JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West
Residents of Dorval attempting to stop the city from demolishing a former convent building are demanding to be consulted before bulldozers are called in. But so far, municipal officials have only agreed to outline their plans for the site rather than debate whether the building should be torn down.
Dorval Mayor Marc Doret announced Monday that a public presentation by the city will be held next month on the future of the former convent of the Congrégation de Notre Dame. The presentation will give citizens a chance to hear about the possible options for the site following the likely demolition of a large section of the building.
But that is not good enough for a group of residents calling for the preservation of the building. They say nothing short of a proper public consultation should be required to determine the future of the site.
“There are public needs that can be used in that building,” said Fernando Pellicer, a member of the citizens’ group Save Residence 12 Dahlia. “The taxpayers bought that building, and now we can’t have a word of what to do with it? It’s unacceptable.”
The former convent, located at 12 Dahlia Ave., is made up of two sections: the Quatre Vents manor, which dates back to 1873, and served as the home of Dorval’s first mayor, Désiré Girouard; and an attached four-storey, 40,000-square-foot brick annex built in 1965. The annex was added by the previous owners of the property, the Congrégation de Notre Dame. It contains a large commercial kitchen, a dining room, two floors of meeting rooms, two floors of bedrooms and a chapel.
The City of Dorval purchased the entire property for $8 million in 2022. This past April, Dorval council adopted a resolution of intent to demolish the annex section of the building. No date for demolition has been set.
In its April 16 statement, the city pointed out that the annex “does not meet the requirements of the Quebec Construction Code, particularly in terms of wind bracing, fire protection, insulation and personal safety.”
At Monday’s city council meeting, Doret said the city would present citizens with four scenarios on the future of the site. Though citizens will not vote on which scenario they prefer, city councillors will be asked to take the input from the community into account.
This announcement did not satisfy the citizens’ group Save Residence 12 Dahlia. The group has been speaking out in recent months against the city’s intent to demolish the annex, arguing the building could serve a number of needs in the community. A petition organized by the group calling for a proper public consultation has collected more than 300 signatures.
Group member Mario Mammone told the council Monday that he had been in contact with food banks and other community groups providing meals to residents in need.
“They would love to use that space,” Mammone told council.
The group has also been advocating for residents to have a say in plans for the site.
“The building is in good condition,” said Pellicer, a retired architect. “(It’s) a complete waste of a good building.”
The annex would need a new roof and other upgrades, he said, but that the restoration of the building for public use would best serve the community.
“I don’t think you need to demolish a 40,000-square-foot building that’s chockablock full of all kinds of spaces that could be adapted for any kind of community uses,” said Rachelle Cournoyer, another group member.
“There’s a place that used to feed 75 nuns plus staff,” Cournoyer added. “They have two walk-in refrigerators, a walk-in freezer, (and) a huge storage space. It could be used for any number of purposes.”
Save Residence 12 Dahlia says it will continue collecting signatures for its petition until the city organizes true public consultations. The group is collecting signatures at various public locations across Dorval and via its Facebook page Sauvons/Save Résidence 12 Dahlia.
Cutline:
The city of Dorval is proposing to tear down the four-storey brick annex attached to the former convent’s Quatre Vents manor (left) on Dahlia Avenue.