Since the announcement of the imminent sale of the Maison Chevalier, the world of heritage and many citizens have mobilized so that the Ministry of Culture and Communications and the Musée de la civilization find another solution than to cede this historic monument. to a private company. Organizations and citizens committed to the enhancement of heritage wanted at least the sale to be concluded with a public body so that this symbol of the rebirth of Place Royale remains collective property. Despite repeated calls to get out of this bad situation, the Museum and the Ministry have chosen the option of selling. The official announcement was broadcast Friday, October 29 at the end of the day.
There is no doubt that because of its uniqueness, Maison Chevalier deserved, as a national cultural asset, better treatment. Already, the state had invested considerable sums in its protection, and the government’s asset maintenance programs could ensure its sustainability. It was simply necessary to guarantee a budget for its development. It is done at great expense for ephemeral events under the pretext of tourist and economic spinoffs; yet the Maison Chevalier is at the heart of Place Royale, and plays an essential role in an urban and tourist strategy.
In a press release released on October 30, the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mr.me Nathalie Roy, announces “that she has entrusted the Musée de la civilization with the mandate to set up a fund intended for the enhancement of the heritage of Place Royale. This fund, provided with an envelope of around $ 2.2 million corresponding to the proceeds of the sale of the Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier, will be reserved for the animation of the area of the Place Royale and the vaults of Maison Chevalier and the preservation of this area. With this measure, the government is reiterating its desire to protect Maison Chevalier and guarantee public access ”.
We must not forget that the Ministry of Culture has already closed the Place-Royale Museum. However, this space met museum standards and welcomed tens of thousands of visitors every year and hundreds of school groups made aware of history. With the closure of Maison Chevalier, visitors can no longer visit any interpretation site on the site and understand why Quebec is a world heritage city.
The ministry seems to share our concern for heritage development and the need to develop methods of disseminating historical knowledge. However, he must take another step and put the Place-Royale Museum back into action.
Remember that if UNESCO included Quebec City on the World Heritage List in 1985, it is mainly because Place Royale represents the cradle of French civilization in America. This historic site is the equivalent for the Americans of Jamestown, founded a year earlier than Quebec in 1607.
The US government has made it a national historic site with a mission statement and development plan involving citizens. There are not one, not two, not three, but four museums that showcase its history. Could we not be inspired by this vision to finally endow the national capital with a formal and recognized place for the dissemination of collective heritage?
There is no doubt that the department will be able to count on the support of the Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region and of the Prime Minister, who has demonstrated his desire to showcase our history and our territory.
* Signed this text: Yves Bergeron, full professor of museology and heritage, Department of Art History, UQAM; Michel Côté, former director of the Musée de la civilization; Alex Tremblay Lamarche, president of the Société historique de Québec on behalf of the organization; Michel Masse, president of the Comité des Citoyens du Vieux-Québec on behalf of the organization; J.-Louis Vallée, president of the Fédération Histoire Québec on behalf of the organization; Pierre-Paul Sénéchal, president, Group of initiatives and applied research in the environment (GIRAM) on behalf of the organization; Gérard Beaudet, full professor, School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, University of Montreal; Pierre Lahoud, historian and photographer; Daniel Turp, associate professor, Faculty of Law, University of Montreal; Joseph Gagné, postdoctoral historian, University of Windsor; Fernand Harvey, Center Urbanization Culture Société, INRS.