Anticosti Island hopes to join the select ranks of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the name of its areas of exceptional natural beauty. However, neither the municipality of L’Île-d’Anticosti nor other creatures of the Quebec state see fit to preserve one of its oldest buildings. The former prison on the island, built in 1911-1912 under the aegis of the wealthy French industrialist Henri Menier, is subject to a demolition permit after having escaped the net of an inventory supposed to protect it.
“If there is a demolition permit,” says the To have to Luc Noël, the prefect of the MRC de Minganie, to which the municipality of L’Île-d’Anticosti falls, “is that it was authorized by the Ministry of Wildlife, which owns the building, in agreement with the Ministry of Culture. What do you want me to tell you? When it is made that the government does not want itself to protect what should be, what can I do? Stand in front of the tractor? »
Under the new Cultural Heritage Act, adopted by Quebec in 2021, MRCs must produce inventories in order to better protect buildings built before 1940. “We were told that the building dates from 1952. Why were we told that ? I don’t know”, explains the prefect to the To have to. “The building belongs to the Ministry of Wildlife. Is that why we weren’t informed? There, it grabs our attention. »
It’s still too late, said the prefect. “The two ministries concerned have already given the agreement for the demolition. And to the municipality [de L’Île-d’Anticosti], it’s not a battle she wants to fight. And the MRC no more, he says. “I will choose my battles for the island. And that’s not what I’m going to do! »
The Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks of Quebec responded to the newspaper The North Coast that he did indeed intend to demolish the building “for health and safety reasons”. The Mayor of Anticosti Island, Hélène Boulanger, confirms to the To have to received this request. A demolition permit has been issued.
The Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications, meanwhile, did not respond to repeated questions addressed to it The duty on this subject.
A rejected backup project
“We were interested in buying and restoring this building,” explains Yvan Méthot.
Born on the island, Mr. Méthot is back there after a career as a firefighter in Montreal. He and one of his friends, Fernand Gendron, have already undertaken the repair of other homes on site. “We were told no by the MRC and the municipality. We were told that we were going to demolish the old prison, even if we want to save it and we undertake to do so. »
For him, it is unthinkable that the community pays to demolish one of the oldest buildings on the island when people on the spot are ready to save it. “That makes no damn sense!” »
MM. Méthot and Gendron want to make this building a place capable of accommodating cooks in the summer. “There are hardly any services on the island, it lacks everything. More and more people come to visit the island and we have nothing to offer them. We think we could have different cooks who would take turns. People who would come to offer their services to visitors and the population while accommodating them on site. »
The prefect of the MRC does not see the thing in a good light. “What these people don’t understand is that even if they saved her [la prison]they could not use it to make housing or a bed and breakfast. It should be for public use, this building. »
Does this mean that the State, of which he is a representative, prefers to destroy such a building rather than adapt the regulations to be able to save it? “What do you want me to tell you? It’s like that. »
Completely stunned by the reaction of the authorities, Yvan Méthot filed a complaint with the office of the ombudsman of Quebec. “I have my contractor’s license,” says Mr. Méthot. I have restored houses! They say that the building is rotten… I see it well, me, that one can put it back in the original state by changing pieces! We will do it. It’s not a huge building. In any case, I find it sinful to demolish this. The building dates from the time of Henri Menier. »
In 1895, this wealthy chocolate baron bought the whole island for $125,000. In 1953, the Consolidated Pulp & Paper company, new owner of the territory, set fire to the huge wooden mansion of Menier, designed by the architect Stephen Sauvestre, in order to no longer be in charge of it. A few period buildings have been moved and preserved, including this building which was used by the first firefighters and police officers on the island.
At what price ?
According to the prefect of the MRC, the necessary work is estimated at more than $700,000. “It was all changed inside, when the City used it as a museum. »
In the fall of 2021, the mayor of the municipality at the time, John Pineault, indicated to the newspaper The North Coast that rescuing the old prison would require millions of dollars. “I understand that people are attached to heritage, but it is a building that cannot be saved unless you invest millions of dollars. »
Since then, Mayor John Pineault has given way to Hélène Boulanger, after having admitted her guilt to five ethical faults before the Commission municipale du Québec. At To have toMayor Boulanger states that, “according to a study [qu’elle n’a] not seen, it would cost at least $600,000 to restore”.
Why not give the building to people who say they can restore it for much less – and at their own expense? “These people would like to make a kind of restaurant. The heritage value would no longer be there! They can’t change the heritage building like that. So the municipality prefers not to have a building at all? “Heritage is all well and good, but don’t ask me to have the same emotion for this building as those people who say ‘my uncle worked there’. »
The city council does not support people who want to transform this building, she says. “It is not up to us to take the steps for that. It was the ministry that made the demolition request. He is the owner. »
In L’Assomption, near Montreal, Fernand Gendron and Yvan Méthot have to their credit the restoration of an imposing heritage residence. Even if the materials are expensive on Anticosti Island, they find the restoration costs mentioned by the local authorities implausible. Especially since these do not mention demolition costs either. “We want to try to restore the building. And they prefer to destroy it the same! Do you understand anything about this logic? »
Mr. Gendron contacted the constituency office of François Legault, MNA for L’Assomption. “A political attaché confirmed to me, after research, that it was indeed the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks which was the owner of the building. And I was told there was nothing they could do. »
A recognized building
According to a 1974 inventory produced by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the former Anticosti prison was already listed because of its importance. It was noted that it had largely retained its original qualities despite some adaptations. The ministry said the building dated from 1911 or 1912.
Same story with Luc Jodoin, considered an important historian of Anticosti Island. It was the wealthy French industrialist Henri Menier who built this building, he says. Fire-fighting equipment was stored there, as were, in winter, “furs as well as […] the equipment needed by trappers working for Menier”. Four cells were set up there. The building later served as an office for wildlife conservation officers, before being turned into a small local museum.
“The old prison is one of the oldest remains on the island. But it doesn’t interest anyone in government, it seems,” regrets Fernand Gendron. The demolition permit has been issued since last month. The MRC has a copy, confirms the prefect. “He’s good for three months. So they still have about two months to demolish. »