Montreal's Chinatown core declared Quebec heritage site

The historic centre of Montreal's Chinatown's historic core has been granted heritage status, the office of Culture and Communications Minister Mathieu Lacombe announced today.

According to Quebec's directory of heritage and culture, the heritage site in Chinatown's core consists of nine buildings, many erected in the 19th century, some of which are made from stone and brick.

It describes the site's importance for its historical, architectural and social value. 

This site includes the church and presbytery of the Mission-Catholique-Chinoise-du-Saint-Esprit on Jeanne-Mance Street, built in 1834. 

Two additional buildings also received heritage status under the Cultural Heritage Act.  They are the former S. Davis & Sons cigar factory, which was built in 1884, and the Wing's Factory, also known as the former British and Canadian School, built in 1826 and 1827.

"This sector is distinguished by the age of its buildings and the architectural elements, signs and inscriptions that testify to the presence of the Chinese community," said the minister's office in a news release. 

"Among these is the arch rising on De La Gauchetière West treet, which marks the western entrance to Chinatown, the only significant historic Chinatown preserved in Quebec and Eastern Canada," said the office of minister."

On Twitter, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said the move will help preserve the city's history. 

"By recognizing the heritage importance of Chinatown, we wish not only to protect and enhance our history, but also to highlight the contribution of the Chinese and Asian communities to the historical and cultural richness of the metropolis," Plante tweeted. 

Residents and business owners in Chinatown and members of Montreal's Chinese community have long called for the neighbourhood to be designated a heritage site, in order to guard against overdevelopment and to protect its historic character.

A heritage designation means the owners of these buildings will have to obtain authorization from the culture minister before doing any restoration work or before demolishing the buildings.

In December, the city of Montreal adopted bylaws to limit how high and dense buildings could be built in Chinatown. It also expanded the borders of what was considered part of the neighbourhood.

'Return to livable neighbourhood'

Parker Mah, a community organizer and spokesperson for the JIA foundation, which works to preserve Chinatown's cultural heritage, applauded the news. 

"It means that the provincial government is taking note of the importance and the value of these buildings, which I believe has long not been considered part of Montreal's history or Quebec's history in the same way that other historical buildings are," he said.

However, Mah said other buildings also deserve protected status including family association buildings and religious buildings. 

He also said more funding is needed to help people in the neighbourhood preserve the integrity of buildings that make up that cultural heritage.

"We want to see the return to a more livable neighborhood. It's now a tourist attraction," Mah said. "We don't want it to be mummified. We want it to be protected."

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Advocates warn that the historic neighbourhood is nearing a tipping point, where it may not be able to persevere in the face of encroaching development and looming gentrification.