In Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier travels mostly on the run with his desk in a backpack, looking for fascinating subjects and people. He talks to everyone and is interested in all areas of life in this urban chronicle.
Old Montreal’s most visited church has been undergoing $50 million in masonry work for five years and at least another year and a half to restore it to its 1840s appearance.
How many buildings are built to last nearly two centuries, despite fierce winds and countless freezes and thaws?
The Notre-Dame basilica already underwent more superficial renovations in the last century, but here it is absolutely necessary to replace hundreds of facade stones that have reached the end of their service life.
“Look, it’s falling apart under your hand!” shouts Hugo Latrémouille, a masonry appraiser from Rainville et Frères, touching the stones that the torment of Quebec’s bad weather has finally broken.
Exposed to the elements since the 1840s, the stone begins to crack.
Photo by LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
Monsieur Latrémouille climbs the endless spiral stairs with me towards the bell tower, which reaches 70 meters.
“The higher you go, the more obvious the damage: the lower stones are often still in good condition, but the ones above are cracked,” he explains.
After the gigantic carillon with 10 bells, we go outside and access the outer metal scaffolding.
Here is a carillon of ten bells, often heard since the 1840s. There is a hum in the second belfry to the west.
Photo by LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
With its Donkey Kong style ladders, it covers the bell tower to its top.
“The construction site is even higher, but we already have a beautiful view from here!” points out Mr. Latremouille.
The entire eastern belfry is covered by outdoor scaffolding.
Photo by LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
Near the Grand Quai I see one of these sea monsters unleashing a horde of tourists into Old Montreal, many of whom visit the Basilica.
With each new level of scaffolding, the stone appears more worn.
A stony layer was removed near the summit.
So we see a kind of catcher of stones, pebbles and mortar almost a meter thick exposed, which serves as the super skeleton of the monument.
“That is still firm: it remains,” M. Latrémouille tells me.
The stone has been removed, the window has been replaced by a wooden structure that serves as a guide, and we can see the mixture of stones and mortar that serves as the skeleton of the tower.
Photo by LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
A thousand tons of puzzles
The removed stones are numbered.
New stones will be cut to their image.
You will have to put them together like a thousand-ton puzzle.
The plans are produced by DFS Architecture, which itself has 120 years of existence.
This website has little to do with modern construction.
The skills needed for this “cathedral” work are no longer part of the 21st century mason’s background.E century.
“I learned this trade from my father and with my father,” confides Marc-André Aubertin, construction manager.
“Having already worked on the west tower, which was completely redone in recent years, I’m starting to know what I’m doing.
The west tower of the basilica has actually been completely restored… just like its eastern quasi-twin.
The neighboring bell tower to the west has already been restored in the last four years. This is what the quasi-twin tower will look like once it’s repaired.
Photo by LOUIS-PHILIPPE MESSIER
“There are five of us for the deconstruction, but there will be a dozen of us for the reconstruction,” says Mr. Aubertin.
Mason Marc-Audré Aubertin at the controls of the lifting platform towards the Place d’Armes.
Photo by Louis-Philippe Messier
A crane mounted on the bell tower allows workers to move cut stones weighing more than 100 kg.
A crane is used to move cut stones weighing more than 100 kg.
Photo by Louis-Philippe Messier
When Mr. Aubertin is asked what he does for a living, he can answer: “I rebuild the Basilica of Notre-Dame.”
The product of his current work will last for two centuries. Who among us can say the same?
