La Fontaine house is finally restored
Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine house, left to decline into decrepitude after the pointless demolition of the Overdale neighbourhood in 1987, has finally been restored. Text and audio from Radio‑Canada. It’s not clear from the text who owns it now (possibly the developer) nor who paid the bills, nor what it will now be used for.
Blork 23:38 on 2019-05-20 Permalink
I’m not sure “restored” is the right word. I walked by the construction site several times a week over the past year or so. They took it apart and laid out the stones off to the side. Then AFAIK they tore everything down and put up a new building with the same dimensions and then cladded it with the old stones.
Kate 06:55 on 2019-05-21 Permalink
Wow, I had no idea it was rebuilt from the ground up.
Blork 09:40 on 2019-05-21 Permalink
I should emphasize the “AFAIK” part of my comment. They definitely removed all the stones and staked them up next to the house, then they wrapped it in some kind of shroud, and I’m pretty sure I saw that inside the shroud there was nothing left except the frame, and even that disappeared at one point I think (not sure). I’m going by the way the light passed through the shroud. When you look at it now it looks like a brand new building, with all new materials (except for those greystones on the facade).
DeWolf 09:46 on 2019-05-21 Permalink
Rumour has it the house will be used by the Chinese consulate.
DeWolf 09:50 on 2019-05-21 Permalink
Update: the rumour is wrong! Sorry about that.
Ian 13:39 on 2019-05-22 Permalink
I heard it will be used as the landing platform of our new alien masters in the ongoing “converting the Earth to a nitrogen mining operation” initiative.
I encourage any more legitimate rumours being reported here, however. I’d love to hear what that space will be used for; though I doubt it will be appropriate to the history of the space, I’d love to be surprised.