An engineering report warns that parts of the former Canada Malting plant in Montreal’s Saint-Henri borough could collapse at any moment, with little warning. The report says decades of neglect and water infiltration have left parts of the building in poor condition. According to the engineer, controlled demolition is the “one and only” solution to ensure public safety. Yvon Cere, who lives on Rue Saint-Ambroise across from the abandoned plant, said he heard bricks falling Wednesday night. “I was out with a friend, and we hear a piece like a ‘bang’” said Cere. He adds that hearing things falling from the building is a regular occurrence. The plant was built in 1905 and was a major supplier of raw material to Montreal’s brewing industry. It has sat empty since 1985. According to the report, there are concerns that the upper portion of the low roof could collapse, causing the lower part of the building to collapse onto Rue Saint-Ambroise. It adds that freeze-thaw cycles can further damage the structure. In a Facebook post, Véronique Fournier, the mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough wrote, “This request comes at a time when the developer has expressed its intention to redevelop the site. Given the site’s heritage value, its complexity, and the attachment Montrealers have to the symbol it represents, we felt it was our duty to ensure that the emergency demolition of part of the site was truly justified.” There are plans to rebuild the site. The developer, La Malterie Inc., is a subsidiary of Renwick, which owns the site. The plan calls for 685 housing units, 20 per cent of which will be social housing. It says it would also preserve the pink house at the top of the building as well as the site’s industrial memory. “The former Canada Malting site occupies a unique place in the history of Saint-Henri and in Montreal’s industrial legacy,” said Noam Schnitzer, on behalf of Development La Malterie S.E.C. and La Malterie Inc. “We are considering its future with great seriousness and sensitivity.” In the meantime, Rue Saint-Ambroise will be closed for public safety.
