McGill University can move forward with its project to requalify the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital, located in the borough of Ville-Marie in Montreal, concluded the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) which, however, has reservations on certain points.
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In its consultation report published Tuesday morning, the OCPM recommends, in particular, integrating into Mount Royal Park the wooded areas and green spaces located north of the site and not authorizing the addition of a north wing to the Women.
The OCPM also suggests adding provisions to better prioritize traffic on the site and to carry out ecological management of waste snow.
“Particular attention must also be paid to the elements of built and landscape heritage”, can we also read in the report.
“The public ownership of the site, its governance, the uses that would be authorized there and the integration of the site into the city and the mountains are all issues that the City and its partners must settle,” also indicated the OCPM.
Archaeological excavations
The commission also said it was listening to Aboriginal claims concerning the possible presence of ancient or more recent burials “which should be treated with deference”. The Mohawk Mothers group also believes that other graves possibly present at the site may be those of individuals and children who died as a result of Dr. Ewen Cameron’s experiments at the Allan Memorial Institute as part of the MK-Ultra program. (1954-1963).
“The issues raised by the demands of the Mohawk Mothers go beyond the mandate and jurisdiction of the commission,” however, indicated the OCPM in its report.
“However, it recognizes the scope and hopes that the parties concerned will find common ground with respect to the requests expressed, particularly with regard to the identified archaeological digs. It would also be important, with regard to the possible victims of the MK-Ultra program, that the representatives of the orphans of Duplessis and the other groups concerned are associated with it, ”it is specified.
The former Royal Victoria Hospital has been closed since 2015 following the consolidation of the activities of the McGill University Health Center (MUHC) on the Glen site. The site, bordered by University Street to the east, by Avenue des Pins to the south, and by Mount Royal Park to the west and north, has 13.5 hectares of land and includes 17 buildings. .
The government of Philippe Couillard had decided to donate it to McGill University, a decision that was upheld by the government of François Legault.
To prepare the requalification project, produce an opportunity and business case and to ensure the decontamination of the buildings, the Government of Quebec has already offered the school more than $95 million and has promised an investment of $475 million. $ to complete the project.
The new buildings are expected to accommodate sustainability and public policy programs for more than 1,100 students and 1,200 teachers, according to the project description sent to the OCPM. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
