Summary#
Montréal city council unanimously set its position in favour of adopting the part of the Montréal agglomeration’s pre-1940 heritage-building inventory covering Montréal-Ouest: 880 buildings. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. City staff say the inventory is being prepared to meet a provincial legal requirement.
- If adopted by the agglomeration council, this part would count as the required inventory for the Montréal-Ouest area.
- The inventory identifies buildings considered to have heritage value; it does not itself approve demolition rules or other new property rules.
- The provincial law allows the agglomeration to adopt its inventory in parts. It must complete the inventory by April 1, 2026.
What it means for you#
- Montréal-Ouest property owners: This city council decision alone does not change what you may do with your property. If the agglomeration council adopts the inventory, the 880 listed buildings would be treated as heritage properties under provincial planning law. City staff say they may then be subject to provisions in municipal bylaws on demolition and building occupancy and maintenance.
- Residents and the public: The decision concerns an inventory, not a new service, benefit, tax, or transfer of property ownership. The city and Quebec’s culture ministry plan to publish the building information as open data.
- Montréal-Ouest: The city council’s unanimous vote sets Montréal’s position; it does not itself complete the agglomeration’s adoption.
Money#
The inventory work is funded under an agreement providing for up to $5 million in Quebec government assistance, matched by an equal contribution from Montréal.
- The materials do not state the cost of preparing this Montréal-Ouest part separately.
What is unclear#
- The list of 880 buildings and their individual assessments are not included in the supplied materials.
- The materials do not say which specific bylaw provisions, if any, would apply to each listed building.
- The separate cost of this part of the inventory is not stated.
Case for#
- The provincial law requires the agglomeration to inventory heritage-value buildings built before 1940 by April 1, 2026.
- City staff say the agglomeration has about 90,000 pre-1940 buildings to assess, so adopting completed parts is a way to proceed in stages while meeting the deadline.
- The inventory work has financial support from Quebec, with Montréal contributing an equal amount.
Case against#
- A possible concern is that listing a building may expose it to special rules under municipal bylaws, but the materials do not explain which rules would apply to each property.
- The materials do not provide the per-building assessments or the separate cost of the Montréal-Ouest inventory part.