Demolition of the Pioneer – After a unanimous decision was made on August 10th 2018 by the City of Pointe Claire, concerning the demolition of the iconic Pioneer Bar in the Village and subsequent controversial plans for a condo development in its place – the City will be hearing appeals on the issue on Wednesday, September 26th, starting at 7:00pm in the ‘Champagne’ room of the Holiday Inn and Suites, 6700 TransCanada Highway, Pointe-Claire.
Although the Committee had asked the developer to go back to the drawing board to revise and modify the plans and there was a ‘conditional refusal of the proposed land use’ (details of what they wanted them to modify was not made clear), opposition to the project was strong with well over 200 citizens attending the debate, even though it was held during the peak vacation period when many people were away.
Following the decision, the City received numerous notices of appeal and the Societe pour la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine de Pointe-Claire (SSPPC) with the participation of citizen Claude Lesage and the help of lawyers, has submitted its own notice of appeal which was made possible courtesy of financial support from several generous citizens who care deeply about protecting Pointe-Claire Village, where they feel they ‘enjoy an exceptional quality of life that they do not wish to lose’.
The hearing of the notices of appeal is the last opportunity Pointe-Claire citizens will be given to have their viewpoint heard on the demolition of an important element of Pointe-Claire Village’s built heritage and its replacement by a condo complex that they strongly feel does not belong in the heart of the Village.
In a statement they wrote they believe that ‘neither densification nor the building of condos in a village like ours is desirable. Both are 21st century concepts that offer a lifestyle totally unlike that of 19th and 20th century villagers, whose heritage must be, and remain, a foundation for our future’.
They are hoping that many more people come out and attend the hearings to demonstrate their opposition to the project, which they are calling ‘an affront to our heritage and our village’. For more information you can contact: Michel Forest (President, SSPPC) 514 588-6163 and Claude Lesage.
