable of respecting it.