There is no longer any question of demolishing the Mont-Laurier station, at least not as announced by the MRC of Antoine-Labelle. The protests sparked by this announcement encouraged the mayor of Mont-Laurier, Daniel Bourdon, to reverse course and backtrack with his advisors.
Monday, February 19, around fifty citizens protested in front of the members of the demolition committee chaired by Mr. Bourdon. Around twenty citizens outraged by this plan to raze the historic station spoke.
The three members of the demolition committee ended up withdrawing from the meeting. After more than seventy minutes of deliberation, they returned to explain that they were ready to reassess the case.
The option of complete demolition remains on the table, indicated Mr. Bourdon. On the other hand, it could now be considered to preserve part of the building, i.e. the original portion dating from 1909, “to preserve the heritage aspect,” declared Mayor Bourdon. Another part was built in 1927.
“There, that will naturally require plans and specifications,” the mayor suggested. “And a study will have to be done. And also that the Ministry of Transport authorizes the MRC to submit this request. Because the Ministry of Transport is still the owner. »
Local MP attached to François Legault’s CAQ, Chantale Jeannotte had decided to get involved in recent days. “The Mont-Laurier Station is an important heritage emblem for the population of the Hautes-Laurentides, Labelle County and Quebec. […] I would like to […] we took the time to look at all the options to see what can be done to protect our heritage and avoid demolition. » She said she was in contact with the Minister of Culture and Communications and his office.
In the meantime, indicated Mayor Bourdon, a request will be submitted to the municipality so that it reviews its decision to demolish this building.
An outcry
Aside from this meeting held Monday, citizens interviewed by CFLO FM, a local radio station, said they were very concerned by the decision taken by these elected officials. For one of them, “the evening was ruined” since the citizens found themselves not in front of a reflection committee, but a simple demolition committee. Another citizen interviewed by CFLO FM said he was not fooled by noting that the station had not yet been saved. “There is nothing finalized” in this sense, he observed, obviously disappointed.
The announcement of the MRC’s desire to demolish the old station, emblematic of the history of the Laurentians, sparked an outcry across Quebec. The Hautes-Laurentides History and Genealogy Society (SHGHL) said it regrets that the MRC sticks to four evaluation criteria to justify its evaluation of places while eleven criteria are proposed in the Cultural Heritage Act .
Hare Info, regional newspaper of the MRC of Antoine-Labelle, quotes Ms. Yvonne Brisebois. At the end of the 1990s, she participated in the restoration of the old building within the Station Committee. She strongly protests against those who claim that the station is not “original” to justify the decision to raze it. “When they say these are not the original materials, they are wrong […]. I know, I was there. We removed the boards one by one, stripped, sanded, varnished and reinstalled. Only in the warehouse was the floor too damaged to be preserved. »
A major heritage
Heritage inventories observe that the Mont-Laurier station is one of the strong elements of the local landscape, while highlighting its high heritage value. “Mont-Laurier Station is […] an emblematic witness embodied in the collective imagination,” indicates the MRC itself.
The Mont-Laurier station was inaugurated in 1909. It allowed Canadian Pacific convoys to transport settlers to “the countries above”. This station was expanded in 1927. For decades, the station master lived there with his family.
This station is one of the most important on the “P’tit Train du Nord” route since it is the last stop on the route which ran from Saint-Jérôme.
The station ceased its railway activities in 1981. Efforts from citizens and fundraising made it possible to recycle it into a multifunctional stop appreciated by a wide public. It is part of the linear park Le P’tit Train du Nord. The station has been inaccessible to the public since summer 2022 due to work necessary to maintain it.