The heritage community is trying various approaches to prevent the sale of Maison Chevalier in Old Quebec. The Société historique de Québec (SHQ) went to the office of the Minister of Culture on Wednesday morning to defend the importance of the heritage building located near Place Royale. Furthermore, The duty has learned that behind the scenes, groups are studying the possibility of filing an injunction to prevent the real estate transaction.
At Minister Nathalie Roy’s office, the director of communications, Maxime Roy, confirmed the discussion with representatives of the SHQ and the minister’s chief of staff, Marie-Josée Lestage. “A virtual meeting did indeed take place this morning, at the request of the SHQ, which wanted to share its point of view on the Maison Chevalier issue. “
After participating in the discussion, the president of the SHQ, Alex Tremblay-Lamarche, detailed: “In our view, two points are essential: that the Maison Chevalier remains a property of the State; and that it remains accessible to the public, Quebeckers and tourists alike. We felt the firm’s listening, and a willingness to settle the matter as well as possible. “
Adjust the file as well as possible? “From our point of view,” continues the president of the SHQ, “we must prevent the sale. Recall that on February 25, 2021, the Minister of Culture refused to prevent the Musée de la civilization in Quebec from selling the Maison Chevalier, built in 1752, with a municipal valuation of $ 2.2 million.
The State’s duty to set an example
A government decree issued in mid-October revealed that the Museum had found a buyer and was authorized to proceed.
The transaction, which will bring the listed heritage building since March 14, 1956 into the hands of Gestion 1608, a subsidiary of the Tanguay Group, has raised its share of criticism since it was made public.
The Fédération Histoire Québec (FHQ), for its part, “will support the SHQ as much as possible in all its efforts to prevent the sale of Maison Chevalier, because they correspond to our vision”, underlined its president, Jean-Louis Vallée. .
Rather than by a meeting, it is by an open letter to the Minister, sent on October 20, that the FHQ for its part expressed itself. “A cultural or educational vocation is the only one that befits a building of this value in this emblematic place”, ruled the Federation. “The State’s duty to set an example, a notion included in the recently revised heritage law, requires the department to find solutions so that it continues to fulfill its mission rather than selling this jewel of Quebec’s built heritage. “
The duty has also learned from various sources, from the museum or heritage sector, that groups are currently evaluating the possibility of filing injunctions in order to counter the sale of the Maison Chevalier. The transaction could not have respected the rules in law, but also in the ethics of management of cultural property, these groups believe.
The offer made in November 2020 by Gestion 1608, the value of which has not yet been disclosed, is expected to be ratified at the end of the month.
Last week, the president and CEO of the Musée de la civilization, Stéphan La Roche, denied having proceeded in the dark for the sale of the building. Mr. La Roche preferred a prospective approach to buyers, which earned him the wrath of the Liberals.
A potential buyer ignored
According to MP Christine St-Pierre, opposed to the transaction, Mr. La Roche should have proceeded with a public call for proposals.
At least one potential buyer, the Coopérative du Petit-Champlain, complained that it had been ignored in favor of Groupe Tanguay’s offer.
In a letter sent last week to Mme Roy, signed by nearly 200 personalities in the fields of heritage preservation and history, the SHQ asked the government to give the Musée de la civilization an annual and recurring budget “to showcase this jewel of our heritage, that it be accessible again and, above all, that it remain the property of all Quebecers ”.