Author name: Brenda O'Farrell The 1019 Report

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Despite loud opposition from some residents, St. Lazare council last week moved to municipalize one of its last two remaining private streets, removing the last barrier preventing the building of more residential dwellings along the artery.

With only one dissenting vote, council approved two bylaws affecting the private stretch of Sandmere Street on Aug. 13, including reducing the minimum width of lots permitted from 50 to 37 metres and dropping the minimum front setback from 12 to 10 metres, among other measures.

These changes will allow an estimated 42 to 44 single-family homes to be built on Sandmere in the Saddlebrook area of the town.

The group of 24 property owners along the private artery are breathing a sigh of relief as the change was finally approved, bringing them a significant step closer to selling their lots after years of waiting.

The western portion of Sandmere – one of the last private roads in town – is home to four houses and dozens of lots, which up until now could not be developed.

Owners of the lots have spent years pushing for the municipalization of the street, as its private status has made it impossible to build on their properties and difficult to sell off. These owners have nevertheless been paying taxes on these plots of land.

No more than 20 per cent of the existing trees can be removed if a house is to be built on the lots, however. This limit was imposed, said St. Lazare Mayor Geneviève Lachance,“to reduce the impact of residential development on the forest ecosystem” within the area.

Lachance also pointed out that this number of new houses would be consistent with the current density in the area – 2.7 dwellings per hectare.

She also highlighted the fact that the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) is in the process of drafting its 2025 Plan métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement (PMAD), which will likely call on the municipalities like St. Lazare to densify to around 40 dwellings per hectare.

If the proposed CMM plan is eventually approved before the area along Sandmere St. is developed, the new housing density ratios could see as many as 880 units built instead of a maximum of 44.

“I think it’s clear that all of us don’t want that high density in that sector,” Lachance said. “We would rather be in control of the development now while we can. Allowing these changes would help solidify the low-density aspect of the project before the PMAD is implemented in our bylaws.”

Barbara Dodds, who owns several of the empty lots, is pleased.

“That was very much a relief on my part and everybody else’s too,” Dodds said.

Dodds and her husband had purchased the property when they were in their 20s and were among those who helped build the road that became Sandmere Street.

She recalls when the municipality “arbitrarily” declared that Sandmere would become a private street in the 1980s. “Nobody asked us about that,” she said.

Now almost 80 years old, Dodds explained her frustration over the years in trying to get the street municipalized, coming up short each time.

She noted that she and the other lot owners – many of whom are also seniors – would like to finally get these properties off their hands and use the revenues to help their families.

“I’ve got two daughters and four grandchildren,” said Dodds. “I’d like to leave them some money.”

However, not all St. Lazare residents are pleased. Several residents have repeatedly expressed their opposition to a development project that would see a portion of the surrounding woodland destroyed to make way for housing.

Objectors to the project had turned out en masse to a public consultation meeting July 30. Several expressed their concerns again during question period Aug. 13.

David Hill was the only member on the council to vote against both zoning change which was approved by a majority of council.

In an email to The 1019 Report, Hill explained that he believes his vote was an “accurate reflection” of the will of the constituents in his district.

Though he wrote that agrees with certain articles of the bylaws, including efforts to reduce tree cutting and protect forest cover, he stated that the deforestation of the lots for development, even limited to 20 per cent per lot, would be unwise under the circumstances of climate change.

“At a time when the effects of the climate crisis are being felt so intensely by so many of us, the deforestation of this pristine forested area does not seem prudent,” Hill wrote.

The next step is for town officials to meet with developers to discuss a way forward.

However, according to Alexandra Lemieux, St. Lazare’s director of urbanism services and the environment, no timeline for development has yet been put in place.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

What’s better than a day of celebration?

Try a year!

That is how St. Lazare’s 150^th anniversary festivities will roll out over the course of 2025, organizers unveiled at a press conference last Wednesday.

Notable events to commemorate the milestone anniversary will include a hockey game featuring former Montreal Canadiens players in the winter, giant kite flying in the spring, barbecues and the “largest parade ever seen in St. Lazare” in the summer and a tribute to some notable figures throughout the town’s history in the fall.

The municipality will organize several festivities spanning the four seasons in 2025, with a cluster of events for each, said Paul Lavigne, president of the St. Lazare 150th anniversary celebration committee at the press conference.

The celebration will kick off on Friday, Feb.14, with a tailgate barbecue, followed by the hockey game, where a team of former Montreal Canadiens will face off against St. Lazare’s best players in the 35 and over age category at the Complex Sportif de St-Lazare.

The full roster of Canadiens’ old-timers will be confirmed in January.

The highlight of the spring festivities will be a giant kite flying activity at the St. Lazare air field. The event, which will take place on May 24, will bring together some 25 of Quebec’s best kite flyers to let these giant gliders soar.

“The kite activity is not something that’s available in southern Quebec,” Lavigne told The 1019 Report, adding that the committee predicts that the event may see up to around 4,000 guests.

In the summer, the committee said it will be teaming up with Festi Ouest organizers to highlight the history of St. Lazare. Lavigne promises a “grandiose” event.

“I can confirm that it will be a show that’s never been done before in the region,” he said.

Lavigne also added that the “largest parade ever seen in St. Lazare” will take place Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. The parade will “bring together associations, merchants, the builders, the pioneers and our founding families of St. Lazare in a colourful and nostalgic parade.”

The fall portion of the festival will see tributes paid to some notable names throughout the town’s history who played roles in the foundation and growth of St. Lazare.

The 150th anniversary will feature numerous community dinners, brunches, workshops and other activities over the course of the year.

Locally-brewed alcoholic beverages will be available at all events throughout the year, courtesy of the Trois Lacs de Vaudreuil-Dorion microbrewery, the Distillerie 3 Lacs and Le Bourg des Cèdres winery.

The Trois Lacs microbrewery will even be introducing a commemorative beer for St. Lazare’s 150th anniversary, which will see its preview debut at this year’s Festi Ouest 2024 celebrations next week.

Ninety per cent of all anniversary-related events throughout 2025 will be free of charge and will not require pre-registration.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Hudson is hosting its fourth annual Hudson Day this Saturday, Aug. 24.

Among the features of this event will be the Hudson Auto Show, giving vintage car enthusiasts an up-close look at hundreds of classic cars. The show will be located at St. Thomas Park, at the end of Blenkinship St., and will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Organizer Joseph Eletr said anywhere between 200 to 300 vintage cars at will be on display at this year’s show.

Other “activity zones” for this year’s Hudson Day festivities will stretch along Main Road and Cameron Ave. and will range from arts and crafts to outdoor musical performances to a market with local merchants.

A “Family Zone” will be located at Benson Park, featuring circus workshops, face painting, temporary tattoos and line dancing.

Other zones include open houses at municipal buildings. The fire department will offer visits of the station and the firetrucks. Various community organizations, including the seniors’ committee and environment committee, will be meeting with guests at the town hall. The community pool will also be holding a free swim.

Above all else, Hudson Day creates a “sense of community” that is cherished by attendees, said Laura McCaffrey, communications coordinator for the town. She added that event-goers appreciate the opportunity to see old friends, visit the shops, “and just take in the vibe of the village,” from noon until 5 p.m.

Parking is available along Wharf St. and at the St. Thomas Elementary School.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

A packed public information meeting in St. Lazare last week brought a contentious issue into focus once again – the plan to municipalize a private road, which would allow additional development along the street.

The issues involved are complex and have evolved over decades, sparking debate among residents who live on the street and those who own lots in the area, but have been denied the right to build because the street had not been municipalized.

The issue resurfaced last month, when the town proposed two bylaws that would effectively municipalized the private stretch of Sandmere Street – one of two private roads that remains in the town. The street  is currently a dead-end route that runs east from Côte St. Charles in the Saddlebrook area. The plan would extend the road and link it up with the other section of Sandmere Street, which is already public. The proposal would also finally give the greenlight to owners of land in the area to subdivide their land into smaller residential lots.

Frustrated residents took turns voicing their opposition to the project at the public information last week.

The plan to link the two sections of Sandmere Street would see development allowed in a forested area, said Roger Stehr, a resident of the street.

Like many who are opposed, Stehr said that the forest is a beautiful space that he would like to see conserved.

But what’s more, he is troubled by the fact that the project is moving forward despite the fact that residents voted to block it last year, when a plan was first proposed to change the size of lots along the streets.

At that time, there was an “amazing outpour” of community support to halt the project and preserve the forest, Stehr said. He thought that would have been the last word on the issue.

But for the municipality to “just ignore the vote” a year later, he said, “that bothers me more than anything.”

His frustration was echoed by several concerned residents at the information meeting.

“Last year, the will of the population was clearly expressed,” resident Cesar Inostroza said as he addressed members of council. “Why has the city not taken account of that? Why is the city proceeding with a project that the citizens of St. Lazare don’t want?”

In response, Mayor Geneviève Lachance explained how circumstances have changed over the past year, including the forthcoming obligations that will be imposed by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal for municipalities to densify.

Time to act now

While Lachance said that she understands the frustrations of citizens, she explained that acting now to start this development would be in the best interest of the municipality, the residents and the local environment.

She added that avoiding the issue and hoping that the CMM does not ask for increased density on the street is not a gamble the town is willing to make. 

In addition, Lachance pointed out the proposed plan will limit deforestation of lots to a maximum of 20 per cent, resulting in much of the trees being preserved and developers encouraged to build smaller houses.

“In a time when we are facing a housing crisis, balancing development with environmental conservation is incredibly delicate,” Lachance wrote in an email to The 1019 Report in response to a question. “Striking this balance and making these sometimes difficult decisions is crucial for our city.”

The two bylaws are slated for final adoption at the Aug. 13 council meeting. If passed, they would go into effect in the fall, with housing starts expected to begin shortly thereafter.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The future of Sandmere Street in St. Lazare has been an issue that has divided residents in the Saddlebrook area for decades. And now, with the latest proposal, the debate has been reignited.

Residents of the street, along with those looking to preserve the dense forest, have been at odds with the town council and the owners of empty lots in the immediate area over what to do with one of the last private roads in town.

While those opposed are decrying the environmental impacts and noise that new development would bring to the quiet road, town officials maintain that this is the best option given likely future obligations to increase population density for new developments.

New provincial legislation adds fuel to the fire, as municipalities now have more control over zoning changes for construction.

But issues involved are far from simple for this unusual street.

Split in more ways than one

Sandmere Street is split into two sections, separated by about 300 metres of forest. The eastern portion of the street is public, home to around 27 single-family homes, while the western portion is private.

The private section runs a straight line from Côte St. Charles eastward for about 800 metres and is home to four houses and about 34 empty lots.

The street does not receive municipal services – like garbage pickup and regular street maintenance. Manoeuverability is also a challenge for fire trucks, ambulances and other municipal vehicles, as the private road leads to a dead end.

However, one issue stands above the rest for the owners of the 34 empty lots: they are unable to build anything on these properties.

This has been the source of growing frustration for the lot owners, as they still pay taxes for the land, but have been unable to build, which also limits their options to find a buyer if they wanted to sell their lots.

On the other end of the spectrum, many residents of St. Lazare, including the inhabitants of the few houses on the private section of Sandmere, which were built before the province halted development on private roads, have spoken out against the municipalization project for one reason or another.

Many have expressed concern about how the development of new houses on the street would lead to the destruction of part of the lush forest that makes up many of the empty lots.

Others worry that the tranquil street will turn into a popular route for speedsters, as both sections of Sandmere would create a straight thoroughfare with no intersections.

The lot owners have unsuccessfully been pushing for Sandmere to be municipalized for years. But it wasn’t until recently that the tide began turning in their favour.

New law renews push

Last summer, the Quebec government amended legislation respecting land use, planning and development. Requests for certain zoning changes, like the minimum size of lots, are no longer subject to municipal referendum procedures, giving towns more power.

This legislative change fuelled a renewed push by lot owners to municipalize the street.

Enter St. Lazare’s two bylaws that were proposed last month. They aim to reduce the minimum width of properties on Sandmere from 50 metres to 37, which no longer is subject to municipal referendum procedures, and drop the minimum frontage from 12 metres to 10, among other measures, which still could be subject to a registry and possible referendum if enough residents object.

This reduced minimum space would allow between 42 to 44 single-family homes to be built along Sandmere and would “help lower the cost of municipalization for the current landowners who want to develop their land,” St. Lazare Mayor Geneviève Lachance told The 1019 Report in an email.

Why municipalization now

According to Alexandra Lemieux, St. Lazare’s director of urbanism services and the environment, the addition of 42-44 homes would maintain St. Lazare’s current densification standard of 2.7 dwellings per hectare. It would also limit deforestation on lots to a maximum of 20 per cent for each property. 

Connecting the 300-metre stretch that separates the two sections of Sandmere, Lemieux added, would also facilitate the flow of local traffic and emergency vehicles.

Lachance explained that although the proposal was blocked by residents last year, it is being considered again because it is better than what could eventually be imposed on the town by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal.

The CMM is expected to impose greater housing densification norms on the 82 municipalities on and around the island of Montreal, including St. Lazare, by 2025.

“Basically, they tell us what to do,” Lachance said at the meeting. “If (the CMM plan) passes, it would mean that the density is not 2.7 homes per hectare. It’s 40 homes per hectare.”

By that calculation, Sandmere Street would be required, in theory, to build 880 dwellings under the revised PMAD.

“If residents are worried about 42-44 additional homes on Sandmere, imagine if the CMM increases this density as they’re proposing!” Lachance told The 1019 Report in an email.

With that in mind, it would be imperative that the development get under way prior to the adoption of the PMAD, Lemieux explained to The 1019 Report. Any construction on the vacant lots “will not be subject to any new minimal density if it is done before the new density is prescribed.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

Festi Ouest, St. Lazare’s western-themed weekend of fun, is set to return this August following a highly successful first year.

Running from Aug. 23 to 25, this year’s event features an entire extra day of family-friendly festivities. Attractions will include carriage rides, line dancing, mini golf, a small-scale animal farm, mechanical bull rides and plenty of options for food and drink.

Like last year, the events will also feature musical performances by some notable names from Quebec’s music scene. Montreal-based singer and pianist Grégory Charles will be headlining the event. Country music singer Marven James, who is also resident of St. Lazare, will also be performing. Their performances will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Last year’s event, which saw a turnout of around 5,000 guests, was by all measures a success, said Christelle Paré, St. Lazare’s director of communications and community relations.

She added that the success of the new event “wasn’t just a feeling.” The town distributed a survey to several participants a few weeks after the event to quantify the reaction.

Survey respondents said they enjoyed the family-friendly environment, as well as the rides, accessibility and the overall atmosphere. Paré added that respondents gave the festival a high approval rating.

Prior to last year’s event, some St. Lazare residents had voiced their disappointment with the fact that celebrations for both St. Jean Baptiste Day and Canada Day had been scrapped, part of the funds being redirected to this new event.

However, Paré emphasized that the festival worked to bring together the community for a weekend of fun, without having to compete with neighbouring municipalities for attendance.

“The Festi Ouest was really an event where we wanted to have everybody together, and we’re really happy with the results,” she said, noting that guests had arrived from across the Montérégie region and Montreal.

It remains to be seen whether Festi Ouest will become a regular annual function unique to St. Lazare. However, with the 150^th anniversary of St. Lazare approaching, Paré said plans for a 2025 edition of the festival are already in the works.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

A grassroots group calling on Transport Quebec to build a high-speed bypass route for Highway 20 in Vaudreuil-Dorion that would allow through traffic to avoid having to navigate a series of traffic lights is making solid progress, as thousands have signed its petition supporting the initiative.

“In the stores on Harwood Blvd. there’s been a lot of people signing,” said Céline Pilon, a member of the Alliance of Citizens for a Real Highway 20.

The group launched the petition at the end of May, with Pilon saying it was finally time to give Transport Quebec “a little kick in the derrière” to get going on this long-promised project.

The petition has been collecting signatures at various locations across Vaudreuil-Soulanges and on the National Assembly’s website. As of yesterday, 3,351 people had signed the online petition, while an additional 3,154 signatures have been collected on paper versions of the petition, said Pierre Z. Séguin, one of the organizing members of the Alliance.

The group is calling on the provincial government to immediately start building the long-promised high-speed bypass route along a right-of-way north of the existing lanes of Harwood Blvd., allowing vehicles travelling to and from Vaudreuil-Dorion to Île Perrot to avoid the lights on Harwood. The lights along the Highway 20 lanes in Île Perrot would also need to be eliminated in a second phase of construction.

About 87,000 vehicles travel the route daily, causing headaches for commuters and local businesses located along the strip. It is the only stretch of a major highway in Canada that still has traffic lights.

Earlier this month, Transport Quebec announced it would begin studying the possibility of building the bypass. The group behind the petition greeted the move with enthusiasm, with Séguin saying he was was “very encouraged.”  

But he tempered his optimism, by pointing out that the provincial government has been dragging its feet on this project, which locals have been urging for decades, with the first stretches of land having been expropriated about 60 years ago.

When the petition was launched, Pilon said the group is looking to collect a similar number of signatures as was collected in 2010 on a petition demanding a hospital for the region, which collected about 43,000 signatures.

The group plans to submit the petition to the National Assembly at the opening of the new session in September.

However, the petition itself will not end there, Séguin said.

“We’re going to continue after that,” he said: “We won’t stop at the end of September [. . .] nothing prevents us from going ahead with the petition and asking for more signatures.”

The deadline to sign the petition via the National Assembly’s website is Aug. 17. The physical petition will remain available to sign and can currently be found at numerous businesses located along Harwood Blvd., as well as at each of the IGA grocery stores in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Île Perrot, St. Lazare and Hudson.

To access the online petition, go to https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-10811/index.html

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The town of Hudson is considering its options on whether to invoke its right of first refusal on the sale of a 37,000-square-foot lot off Main Road, which had once been the planned site of the proposed Villa Wyman seniors’ residence.

Listed for sale for $650,000, an offer to purchase the lot was accepted last month.

A member of the board of directors for the Villa Wyman declined to comment, including revealing the identity of the party who submitted the offer of purchase or the amount of the bid.

But news of the accepted offer has triggered a 60-day period that allows the town to decide if it wishes to apply its right of first refusal.

Last August, Hudson council voted to formally register a right of first refusal on 22 lots within the town’s territory, including all the lots owned by Nicanco Holdings Inc. in the waterfront area surrounding Sandy Beach; all the churches in the town, along with the parking areas surrounding them; the Sikh temple on Main Road; the Como golf course; two vacant lots on Como Gardens Street; and the Manoir Cavagnal seniors’ residence. The move was made after the provincial government passed a law that allows municipalities to register a right of first refusal on properties that are put up for sale.

By filing the right with the land registry, the law allows municipalities to match, or even increase offers, in order to purchase properties and buildings that are up for sale once an offer on a registered property is accepted by the current owner.

Last week, Hudson Mayor Chloe Hutchison said it was too soon to tell if the town will invoke its right in this instance.

“We are still collecting information to bring to council for review and consideration,” Hutchison wrote in an email in response to questions posed by The 1019 Report.

She added that she expects the preparation material to be ready for the August council meeting.

The deadline for the town to invoke the right of first refusal is Monday, Aug. 5 – the day of the next council meeting.

The empty lot, which is situated across from the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar – formerly the Wyman Memorial United Church – is currently zoned exclusively for the construction of a seniors’ residence/assisted living facility.

The property had been planned as the site of the Villa Wyman, a two-storey, 18-unit seniors’ residence, which had been in the works since about 2015. That was until the project was scrapped in December 2023 due to what the project’s board of directors called “untenable” delays and requests for revisions to its plans by the town.

The decision to drop the project was made after Hudson council rejected a request to modify the layout of a parking area proposed for the residence. The modification had been requested after the project’s board of directors discovered the initial plan for parking, which the town had approved, encroached on the former church lot and it could not reach an agreement with the new owners of that property to permit a right of way. At that time, in a statement to the town, the Villa Wyman board of directors said: “After eight years since the inception of this project we lack the confidence in the town of Hudson to facilitate the timely completion of this project.”

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

What does a large multi-purpose athletic complex go for these days?

If it’s the St. Lazare Sports Complex, it’s $8.9 million. That is the asking price for the 70,000-square-foot complex that has been put up for sale last month. And is already drawing considerable interest.

Opened in 2006, the facility is the only indoor ice rink in St. Lazare. It also has a synthetic-turf indoor soccer pitch, a fitness centre, a dance studio and sports bar, as well as spaces for osteopathy and massage therapy.

There has been no shortage of interest in the property, said Joe Rullier, executive vice-president at Colliers International, who is brokering the sale. Rullier said there are already two offers on the table. The town of St. Lazare is not one of them.

The town, however, is one of the complex’s largest customers. During the municipal council meeting last month, elected officials unanimously passed a motion to renew the town’s lease agreement with the complex. The lease renewal, which will run from September 2024 until April 2028, is for a maximum of $817,725.

The current owners of the sportsplex, a five-person limited partnership, are ready to take a step back, said David Laventure, one of the owners.

“It’s just time,” Laventure said, adding that the partners are getting older and have owned the sports complex for nearly two decades.

Two of the original partners have died in recent years. Owners Bill Giblin and John-Paul Longlade passed away in September 2020 and June 2023, respectively.

The complex is in good shape and does not face the need for any major structural repairs, said Julie Daoust, the complex’s director-general. Though the complex requires regular upkeep and maintenance work, she said that no investments are needed for any extensive restoration. Both Daoust and Laventure were adamant that the sale of the building would not cause any interruptions in the schedules of the various leagues, games other activities that take place at the complex.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

St. Lazare’s decision not to host any fireworks shows to celebrate Quebec’s Fête National  and Canada Day again this year is disappointing to some residents, while others are praising the town’s response to the risks these events pose.

The decision is in contrast to the neighbouring municipalities of Hudson, Vaudreuil-Dorion and Rigaud, each of which plan to host fireworks shows either to celebrate Fête National or Canada Day. However, some say St. Lazare made the right choice by considering the negative effects that fireworks have on animals, especially horses.

Letizia Chiminazzo, a trainer at the Centre Équestre l’Intégrité, said she backs the municipality’s decision “100 per cent.”

Horses are very sensitive animals, and are vulnerable to loud noises made by fireworks, she explained to The 1019 Report. “Especially horses that live outside … they could just lose their marbles and try to jump their fence, or run into their fence, or run into a tree and get injured.”

Not only is the health of horses at risk with fireworks shows, Chiminazzo said, but a spooked horse that finds its way to the open road can pose a fatal risk for drivers.

But it isn’t just horses who are negatively affected by fireworks, but all animals, said Hudson resident Gail Meili. She explained that the loud crack of fireworks displays is agony for her two dogs.

“Once there are fireworks anywhere, that’s it. I don’t sleep the whole night,” Meili explained. “It’s terrifying to them.”

She added that she is also concerned about the environmental impacts fireworks displays create. A 2016 study on this impact published in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association found that the use of fireworks and firecrackers increased particulate matter in ambient air spaces. This can lead to a “substantial increase in adverse health effects,” the study reads.

Meili shared her concerns about Hudson’s decision to go forward with a Canada Day fireworks show on Facebook, applauding St. Lazare’s decision to cancel them, but her opinion was met with divided opinions.

St. Lazare resident Joëlle Ménard is disappointed with her town’s decision to cancel the fireworks shows, questioning whether it was a matter of saving money. She said many other residents believe that the town does not have its fiscal priorities straight.

St. Lazare municipal officials were unable to provide a response to The 1019 Report in time for publication.

Ménard added that the reason she moved with her children to St. Lazare 22 years ago was for the promise of family activities.

“(Now) they’re telling us to spend our money elsewhere,” she said.

JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report

The temporary closure and repairing of a footbridge along the Soulanges Canal bike path this summer is part of the restoration process for the historic Petit Pouvoir hydroelectric power station in Les Cèdres, government officials have confirmed.

As of Monday, the portion of the cycle path that runs alongside the station – between Chemin St. Dominique and Chemin St. Emmanuel – is closed. Cyclists and pedestrians are being redirected via Chemin du Fleuve, just south of the canal. Transport Quebec predicts construction to be completed and the path reopened by the end of July.

The ministry confirmed to The 1019 Report that the work is part of a restoration project for the Petit Pouvoir building, the canal’s original hydroelectric power plant that powered the waterway’s mechanical locks. It is one of only four hydroelectric power plants built in Quebec before 1900.

The work along the footbridge near the old power plant building is regarded as a “preliminary stage” of the provincial government’s plan to restore the historic building’s “architectural and structural integrity,” said Karine Abdel, a communications adviser for the Transport Ministry.

When asked about the possibility of the old power station being turned into a site that would cater to tourists, Abdel said no such scenario could yet be confirmed.

Following the building’s restoration, Abdel said that the ministry will “look for a partner who can operate this heritage building in a viable and sustainable way.”

The Petit Pouvoir station operated from 1899 to 1959. Recognized as a heritage building in 1984, it has remained vacant since 1995.

In a 2020 academic publication, historian Luc Noppen described the two-storey red brick structure as having been built in the classic “French Romanesque Revival style.” The structure includes turrets, semicircular arched windows, and quoins and cornices made of ashlar stone along the facade.

The Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications characterizes the style of the building as having a “medieval spirit,” and had become a brand image of Canadian architecture in the late 1800s.

In 2021, the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Transport Quebec announced an agreement to revitalize the canal, transforming it into a vast regional park that stretches along the 23 kilometres of the historic waterway. The work to revitalize the canal is expected to be carried out over several years.

The man-made waterway was first opened in 1899, and traces its way along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River – from Pointe des Cascades to Coteaux Landing. Originally designed to bypass the rapids between Lake St. Louis and Lake St. Francis, it operated until 1959, when it was replaced by the Beauharnois Canal.