Developers have their eye on the lumberyard in Petite-Patrie for intensive construction up to 25 storeys, allowed for in the city’s Plan d’urbanisme et de mobilité 2050.
Interesting footnote about an artifact in the lumberyard: the totem pole visible in the second photo was sent by the Squamish nation in B.C. because of their contacts with the business, which was founded in 1875. This item says the totem pole has become a symbol of the neighbourhood, which I had not previously heard about. Presumably it will be saved and put into a favourable spot when the highrises go up.
DeWolf 14:50 on 2025-07-21 Permalink
I’d always wondered about the totem pole. Interesting history!
I hope more than just the totem pole can be preserved. There’s a lot of potential to do something interesting with the site even if it’s being redeveloped.
walkerp 15:01 on 2025-07-21 Permalink
Why are they targetting that section? Why not develop over the Home Depot which is way bigger and has a massive parking lot and hires like 3 people? Villeneuve has actual experienced employees who know what they are talking about.
Nicholas 16:37 on 2025-07-21 Permalink
Presumably the Home Depot doesn’t want to sell.
walkerp 17:37 on 2025-07-21 Permalink
But according to the article, neither does Villeneuve.
DeWolf 18:47 on 2025-07-21 Permalink
Villeneuve owns the land. Nobody is going to force them out. If they decide to redevelop the property, it will be on their own terms.
Ian 20:50 on 2025-07-21 Permalink
I didn’t realize that totem pole was authentic, that’s actually pretty cool. I also didn’t realize they had such history.
I get a feeling that these developer wet dreams are on par with the luxury hotel planned for the old warehouse on Van Horne. Like as in, don’t hold your breath.
Kate 08:18 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
I see on the public art site that there’s a totem pole at the Loyola campus of Concordia. Then there’s the magnificent one on Île Notre‑Dame, a relic of Expo 67. And this one, at Villeneuve.
The pole that was outside the Museum of Fine Arts was sent home awhile back.
Are there any others?
Chris 09:18 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
I wonder why their sign says “L Villeneuve & Cie (1973) Ltee” if they are in fact a century older?
Ian 09:40 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
Maybe they mean at that location…
Chris 09:44 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
I hope not, since “Le fournisseur de matériaux de rénovation a déménagé en 1907 à son adresse actuelle, à l’angle de Bellechasse et Saint-Laurent.”
Kate 11:53 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
Years ago, my father told me that a business name with a year in parentheses meant that it was a point when bankruptcy was declared and the business had to be refounded. I hasten to add that I have no idea whether this is true – and I mean to cast no shade on a venerable outfit like Villeneuve – but maybe it has something to do with reconstituting and re‑registering a business at that point for any reason.
Chris 11:55 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
Yeah, probably something like that. But if I owned such a long-standing business, I would want to tout the 1875 date.
Nicholas 12:12 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
Kate, the Westmount greenhouse always had a totem pole, though I’m not sure if it’s still there.
The bankruptcy thing could be, but then it might have left the family. It is almost surely a reconstituting, maybe bankruptcy, but as you say could be another purpose. For example, for tax reasons it might make sense for the son taking over to form a new company and use it to buy the old one rather than buying it themselves. But whatever the reason, you want to distinguish it from the older company, and adding the current year makes sense.
Ian 13:07 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
@Chris sure but then you get stuff like QDC burgers claiming to have been on Saint Viateur since 1998 which is totally not true – they opened their first location in 1998. I am sure that wherever they relocate to since that one closed will claim the same date of founding.
DeWolf 16:20 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
QDC Burger on St-Viateur closed? I hadn’t even noticed. Happy news.
Ian 16:44 on 2025-07-22 Permalink
That’s what their site says, I was just checking to see when they were “founded”. The chain café across from them closed too. Good riddance 😉
Dwgs 08:27 on 2025-07-23 Permalink
When I lived in Mile End in the early 90s you could still see the spur lines off the railway that went right into the woodsheds. They weren’t being used at that time but it gives you an idea how much business they did and why they chose that location way back when..