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Because History repeats itself...
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Unveiling of the Guaranteed Pure Milk Bottle
LET’S RAISE OUR GLASS TO THE MILK BOTTLE!
Montreal, October 26, 2009. Today, Heritage Montreal and its partners are proud to present to Montrealers a refurbished heritage symbol: the giant Milk Bottle of the former Guaranteed Pure Milk dairy. Thanks to the collaboration of the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec (FPLQ), the building’s current owners, and several other private companies, Heritage Montreal was able to halt the deterioration of this emblematic site and return it to its rightful place in our collective memory.
Through this innovative project, Heritage Montreal is establishing a model for new partnerships aimed at promoting the protection of our threatened heritage sites. Currently, there are ten threatened emblematic sites identified by Heritage Montreal that are at risk of disappearing forever. The extraordinary giant Guaranteed Pure Milk Bottle is one of those ten sites and the first project to be carried out entirely with the support of private partners.
A remarkable example of Art Deco and a testament to the presence of the dairy industry in the heart of Montreal, the Guaranteed Pure Milk dairy building was designed in 1930 by architects Hutchison, Wood and Miller. A water reservoir in the form of a giant milk bottle was built on the roof. Constructed out of riveted steel and rising almost 32 feet in the air, it weighs 6 tons. Through lack of maintenance and the impact of time and weather, the Milk Bottle’s former lustre had been dulled by rust, as train commuters and regulars at the Bell Centre can no doubt attest.
“In setting out to restore the giant Milk Bottle, Heritage Montreal challenged some of Montreal’s most dynamic companies to support our organization in a way that goes far beyond a single rescue project by participating in a new form of development that takes into account Montreal’s human dimension and its creativity,” explains Robert Turgeon, president of Heritage Montreal. “We would like to take this opportunity to encourage Montreal residents and companies to support Heritage Montreal in future projects to restore threatened sites.”
Nicole Dubé, Marketing Director at the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec, one of the project’s partners, adds that “the Milk Bottle’s historic value to the metropolis is undeniable; it reminds us all of bygone days and of the importance of the dairy industry in Montreal. We are delighted to participate today in the unveiling of this unique symbol, which fires our collective imagination.”
In addition to the Fédération des producteurs de lait, the repainting of the Milk Bottle was made possible through the generous support of many other partners, including the advertising agency Sid Lee, AkzoNobel, Trans-Optique (large format print), Du-For Scaffolding and the public relations firm Ryan Affaires publiques.
Montrealers who wish to participate in the safeguarding of Montreal’s other threatened emblematic sites can visit www.heritagemontreal.org. This site provides information on the history of the Milk Bottle as well as information on the other emblematic sites that Heritage Montreal wishes to save from abandon and neglect, including the La Fontaine and Redpath Houses, the Dow Planetarium, the 9th floor restaurant of the former Eaton’s department store, as well as Montreal’s cherished staircases, balconies and cornices.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Philippe Roy Debbie Cabana
(514) 874-1939 (514) 443-0706
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