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Because History repeats itself...
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Paper Hill Sector
Area bordered by René-Lévesque / de Bleury / Viger / Beaver Hall
Architectural and urban value
The Paper Hill sector is an urban and heritage ensemble of great interest because of the high quality of the buildings spanning a number of different periods. It grew up on both sides of De la Gauchetière Street in accordance with the topography. Built in accordance with the plans of Jesuit Father Félix Martin, Saint Patrick’s Basilica was thus constructed on high ground and facing south to give Montréal’s Irish community a symbolic presence on prestigious Victoria Square, down below, from where its steeple has been very visible since its inauguration in 1847. The sector is also home to several industrial buildings of great interest for both their architecture and their use of concrete. These include the Unity Building (1912), designed by architect D. Jerome Spence. Like the Basilica, it has been classified a historic monument and also benefits from its location in a protected area, ensuring that its immediate vicinity is protected by Quebec’s Minister of Culture.
Historic value
Saint Patrick’s Basilica is a powerful witness to the efforts of Montréal’s Irish community to gain recognition and acceptance in early 19th-century Montréal and the assistance it received from Catholic communities. It was the Sulpicians, for example, who gave them the land for the Basilica. The area was dubbed “Paper Hill” in honour of the many printers and paper manufacturers that set up shop in the robust buildings constructed at the turn of the last century; at that time it was traditional to name Montréal neighbourhoods after the communities or trades they housed. Like Paper Hill, the former fur district around Saint James United is one of the most interesting sectors of downtown.
The threat
Long neglected, Paper Hill has benefited in recent years from major investments in the successful rehabilitation and development of some former industrial buildings as part of such award-winning projects as Unity 1 and Unity 2. Some projects now being studied are nevertheless overly ambitious and threaten the scale and integrity of this remarkable heritage ensemble. Commonplace construction and overscaled buildings have been authorized by the City of Montréal, whose regulations seem to disregard the heritage value of this sector. We recently learned that a developer has received the City’s permission to demolish several heritage buildings and erect a 34-floor residential and commercial building that would overwhelm and overshadow two emblematic monuments – the Unity Building and Saint Patrick’s Basilica – obstructing the symbolic view linking the church and the square. Paper Hill is thus threatened with disappearance by the heedlessness of revenue-hungry municipal authorities.
Actions of Héritage Montréal
Héritage Montréal has urged Quebec Culture Minister Christine Saint-Pierre to intervene quickly by rejecting plans for the 34-storey tower. Aside from eliminating heritage buildings such as the Gazette’s former printing plant, this tower would greatly affect the symbolic presence of Saint Patrick’s Basilica and the Unity Building, two historic monuments for which the minister is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the buildings and protecting the surrounding area. We have also informed the mayor and the Conseil du patrimoine de Montréal of our concern and called for their intervention.
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