Core of Montreal’s Chinatown designated a heritage site

The heart of Montreal’s Chinatown has just been classified as a heritage site, strengthening the protection of several century-old buildings located there.

Quebec Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe announced the decision, citing the need to preserve the “only significant historical Chinatown preserved in Quebec and eastern Canada”.

“By granting protection to this heritage site, the Ministry recognizes the great heritage value of this sector and contributes to its preservation and transmission to future generations,” reads the press release from the Quebec government.

The news will undoubtedly be welcomed by many in the Chinese community who have been trying for years to build awareness about the need to preserve this important piece of Montreal’s heritage.

Montreal’s Chinatown on July 25, 2023. (Martin Daigle/CityNews)

Buildings dating back to 1826

The classified area includes nine buildings, mostly located along rue de La Gauchetière, between rue Saint-Urbain and rue Jeanne-Mance. It also includes the Chinese Catholic Mission Church (Mission-Catholic-Chinoise-du-Saint-Esprit), which dates from 1834, the former S. Davis and Sons cigar factory, transformed at the end of the 19th century, and the British and Canadian School of Montreal building, which dates from 1826.

A stone arch that marks the western entrance to Chinatown was also designated part of the city’s protected heritage status.

The recent construction of high-rises and condos at the southern entrance to Chinatown, on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, has raised the concerns of many heritage advocates in recent years.

They warn that these changes are permanently altering the face and soul of Montreal’s Chinatown and the neighborhood runs the risk of losing its identity.