Faubourg elevator reopens after major repairs

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Pedestrians will once again have more convenient access between Upper and Lower Town with the reopening of the refurbished Faubourg elevator.

Located on Rue Saint-Vallier, the historic lift and the compact café next to it had been closed since March 17 for major renovations to the interior and exterior.

The work was done in two phases, the first being last fall, with the cleaning of the adjacent cliff and repairing brickwork and windows on the structure.

The second phase involved the complete replacement of the elevator and entrance areas. Some work will continue until July 13, according to a city news release, but it will not affect use of the elevator by the public.

The overall cost of the project is $1.47 million. According to the city, the elevator, “designed in 1942 by architect Wilfrid Lacroix … has served both a utilitarian and indispensable purpose for over 80 years, as well as being a representative example of Art Deco public architecture. While 200 to 400 users use it daily, renovations carried out in 1997 gave it its current appearance.