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InspirAction

InspirAction #3: The Milk Bottle

1025 Lucien-L’Allier Street, Montréal

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A partnership of caring

Published on : October 03 2015

Last modified on : November 21 2020

Creation of partnerships with groups that care about the history of a site and a project’s mission.

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pinte de lait

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“More than anything, what prompted me to get behind the project to refurbish the bottle was my love for the object.” Hélène Godin

8

Number of partners

9.75

Height of the bottle, in meters (32 ft.)

250.000

Capacity of the tank, in litres (55,000 gal.)

History and issues of the site

Downtown Montreal’s “Giant Milk Bottle” is a poetic and evocative emblem, a naïve-architecture statement contrasting with the monumental buildings that surround it. It was built in 1930 by Dominion Bridge Co. of Lachine on the roof of the Guaranteed Pure Milk dairy plant, a remarkable Art Deco industrial building.

The water tower in the shape of a pint bottle of milk is a significant reminder of the bygone era of agrifood industry in the downtown core and of the traditional way milk was delivered. Rust had become a threat to the integrity of the riveted-steel structure and, especially, to its subsistence in the public imagination.

Context and intervention

Heritage Montreal began thinking about ways to save the bottle in 2006, and added the landmark to its list of 10 threatened Montreal sites in 2009. A meeting with Hélène Godin of design agency Sid Lee and members of the firm Ryan Affaires publiques enabled Heritage Montreal to mount a mobilization campaign. Following the demolition of Ben’s delicatessen in 2008, a short animated film was distributed so as to build citizen engagement. This was the genesis of the Sauvons la Pinte campaign.

With the backing of a partnership that included the Quebec Federation of Milk Producers—a natural choice given its mission—and various private players from the arts and creative sector, Heritage Montreal launched “Opération Sauvons la Pinte” (Save the Milk Bottle) in 2009. The campaign succeeded in halting the physical deterioration of the former water tower, and also in preventing its disappearance from the cityscape and from collective memory.

Various partners were mobilized, including the Quebec Federation of Milk Producers, Trans-Optique, Du-For, KanAm Grund and Akzo Nobel, to take direct action. Beyond the awareness campaign, the innovative partnership put together for this project, as well as the resources marshalled, enabled the complete restoration of the milk bottle along with its original painted inscriptions. The unveiling took place on October 26, 2009.

Impact

The project to restore the Giant Milk Bottle enabled the revitalization of a much-loved emblem of the urban landscape that recalls the historical importance of the dairy industry to the city and is a reminder of a daily ritual cherished by several generations of Montrealers.

Lessons

The success of the Sauvons la Pinte campaign speaks to the exciting strategic potential of inter-sector partnerships in highlighting and revitalizing heritage, based on shared interest in a particular site and its identity, and the collective interest of the project mission.

  • Municipality or borough

    Ville-Marie

  • Owner(s)

    Private; company

  • Conception

    Dominion Bridge, Lachine

  • Manager(s)

    Canderel, manager of E-Commerce Place

  • Categorie(s)

    Industrial

  • Construction year

    1930

  • Recognition status

    Located in an area of exceptional heritage value – Îlot Overdale (René-Lévesque West and Lucien-L’Allier)

Join the discussion

How do you see this Montreal site? What legacy has it left us? What future can we create for it? Where to start to get there? Who wants to participate in the project?

You have questions? Want to do more, but lack the information? Consult our toolkit to learn more about the heritage of the Montreal metropolitan area, the preservation mechanisms in place and possible actions.