The Saint-Germain cathedral takes a first step towards its classification as a heritage property in Quebec. The Minister of Culture, Mathieu Lacombe, recently signed a notice of intent to preserve this religious building which faces the river, in Rimouski, since 1859.
The ministry lists the “historical, social, architectural, artistic and landscape” values of the cathedral to justify its upcoming heritage citation. ” [C’]is one of the oldest buildings serving as a cathedral remaining in Quebec,” said a press release issued Wednesday morning. Only Trois-Rivières Cathedral, erected in 1858, is ahead of it in terms of longevity.
The steeple of Saint-Germain Cathedral, massive and projecting, sits in the heart of Rimouski and is an unmissable visual landmark in the city’s landscape. Several renowned architects have contributed to the design of the cathedral over its century and a half of history, notably Victor Bourgeau, who put his stamp on the interiors of the Notre-Dame de Montréal basilica and the Marie-Reine-du-Cathedral -Monde, as well as Firmin Lepage, who designed the Church of Saint-Pie-X and the Telus building in Rimouski, both notable for their eclectic modernism.
The cathedral’s monumental Casavant organ, with 4,000 pipes, celebrated its centenary in 2021. The instrument remains unequaled in eastern Quebec – and has been mostly silent for nine years, the year the religious building closed.
The notice of intent signed on January 24 by the minister suggests the end of a long saga that began in 2014, when the archdiocese decided to close the cathedral to the public. Since then, the latter has not been able to reconnect with the nave, the choir and the stained glass windows, except on a few specific occasions, in particular for the celebration of midnight masses, on Christmas Eve.
A legal dispute between the archdiocese and the Fabrique de la Paroisse Saint-Germain-de-Rimouski paralyzed the restoration of the cathedral for nearly three years before settling out of court last year.
“The future of the cathedral concerns me much less,” says Jean Richard, founder of the citizen platform Rimouski Cathedral, things have to move. However, the question remains: who will pay? »
A building health record, produced by engineer Marcel Leblanc, certified that the cathedral, despite some necessary repairs, remained solid and generally in good condition. In 2020, the report valued the restoration of the cathedral at $2.3 million. According to the Fabrique Saint-Germain, the document prepared by the engineer proves that nothing justified the closure of the cathedral in 2014.
Jean Richard agrees with this. In his opinion, the archdiocese is guilty of having abandoned the cathedral by deciding to close it, thus contributing to drying up its sources of income and aggravating its deterioration. “In my opinion and in the opinion of a lot of people in Rimouski, we think that the archdiocese should be the one who finances the repair of the cathedral or, at the very least, its upgrade. In my opinion, it is not up to the people and the government to pay. »
He believes that the heritage citation of the cathedral will increase the bill for its renovation, causing it to jump “double or even triple” because of the obligations to be respected to preserve the integrity of the materials.
The duty tried to contact the archdiocese, without success.
The heritage citation of the religious building could now occur within three months. If the minister decides to protect the Saint-Germain cathedral, he must still sign a notice of classification, a procedure he can carry out within 90 days to 1 year after the transmission of the notice of intent.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Culture also intends to cite the ciborium and the old tabernacle of the cathedral, in addition to a painting produced in Europe around 1740. Entitled Saint Germain d’Auxerre giving a medal to Sainte-Geneviève, this work, whose artist is unknown, is nearly two meters high.