Following the formation of Quebec’s new government, Héritage Montréal welcomes the appointment of Mr. Pascal Bérubé as Minister of Culture, Heritage, Communications and the French Language. For the first time since the ministry was created in 1961, heritage is explicitly included in the minister’s official title.

As words alone are not enough, we offer Mr. Bérubé our full collaboration in taking the action needed to protect, enhance and, increasingly, successfully adapt and reuse the heritage places, buildings and complexes that embody the memory and identity of Quebec and its communities. We look forward to meeting with him.

Héritage Montréal also welcomes Premier Pierre Saint-Paul Plamondon’s commitment to improving the regulatory and procedural framework governing the built environment and real estate and infrastructure projects. This is a key issue for heritage buildings and complexes. We offer our collaboration to the ministers responsible for this reform and to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec to help ensure that this major undertaking succeeds while preserving the character of our heritage and our territory.

Finally, we welcome the appointments of Mr. Nicolas Girard to Municipal Affairs and Mr. Stéphane Paquet as minister responsible for the metropolitan region. We look forward to meeting with them to discuss both the future of planning policies and tools and the issues affecting the extensive built, landscape and natural heritage that gives the metropolis its distinctive character, while offering opportunities to address pressing needs, particularly social needs.