Tannery Village ruins to be demolished, government confirms

The ruins of the old tannery buildings – the origins of Saint-Henri – will be torn down to make way for the new Turcot Interchange, the Quebec government confirmed Sunday.

The decision has outraged heritage activists, who say the plan for the infrastructure should be revised to accommodate the preservation of the village's remains.

• 18th-century village ruins discovered during Turcot construction to be destroyed
• Turcot Interchange construction work unearths 18th century village
• Turcot construction will be closely monitored, Robert Poëti says

"When they discover Angkor Wat in Thailand, or [ruins] in Mexico City, they keep them alive. They never cover it," said Guy Giasson, a lifelong resident of Saint-Henri and president of its historical society.

"It is possible to do it, but I don't think they want to do it. That's why I am so upset. It's a question of willingness."

At a public meeting earlier this month, Transports Québec announced the remains of St-Henri-des-Tanneries would be destroyed as work on the $3.7-billion Turcot Interchange project continued. The area is needed for the construction of a water collector which will serve 140,000 households.

However, residents of the area and heritage activists hoped to pressure the government to rethink that decision.

After the public meeting, Transports Québec officials said they would consult with Quebec's Ministry of Culture about whether the artifacts could be preserved in a museum.

The foundations and walls uncovered at the site date back to the 1700s.

'Win-win situation,' Mayor Coderre says

The government says while the foundations will be removed, a full archaeological dig will take place to rescue and preserve artifacts taken from the Tannery Village site.

"It's a win-win situation," said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre. "It's not about bulldozing, it's about preserving our past and developing our future."

Quebec Culture Minister Hélène David said the province will spend $200,000 to display the 150 artifacts pulled from the site since the work began.

Still, those who were pushing to preserve the village say it's disappointing no other options were put forward.

"Show us a scenario, whether or not it is possible, to save the site how much would it cost. That's what we wanted to see and that wasn't responded to in what we heard today," said Craig Sauvé, the city councillor representing Saint-Henri–Little-Burgundy–Point-Saint-Charles.

There will be a vigil held at the site at 7 p.m.