Heritage Preservation and the Lachine Canal Revitalization Project by Mark London Summary Between 1997 and 2002, the City of Montreal and the Government of Canada invested $ I 00 million to reopen the Lachine Canal to recreational boating and to catalyze the revitalization of the adjacent working-class neighbourhoods, in decline since the canal closed in I 970. The canal's historic infrastructure was largely restored. The design of newly landscaped public spaces focused on helping visitors understand the past of this cradle of Canadian industrialization. However, the rapid response of the private sector's $350 million worth of projects already leads to concern about the impact of real estate development on the privately owned industrial heritage of the area. Sommaire Entre 1997 et 2002, la Ville de Montreal et le gouvernement du Canada ont investi I 00 millions de dollars af,n de rouvrir le canal de Lachine a la navigation de plaisance et de catalyser la revitalisation des quartiers populaires adjacents, en dee/in depuis la fermeture du canal en 1970. L'infrastructure historique du canal a ete en grande partie restauree. L'amenagement des nouveaux espaces publics visait a aider /es visiteurs a comprendre l'histoire de ce berceau de /'industrialisation manufacturiere canadienne. Neanmoins, la rapidite de la reponse du secteur prive - deja des projets d'une valeur de 350 millions de dollars - sou/eve des craintes quant a /'impact du developpement immobilier sur le patrimoine industriel prive de la region. he Lachine Canal Revitalization TProject is one of the largest heritage restoration/waterfront revitalization projects in Canada in recent years. More than $100 million of public investments allowed the reopening of the canal to boating and served as a catalyst for the revitalization of Montreal's Southwest District. However, this economic boon has had both positive and negative effects on the heritage of the area. The Lachine Canal opened in 1825 to by-pass the Lachine Rapids, part of Canada's route to the continent's interior. The 14-kilometre canal links Montreal's harbour with Lake St. Louis, a widening of the St. Lawrence River, and the town of Lachine. Enlarged twice in the 19th century, the canal became the cradle of Canadian industry where factories located for transportation access and hydraulic power. The area became Canada's industrial heartland, and working-class neighbourhoods such as Opening Festival Saint-Henri and Pointe Saint-Charles grew alongside the industrial corridor. Plan Summer/ Ete 2003 In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway The Public Realm opened, and by the 1979s, the old Canal Restoration Lachine Canal was closed and its eastern The Government of Canada invested entrance filled in.At that time, the federal more than $40 million in restoring and canal property was landscaped, and a reopening the canal. Locks 3, 4 and 5 bicycle path, which became the most were rebuilt, deteriorated walls were popular in Canada with more than restored, and several bridges were 750,000 users, was created. The canal's raised to provide a 2.8 metre boating closing, and general shifts in industrial clearance, the maximum attainable patterns, led to the abandonment of without the prohibitively expensive many canal industries, resulting in great reconstruction of many recently repaired unemployment and hardship in the bridges. The large Turning Basin, and nearby neighbourhoods. two adjacent slips right at the foot of In 1982, the oldest part of the Port of downtown that had been buried in the Montreal, just east of the canal in front 70s, were also restored. The decision Pare des Couroyers of Old Montreal, was transferred to a was made to leave toxic sediments in new Crown corporation. The Old Port place at the bottom of the canal because, Corporation has a mandate to transform since the canal's closure, they had the former port facilities for public uses. consolidated, and the quality of water This was the era of big federal waterfront was judged to be equivalent to that projects that also included Granville entering from the St. Lawrence River. Island in Vancouver and Harbourfront in Tests showed that small-scale, relatively Toronto. In 1984, the eastern entry to slow-speed, "no-wake" boating would the Lachine Canal, including the first not disturb the sediments, a conclusion two of a total of five locks, was also that is being closely monitored. transferred to the Old Port Corporation. Parks Canada was responsible for the During its first few years, the Corporation Government of Canada's improvements, demolished two early 20th century grain enhancing the bicycle path and visitor elevators and several sheds. amenities, notably by building service Between 1990 and 1992, the Old Port pavilions and installing a new signage Corporation carried out extensive and interpretation system. Atwater Market sculptures public improvements in the context of Public Spaces along the Canal Montreal's 300th birthday. Its new approach was to preserve the traditional port The City of Montreal invested more character and structures. Improvements than $50 million dollars in a series of included removing the fill at the eastern improvements to canal-side public spaces end of the canal and restoring the first with the objectives of reconnecting the two locks. The quality of the landscaping canal to the city, improving public access and activities made the Old Port one of to the water, developing recreational Canada's most popular tourist destina­ activities and being a catalyst for private tions, and a place where Montrealers development. like to "hang out." It attracts more than Many streets, parks and public spaces five million visitors each year. located near the canal were reorganize In 1997, the City of Montreal and the and others were created so that the Government of Canada announced an canal's public spaces would penetrate ambitious program to revitalize the rest perpendicularly into surrounding of the Lachine Canal and its surrounding neighbourhoods. This included creating area including reopening the canal to a new connection from downtown boating in 2002. The objectives of Montreal to Old Montreal and the Old the project were varied: economics, Port by extending Peel Street to pass recreational and tourist development, alongside the canal as it connects to r improvement of the quality of life for de la Commune. Three years ago, you nearby residents, and heritage preserva­ would not have known that the Atwat tion. It is notable that this was not Market was right on the canal's edge. formally a joint federal-municipal program; A spatial reorganization of this popular; technically, it was two independent, but public market created a new public parallel and complementary, programs. space by the water where passers-by can sit and eat. - Plan Su mmer/ Ete 2003 Since many of the canal's industrial Canal Significant District" have been In order to plan the second phase, the complexes had long since disappeared, it submitted to a special review process. Lachine Canal Coordinating Committee, is difficult for a visitor to imagine what The limits of this district were enlarged consisting of representatives of all the the 19th century industrial landscape was in 2000 to include a greater part of the public and community stakeholders, has like. Therefore, the landscaping of most 19th century industrial area. been working for several years to define public spaces was designed to interpret a shared vision of the future. W ithin the The most significant industrial complex the history of the sites and surrounding Heritage and Culture Working Group, is Redpath Sugar. Its construction began areas. For example, one park exposed discussions have taken place about the in 1854 just east of Lock 3.Abandoned the foundations of St.Ann Church, the possibility of provincial heritage since 1981 , it is presently being main church of Irish workers, with paths designation and the likelihood of all transformed by a private investor into a and benches evoking the spatial three levels of government offering mixed-use complex with condominiums, organization of the long-demolished grants or other financial incentives for boutiques, restaurants and offices. building.A new square located at the heritage conservation-similar to the Several other historic industrial foot of Peel Street exposes the Quebec-Montreal program that has complexes are now being recycled, but foundations of Montreal Warehousing, one been enormously successful in revitalizing several others were demolished in of the largest buildings in 19th century Old Montreal. The funding for the recent years. Montreal, and a series of panels offer Historic Places Initiative and the visitors huge historic images. The layout The survival of many industrial buildings Residential Rehabilitation Assistance of two parks, located on both sides of is still threatened, in part because of the Program, announced in the federal the Atwater Market, was based on the state of deterioration. Until now, no budget in February, could play a part in industries once located there, the general program of financial aide for the future of the Lachine Canal.A social Mosley Tannery and the Mona Saw Mill. preservation was available, and zoning of impact working group is looking at ways On the new terrace south of the the area was recently revised to allow for to limit the effect of gentrification on market, a series of sculptures highlight higher-profit uses such as condominiums. working-class neighbourhoods and to the contrast between the patterns and The threatened complexes include two ensure that local workers have good industries of two adjacent neighbourhoods. sets of abandoned grain elevators. The access to newly created jobs. enormous Grain Elevator Number 5, The public space improvements were The Lachine Canal Revitalization Project located at the Old Port entrance to the accompanied by a major program of has allowed the preservation and canal, has been the subject of many archaeological research and digs.