He is now going to China to get the money and organize a mortgage on the property. The city has said it will allow even more densification of whatever gets developed there. Some think he's just going to try to flip it for a profit.
Meanwhile John Raulston Saul, in the photo to the left (done by Gabrielle Cauchy of Dimedia) said in a public lecture recently that the Lafontaine House, built in 1846 is the most important heritage home for all of French Canada. He mentions the house 20 times in his new book. The new owner, as we mentioned, has said that he's in favour of keeping it on the site but it's not clear in what form, whether they'll be apartments, or condos or a museum, etc.
Gabrielle Cauchy of Dimedia was the photographer. Thanks for crediting it. M Fish
ReplyDeleteMay I add..? The Lafontaine mansion is the only leftover of the "ilôt Overdale", where residents were forcefully evicted from their lower class apartments to make way for condos in the 1980s. The condos were never made and the land has been used as a parking lot since then, while the owners wait for its value to go up. That's why, 10 years ago, a group of activists symbolically took over the Lafontaine mansion to protest against the housing crisis in Montrea happening during summer 2001l. Pierre Bourque, running against Gerald Tremblay in the ongoing municipal election, offered a trade to the squatters: they would be moved to another building, Centre Préfontaine, in Hochelaga/Nouveau Rosemont. This occupation of "le squat Préfontaine" turned against mayor Bourque and tremendously helped Gérald Tremblay, who had opposed the deal, become mayor of Montreal. He still remains today.
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