What is heritage?

What is Heritage Montreal? Since 1975, Heritage Montreal has worked to promote and to protect the architectural, historic, natural and cultural heritage of Greater Montreal, its neighbourhoods and communities. This private non-profit organization is at the heart of an extensive network of partners, working through education and representation to celebrate, develop and preserve Montreal’s identity and uniqueness. Heritage Montreal pursues its role as an informed, non-partisan and independent actor. WHAT DO THEY DO? Heritage Montreal works through education and representation, among both the general public and the actors who are directly and indirectly responsible for protecting and enhancing heritage—including institutions, public agencies, owners and property managers. Advocacy Influencing the decisions of the various responsible agencies on the basis of the authority the organization enjoys due to its expertise in heritage issues; Acting as a catalyst within the milieu to encourage coherent actions and to maximize the possibility of tangible and sustainable results. Education Sensitizing and educating residents to increase their sense of responsibility and to improve the quality of their actions

What is heritage? According to Conseil du patrimoine de Montréal Heritage refers to any object or ensemble, natural or cultural, tangible or intangible, that a community values for its historical significance and memory by highlighting the need to protect, conserve, appropriate, enhance or transmit it. In other words, heritage is the layers of specificities that make a city unique. It could be: The scale of a city The architecture, height and density of a city Relationship to the water, if there is water The age of a city Topography Geology Modes of transportation

What is heritage? It’s our collective memory. Our heritage is much more than just objects from the past. It is a very present part of our everyday lives, whether we are aware of it or not. It’s (urban) heritage in all its forms. While architecture is necessarily a component, urban heritage also refers to landscapes, neighbourhoods, natural features and archeological sites. Time changes our perception of heritage. What we recognize as heritage evolves, however, on a daily basis. What was considered uninteresting a generation ago can suddenly be important. The best example of this is modern or recent heritage. Place Ville Marie (1962) and Habitat 67 (1967), are examples.

This is heritage Biosphere Environment Museum, formerly US Pavilion, arch. Buckminster Fuller (1967) Biosphere, summer 1968. Photo: Yvon Bellemare, Ville de Montréal, VM94-EX136-779 Biosphere Photo: Heritage Montreal Fire at Biosphere, May 20, 1976. Photo: Ville de Montréal, VM4-3-196-36

This is heritage George Stephen House, also known as Mount Stephen Club (1880-1883), in Ville-Marie, arch. William Tutin Thomas Photo: Jean Gagnon.

This is heritage Silo no. 5 (Elevator B, 1903-1906; Annex, 1913-24; Elevator B1, 1958), engineer John S. Metcalf Vacant since 1995. Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Habitat 67 (1965-70), arch. Moshe Safdie Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Jacques Cartier Bridge (construction), 1929. Photo: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

This is heritage Street ensemble: Saint-Henri Plateau Mont-Royal Photo: Heritage Montreal Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage McGill College Avenue, view towards Mount Royal Photo: Jean-François Séguin

This is heritage The Lachine Canal (1825) and former Redpath Sugar refinery (1854), now a condo complex. Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Montreal fortifications, Champ-de-Mars (1717-1744), in the Old Montreal Remains of the fortifications of the City of Montréal. Photo: Vue d'ensemble / Christian Lemire 2008, © Ministère de la Culture et des Communications La reproduction est une copie d’une œuvre publiée par le gouvernement du Québec et que la reproduction n’a pas été faite en association avec le gouvernement du Québec ni avec l’appui de celui-ci.

This is heritage Place Ville Marie (1962) in Ville-Marie, arch. I. M. Pei with and Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold and Sise Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Saint-Joseph’s Oratory on Mount Royal (1924-1955) in Côte-des-Neiges Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Former Saint-Mathias-Apôtre Church (1958) in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve was transformed in 2004 by Rayside Labossière architects Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Farine Five Rose illuminated sign (1948) Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier Square (1912) in Saint-Henri Photo: Heritage Montreal

This heritage The former École des Hautes études commerciales (1908-1911), in Ville-Marie, arch. Gauthier and Daoust, now the BAnQ Vieux-Montréal Photo: Heritage Montreal

This heritage Très-Saint-Nom-de-Jésus Church (1903-06) in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, arch. Charles-Aimé Reeves and Albert Mesnard. Photo: Jean-François Séguin

This is heritage Fire station #23 (1930) in Saint-Henri, arch. Ludger Lemieux Photo: Heritage Montreal

This is heritage LaSalle metro station (1978) in Verdun, arch. Didier, Gillon and Larouche Photo: Heritage Montreal

Types of heritage Five facets to Montreal’s heritage of concern to the organization: Sites of commemorative interest (places or buildings associated with historical people or events, place names) ex. George Stephen House, Biosphere Sites of archeological interest (sites or vestiges, buried or not, related to stages in Montreal’s history) ex. Montreal Fortifications Sites of architectural interest (buildings that are exceptional in some way or typical of periods, works of civil engineering, public works of art, landscape architecture) ex. Habitat ‘67, Silo no.5, Jacques Cartier Bridge, street ensemble in the Plateau Sites of landscape interest (urban views and landmarks, the river, the mountain, topography, street trees, major parks, the canal, architectural characteristics of the neighbourhoods) ex. view of Mountain, Lachine Canal Sites of ecological interest (sites identified in terms of natural science, hydrology (water), geological evidence, forest ecosystems, migratory stopovers)

What makes a building or a site special? How do we decide if a site has a heritage value? To properly conserve a heritage site, one has to understand the significance of a building or site and act in a way that is appropriate. In that light, one thing becomes very clear: the heritage interest of a site or object is a result of the value we attach to it, collectively or individually. Knowledge and recognition of value are inextricably linked in heritage conservation Evaluation must be based on values: certain values can oppose themselves; some may weigh more than others. And not all buildings or sites have all the various values.

What makes it heritage? 1. It’s OLD (And it has managed to survive) * “Old” does not automatically equal heritage interest and value Residential buildings in Saint-Henri Photo: Heritage Montreal George Stephen House, 2011 Photo: Jean Gagnon

What makes it heritage? 1. It’s OLD (and it has managed to survive) Age and rarity value: Since the passage of time inevitably sees the loss of historic structures, the older a structure is, the more value is likely to be attached to it. For example, a historic site will be of value because there are few surviving examples and no documented evidence exists. Rarity value can also relate to the occurrence of a building type or technique. Historic value: A building or place is not only physical evidence of the past, but may also have played a role in history, or is linked to certain events or period in history. The history embodied within the building fabric is sometimes the only evidence to event and life in the past.

What makes it heritage? 2. It’s BEAUTIFUL Bibliothèque et Archives national in Old Montreal Photo: Heritage Montreal Residential buildings in Plateau Mont-Royal Photo: Heritage Montreal Place Ville Marie in Ville Marie Photo: Heritage Montreal

What makes it heritage? 2. It’s BEAUTIFUL Architectural value: The exemplary qualities of design and proportion and the contributions that the architecture of a building has made to the quality of the everyday experience is its architectural value. In addition, the contribution the building makes to the architectural style or period, being the definitive work of a well-regarded architect or the use of pioneering building techniques, will also form part of the architectural value. Artistic value: An artistic value may also be attributed to a historic building, linked to the quality of the craftsmanship or directly to artwork that is integral to the building, such as painted murals.

What makes it heritage? 3. It’s POPULAR McGill College Avenue in Ville-Marie Photo: Jean-François Séguin Farine Five Rose illuminated sign Photo: Heritage Montreal

What makes it heritage? 3. It’s POPULAR Associative value: The association that a site has with an event or personality in history. Public value: Public spaces in particular will acquire public value, especially if they have been the scene of important events. Other places or buildings gain value in the public mind when they are threatened with demolition and where the public has put up a fight to save a site.

What makes it heritage? 3. It’s POPULAR Townscape value: In many instances, it is not the individual attributes of a building, but its contribution to a group of buildings, street or townscape that is of value. (…) Buildings cannot be treated in isolation from their surroundings or settings. It is often the case that the group value is greater than the value of the individual components. Landscape value: The built heritage is an integral part of the landscape. The appreciation and understanding of buildings has to include their context and setting. In some instances, buildings and landscapes constitute an integral whole.

What makes it heritage? 3. It’s POPULAR Economic value: The most highly regarded economic benefit of cultural heritage is tourism. By the end of the 20th century, tourism had become a principal reason for the conservation of the cultural heritage the world over. However, there are also less obvious economic values. There is considerable evidence of the built heritage contributing to the character and desirability of an area and the resulting increase in property value. Political value: Certain sites can be considered for political reasons. According to the government in power, or revenues generated from tourism, certain sites can be favoured.

What makes it heritage? 4. It’s INNOVATIVE Biosphere Photo: Heritage Montreal Pont Jacques-Cartier Photo: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada Habitat 67 Photo: Heritage Montreal

What makes it heritage? 4. It’s INNOVATIVE Scientific, research and knowledge value: Whether it is the building techniques employed or the materials used, historic buildings have scientific values in terms of the information they contain. For example, they will contain technical information of materials. What type of tools were used or buildings may also contain evidence from past conservation interventions. This value is linked to educational value. Technical value: The technological systems used in the construction of a building and its contribution to advancing building technologies at the time constitutes technical value. Technical value may also relate to the environmental systems incorporated into the design.

What makes it heritage? 5. It’s LOVED Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier Square in Saint-Henri Photo: Heritage Montreal Former Saint-Mathias-Apôtre Church In Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Photo: Heritage Montreal

What makes it heritage? 5. It’s LOVED Emotional value: People who use or visit building may feel an emotional attachment to them or be moved by the building as a sense of wonder and respect at the artistic achievements in design and craftsmanship. This could range from an emotional attachment to a local site to a feeling of amazement at the sight of a great building. Symbolic value: Erected to commemorate events in history, monuments will have intended and symbolic memorial value. The memorial value may change over time either through a change of political regime. The symbolic value continues to shift as a new generation no longer feels connected to the site. Religious/spiritual values: For worshipers, places of worship embody a spiritual meaning and value. Not only places of worship, but also pilgrimage routes, nature features and sites that were once places of worship are considered to have spiritual and religious value.

What makes it heritage? 5. It’s LOVED Social value: The meaning of a historic place to a local community constitutes its social value. A local community may take pleasure out of using a local park irrespective of its historic or architectural value. A central square may also be valued for its association with events and festivals. Local distinctiveness: The local distinctiveness providing a unique quality that makes it different from anywhere else. This could be the use of locally available materials or certain building techniques in the region.

What makes it heritage? 6. It’s INFORMATIVE Remains of the fortifications of the City of Montréal. Photo : Vue d'ensemble / Christian Lemire 2008, © Ministère de la Culture et des Communications La reproduction est une copie d’une œuvre publiée par le gouvernement du Québec et que la reproduction n’a pas été faite en association avec le gouvernement du Québec ni avec l’appui de celui-ci. Redpath Sugar refinery next to Lachine Canal Photo : Heritage Montreal

What makes it heritage? 6. It’s INFORMATIVE Educational value: Historical sites can teach us many things about a period in history, ways of life and social relationships of bygone eras, and construction techniques. The conservation process of a building, site or ensemble in itself can be very educational. Cultural value: Buildings provide information on various aspects of a past period, from lifestyle to the use of materials, crafts and techniques used in their construction.

Who decides?  Who rates and judges these values? Who decides? And finally, who gets to define our city’s identity? A. The Government B. The Mayor C. Heritage Montreal D. Everybody

Who decides?  Who rates and judges these values? Who decides? And finally, who gets to define our city’s identity? A. The Government B. The Mayor C. Heritage Montreal D. Everybody

Everybody? All too often, we recognize our heritage only when it is threatened with demolition or disfigurement. Heritage is a precious, non-renewable resource — we only lose it once — that lends remarkable quality to our surroundings, most often without our realizing it.

What can you do? In our changing environment, heritage is ours and we all have a role in shaping it. Look up, look around Experience the city Get informed Get involved