Two Montreal Churches Face Demolition Threats
Two historic Montreal churches are at risk of demolition to make way for new housing developments, CityNews Montreal reported. The properties facing potential teardown are Sainte-Brigide-de-Kildare Church on Alexandre-DeSève Street and Saint-Eusèbe-de-Vercelli Church on Fullum Street. Before any demolition permits can be issued for the sites, city officials must ask the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) to hold public consultations regarding the future of these religious heritage buildings. “In May 2026, Héritage Montréal submitted a letter to the City of Montreal requesting a public consultation on religious heritage, with the objective of encouraging the City to develop an overall vision and strategy for the future of religious heritage sites,” said Gabriel Martre-Dufour, a communications officer at the OCPM, told CityNews Montreal.
City Hall Prepares Public Consultation Mandate
Martre-Dufour said that municipal representatives, Héritage Montréal advocates, and OCPM officials met late in the summer. That meeting aimed to clarify expectations from heritage groups and outline the conditions needed to run a successful public consultation.
City officials are currently drafting the formal mandate for the review process. To date, the OCPM has not received any official file or instructions regarding the properties.
Why Sainte-Brigide-de-Kildare and Saint-Eusèbe-de-Vercelli face demolition
Why are Sainte-Brigide-de-Kildare and Saint-Eusèbe-de-Vercelli threatened?
The historic properties are reportedly slated for demolition to make way for new housing projects in Montreal.
What organization requested public oversight for these buildings?
Héritage Montréal sent a formal letter to the City of Montreal in May 2026, asking for a public consultation and a broader strategy for religious heritage sites.
Has the public consultation officially started?
No. While municipal officials and the OCPM met over the summer to discuss the framework, the city is still working on the official mandate and has not yet transferred the file to the OCPM.