heritage buildings

Mary Gillespie House purchased for English-speaking community

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / February 12, 2025 / Cassandra Kerwin, heritage buildings, Jean-Yves Duclos, Quebec City

Mary Gillespie House purchased for the English-speaking community

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

The historic Mary Gillespie House in Sainte-Foy has been purchased for the use of the local English-speak- ing community. By next year, it will open as a multipurpose venue, thanks in part to the $1.5-million contribution from Canadian Heritage through the Community Spaces Fund program for official-language minority communities. Federal Minister for Public Services and Procurement and MP for Québec Jean-Yves Duclos announced the funding arrangement on Feb. 3.

“This project started with a young individual who saw the potential in this house in July 2023,” said Jean Robert, presi- dent of Jeffery Hale Community Partners. “From there, our staff got involved. The boards of two of our community foundations, architects, lawyers and the staff at Canadian Heritage had the same goal: an inclusive multipurpose space for the community.”

Robert affirmed that Mary Gillespie House will be trans- formed for the English-speaking community by next year, if all goes according to plan. “It will provide an inclusive space for cultural preservation, col- laboration and connection,” said Robert. “It will become a vibrant hub of services and ac- tivities for the English-speaking

community for years to come, promoting a sense of belonging for its members and helping to ensure its long-term vitality.”

“The English-speaking com- munity has been present in Quebec City for over 265 years. This is a lot of years and hard and heavy work with great suc- cess,” said Duclos. “Here, we have an example of a heritage home that will last and be preserved for its beauty and be used for the benefit of our English-speaking community. When we are diverse, we are more proud.”

“The Mary Gillespie House is in my riding, and I’m de- lighted that our government is investing in this community space for the people of Quebec City. I hope that Louis-Hébert

residents will be able to come together and build relation- ships in this magnificent and historic Sainte-Foy building,” said Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound. “This is good for the community. It is not the biggest community, but it is strong, vibrant, and has deep roots. I am very happy that this space will bring the community together.”

According to the Ville de Québec register of historic buildings, the house was built between 1860 and 1867. Its first resident-owner appears to have been Mary Gillespie (1840-1935), widow of mer- chant James Hewitt and sister of James Gillespie, who owned Maple Cottage, formerly located on Chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois. The residence remained in the Hewitt family for almost 30 years.

The house is located at 819 Ave. Moreau in Sainte-Foy. It is a 1.5-storey farmhouse situated on a large lot. The majority of its historical components, including wooden windows, dormers, doors and floors, a metal roof, a covered gallery on three sides and chimneys at each end, have been maintained. Since the front lot was sold for a commercial building on Chemin Sainte-Foy, the original main entrance faces the back of that building rather than Avenue Moreau.

Mary Gillespie House purchased for English-speaking community Read More »

City to sell Maison Pollack after investing $4 million

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / December 10, 2024 / heritage buildings, Peter Black, Quebec City

City to sell Maison Pollack after investing $4 million

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The “For Sale” sign has not been posted yet, but the city is preparing to rid itself of the distinctive Maison Pollack mansion on Grande Allée.

The subject of a long dispute between the previous city administration and the building’s former owner, Maison Pollack was famous for its towering columns and its one-time owner, retail entrepreneur and philanthropist Maurice Pollack.

The city bought the property at 1 Grande Allée Est in 2021 for $1.15 million with the intention of transforming it into a “Maison de la Diversité” for diversity-focused cultural programming.

A further $2.5 million was poured into preserving and renovating the structure, originally built in 1910 for merchant James McCarthy. The badly rotting columns on the portico and balcony were removed in the expectation they would eventually be replaced as part of the restoration plan.

Further work was put on hold once the initial repairs were completed in the spring.

Although Mayor Bruno Marchand had indicated a year ago he was not interested in converting Maison Pollack into a cultural hub and that it could be sold, it was only last week that city officials confirmed the property is considered “surplus.”

At hearings into last week’s city budget, Carl Desharnais, deputy director of sustainable infrastructure, said the objective is to put it up for sale in 2025. “The city wants to sell the building, but wants to allow for an improvement that will maintain the features of the current building,” he said.

Maurice Pollack and family lived in the house from 1930 until 1948. Pollack subsequently sold it to the federal government for use by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment. The building’s three-storey interior was transformed into offices. The RCMP moved out in the 1970s and the building became a rooming house.

City to sell Maison Pollack after investing $4 million Read More »