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Because History repeats itself...
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CN shops in Point Saint Charles
1830 Le Ber Street
Architectural Value
Originally built in the 1850s by the Grand Trunk Railway Company, this complex of railway shops was in large part rebuilt by Canadian National Railways in the 1920s. Despite the loss of some elements in this major reconstruction, the CN shops in Point St. Charles constitute a built and technological ensemble of great interest notably for their large industrial volumes and for their functional architecture enhanced by Art Deco detailing.
Archaeological Value
The land and site of the shops bears the evidence of more than 150 years of construction, technology and history of the railway industry.
Historic Value
The origin of the Point St. Charles railways shops is closely linked to the construction of the Victoria Bridge, one of the major technical feats of the Victorian era, and to the development of the Canadian railways, which transformed Montreal into a commercial and transportation hub linking Canada, the United States and Europe. The railway shops, along with the Lachine Canal (opened in 1825) and the Victoria Bridge (inaugurated in 1860), bear witness to the Industrial Revolution.
The Threat
Despite the expressed desire of Montreal’s Master Plan to conserve the site as an employment node compatible with its industrial heritage and despite public consultations on the subject in 2009, the future of the site is again on hold. Following the closure of the Shops, both a project to convert the property into film studios and a subsequent plan to create an exhibition centre as part of the Peel Basin entertainment complex project have collapsed. Given environmental regulations, a residential reuse project could require total demolition of the buildings and eradication of any archaeological heritage due to the need to decontaminate the soil. On November 14, 2008, a fire of undetermined origin destroyed a large part of one of the buildings. Currently the Agence Métropolitaine de Transport is working on a proposal for repair shops for suburban trains on this site which would maintain the site’s railway vocation, but which would require - in the interests of modern efficiency - rebuilding the shops entirely. There is a danger that the CN shops will suffer the same fate of the Angus Yards in Rosemont, where only four buildings were saved from the 60 that were once there.
To help safeguard this site, write to us.
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