In Cap-à-l’Aigle, a very rare barn-stable with a straw roof, commonly called thatch, may be destroyed. The MRC of Charlevoix-Est sided on this subject with the municipality of La Malbaie which had already served notice of its condemnation. It is one of the last buildings of its kind in North America.
This building of wood and straw, known under the name of the Bhaître barn-stable, is nevertheless protected under the heritage law. It has had an official citation since 2006.
The City initially authorized the demolition, saying it was unable to find solutions to ensure the future of the building. “Taking into account the advanced state of deterioration of the building, the fact that the barn no longer has any particular use, the notion of insurability of the building, the major costs that a restoration would involve and the risk that “she represents, the municipality’s demolition committee authorized the demolition of it, during a meeting held on January 17, 2024”, we can read in a press release from the City.
The Quebec History Federation contested this demolition request, arguing that the building constitutes one of the most important traces of the German presence on Quebec territory and that it demonstrates unique know-how. The decision to demolish was thus submitted for a counter-evaluation to the mayors of the region, who are united under the aegis of the MRC of Charlevoix-Est.
The MRC, through its prefect, Odile Comeau, claims to have sought solutions in vain. Mme Comeau, who is also mayor of Saint-Irénée, said she had not found any “viable” ones. So much so that the MRC did not see fit to disavow the decision to demolish made by a La Malbaie committee. The MRC nevertheless recognizes the “heritage value” of the building, without being able to ensure its sustainability.
An exceptional barn
According to the built heritage directory published by the Quebec state, the Bhéré barn-stable is considered exceptional, both for architectural and historical reasons. The building was built around 1840, at the time of the forced union of Lower and Upper Canada. It was a German of origin, Hans Georg Bhürer, who built it, using the techniques of his native country. It attests to an important German presence in the historical fabric of Quebec.
This building also appears in several directories of old buildings in the country. It is located, as the Quebec state notes, “at the rear of an ancestral house located on the main street of the Cap-à-l’Aigle sector of the town of La Malbaie”. Its existence makes sense in this global context.
The mayor of La Malbaie, Michel Couturier, declared to the daily The sun that he did not believe that the funds of his fellow citizens should be spent to save such buildings if they are poorly maintained, while wondering what future owners of the house could do with such a building behind their home, suggesting that it was more of an embarrassment.
The almost bicentennial barn could be visited for several years. Left aside since the mid-1980s, its general condition has continued to deteriorate. Today we would have to rely on specialized workers to restore it. The costs of the renovation were estimated at no less than $400,000, according to the amounts that were mentioned in this matter. According to the law, a municipality can require the maintenance of buildings.
The final word may fall to the Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCC). Only he can still block this demolition. “Ultimately, the MCC will have to rule on the matter, since it could interfere under the law,” La Malbaie indicated in a press release.
The MCC has already intervened on several occasions with La Malbaie, emphasizing the importance of preserving this heritage building. Under Quebec heritage law, local municipal authorities have the power to decide on the future of buildings that belong to the collective heritage.