The owner’s tour | The great lady of Mont-Saint-Hilaire

Owners open the doors of their exceptional homes, offered on the resale market.

A few seconds at Maison Monast-Lahaise are enough to be enveloped in serenity. It is hard to say whether the effect comes from the freshness felt – even in the middle of a heatwave – thanks to the thick stone walls, the lapping of the stream or the soul of this property full of history. However, we imagine that future buyers will want to pamper this great lady located on Chemin des Moulins in Mont-Saint-Hilaire.

Originally from nearby Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Daniel Benoit knew the area well. The hairdresser and founder of Salon Pure in Montreal enjoyed spending time in the mountains with his wife Monia Grieco, a colourist and trainer, who had a crush on the house built in 1808 according to official records.

But there you have it, only two families had owned it throughout history: fourteen generations of Lahaises (under different names) and a Radio-Canada craftsman starting in 1993. When the couple saw a For Sale sign in 2009, they jumped at the chance to visit. “A few minutes after we arrived, we wanted to make an offer,” recalls Mr. Benoit.

Visitors hadn’t even toured the 65,804-square-foot lot before the magic had already happened. “When we got here, the buzz of the city was gone,” M.^me Grieco: I looked at the old owner and his wife, and I thought to myself that I had never seen two people with such bright eyes!

A brief moment is enough to get the same impression of the current owners. While the photographer of The Press captures the beauty of the place in the company of mister, we discover the land with missus. Monia Grieco sparkles as she details the land’s nutritional potential: Saint-Laurent apples, black raspberries, rhubarb, vines, chives, strawberries, blueberries and edible flowers. She smiles in front of the wooden platform in front of the stream where she does her yoga in the morning, at the exact time when the sun’s rays scare away the mosquitoes. And she gets enthusiastic as she recalls the parties she has organized on the land, including the 60^e birthday of her man with 250 guests.

A property to cherish

In the end, the duo belongs to the property as much as the other way around. “At the notary, the former owner said to me: ‘Do you know that I chose you?’,” she says. “I think he passed on the baton of guardians of the place to us.”

Her partner adds that they will not sell the house to just anyone.

Strengthening the structure, redoing the plumbing and electricity, renovating the bathroom, fitting out a fireplace, not to mention adding a real kitchen. “When we arrived, there was a stove, a sink, a small counter and a bar fridge,” he recalls. “You can tell my Italian couldn’t be satisfied with that!”

Among other things, they added an island, using wood to echo the ancestral character of the place. A necessity in their eyes. “When I hear someone say they would change the frames to put it in aluminum, it would be sacrilege to me,” exclaims Daniel Benoit. “We have the right to do it, but I have always refused to carry out modern renovations.”

Indeed, despite the heritage nature of Maison Monast-Lahaise, no rules are imposed. “You can do what you want with it, but it has a reputation to maintain,” he says.

The couple points out that, despite its great age, the property is in very good condition. “With all the work we’ve done, it’s turnkey,” he says. “The house was built at a time when people built solidly. If it hasn’t moved for two centuries, it won’t move!”

Everywhere you look, charm is revealed: in the period woodwork, the European-style veranda with three birds’ nests, the hatch in the kitchen leading to a wine cellar, the spectacular view from the bedrooms upstairs, the vastness of the grounds where the owners go for a morning walk, coffee in hand. “The house gives us strength,” says Monia Grieco.

They will have a hard time getting rid of it.

Two things changed the direction of the winds: a crush on a modern property and a lack of time to pamper the historic house. “We thought we would stay here until we retired, but we don’t stop and we travel a lot,” she explains. “It’s becoming more and more difficult to take care of the property.”

When they visualize future owners, they imagine a young family with children running around on the land, a professional looking for a country home, or a couple ready to invest. “It’s very engaging,” says M.^me Grieco: You have to love moving, putting your hand in the soil, appreciating nature and seeing life evolve from year to year.

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