Old hospital reborn as Montreal substation
Montreal’s new substation will replace Berri and Dorchester sites, preserving Quartier Latin green space while integrating heritage and community needs.
Image for illustrative purposes
Canada, Quebec, Montreal: Hydro-Québec has confirmed it will not build its new downtown substation on one of the few remaining green spaces in Montreal’s Quartier Latin. Instead, the project will be housed in the former Misericordia Hospital.
The company had faced opposition for proposing to place the facility on a field south of the Grande Bibliothèque, a site valued as one of the district’s only green areas. By shifting to the hospital location, Hydro-Québec says it has found “the right solution.”
The new installation will serve as a replacement for the aging Berri substation and also incorporate the planned Dorchester substation, combining both into one site. Advances in technology will allow electricity to be distributed across the downtown core and Quartier Latin from a single facility. However, Hydro-Québec says the new substation is not expected to be operational until 2034.
To respect the historic character of the Misericordia Hospital, built in the mid-1800s and abandoned since 2013, the company will launch an architectural competition. The aim is to integrate the substation harmoniously into the urban setting while preserving the building’s patrimonial value.
Hydro-Québec also intends to consult experts and community members on how the site could incorporate other uses, including affordable housing and public amenities.
The Misericordia Hospital, once run by the Sisters of the Misericordia, originally served orphans and single mothers, later functioning as a long-term care hospital until its closure in 2012.
Source: CBC News
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