The sad ordeal of the Bignell House is coming to an end: the Quebec City Planning and Conservation Commission (CUCQ) has decided to ease the suffering of this residence built between 1795 and 1817 by authorizing its demolition. Restoring the venerable residence, exposed to the elements for nearly 35 years, would prove too delicate and costly.
The house, abandoned for decades, was a tarnished splendor in the Sillery landscape. The Bignell residence, one of the oldest surviving in this district of Quebec, has long held exceptional architectural value. But its luster had faded over the years until it reached the limit of viability.
The city of Quebec discovered the house’s advanced deterioration in 2008. At that time, an inspection had already determined that the physical condition of the house seriously jeopardized its future. “There is an urgent need for action to prevent demolition. “This building represents a very valuable element of Quebec’s built heritage,” the city wrote at the time.
Fifteen years after this observation, his fate seems sealed in the eyes of the city administration.
“This is the only sensible course of action today,” says Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, heritage adviser on the Quebec City Executive Committee.
In a press release, he throws stones at the owner Denis Jalbert, who, according to the property valuation list, acquired the Bignell house in 1987. “We must remember that this decision was not made in 2023,” the advisor writes. Since it is no longer inhabited, it has been rented every year and the first person responsible for it is the owner. »
In its press release, the City of Quebec states that the citation of the Bignell House, located in the Sillery heritage site since 1964, was solely the responsibility of the Quebec government. The press release published late Monday afternoon states: “It is not possible for the City of Quebec to rely on the Bignell House, the law does not allow dual status.” The capital recalls that it asked the Ministry of Culture twice in 2009 and 2019 for one classification; There was no follow-up to these proposals.
Quebec lost the Pasquier House in 2019, a 300-year-old home that was demolished despite strong mobilization from the heritage community. Recently, in May, the city urgently demolished a century-old house on Avenue Sainte-Geneviève in the heart of Old Quebec because its condition posed a danger to the public.
City tools
However, the city government had a legislative arsenal to force the building’s restoration, says lawyer Charles Breton-Demeule. “When the city says it couldn’t cite the building, it’s partly wrong: it couldn’t cite the exterior, that’s true; However, since 2012, it has had the power to cite the interior of a building located on a heritage site, he explains. Such a citation would have allowed the City of Quebec to require the owner to preserve the heritage character of the building. »
In addition, since 2004, municipalities have been able to require owners to carry out maintenance and repair work on their buildings as part of a use and maintenance statute. “In the event of refusal by the defendant owner, the law provides that the city can obtain a judgment from the high court authorizing the city to carry out the work at its own expense before forcing the recalcitrant owner to pay the bill,” emphasizes Ich Breton -Demeule.
Since 2016, the Quebec government has also delegated powers related to the management of classified or designated heritage sites to municipalities. However, uncertainty remains regarding the responsibilities devolved between the two levels of government.
Le Devoir asked the City of Quebec what steps had been taken to force the restoration of the Bignell house since its acquisition by the current owner in 1987. At the time of writing, the municipality had not yet responded to the request.
In an article published in September 2021, Le Soleil mentioned that the city then changed its tone towards the owner and imposed a $3,750 fine. At this time, Régis Labeaume was nearing the end of his political career at the head of Quebec. Bruno Marchand and his team took power two months later.
A five million restoration
A testament to the roots of an English-speaking bourgeoisie in Quebec in the 19th century, the Bignell House showcases Palladian architecture inspired by French and British practices. Although it still existed after two centuries of history, it only took 35 years for the death knell to sound on this ancestral home.
In a report commissioned by the City of Quebec and submitted in November 2022, architect Gilles Duchesneau pointed out the residence’s advanced deterioration. The rot is slowly spreading along the walls, fueled by “significant water infiltration over a long period of time.” According to the architect, mold can be recognized “easily by the smell that comes out of the windows.” The roof is falling apart, the foundations are no longer holding and are collapsing in several places.
This report left little hope that the house could be restored while preserving its original features. He mentions that only “30 to 40% of the original ingredients could be recovered.” In this context, the architect added, one must “seriously ask whether the Bignell House, restored on site or elsewhere,” would not represent an “architectural lie.”
The document valued the cleanup at $5 million. “Under these conditions and given that the owner has no intention of restoring the building,” the city administration states in a press release, “the city, on the recommendation of the CUCQ, judges that it would be unreasonable and “irresponsible” to use public funds to ensure its security.”
Since 2020, temporary support has prevented the house from collapsing. While carrying out this emergency work, a worker unwillingly demonstrated the deterioration of the structure “by crossing the rotten roof terrace,” the report says.
The situation was “almost insoluble,” wrote Gilles Duchesneau in his report. Given the ever-present risk of collapse, “the foundations, walls and roof would have to be repaired at the same time, which is not possible.”
The owner of the Bignell house contacted by Le Devoir said he did not wish to comment on the matter.