Montreal acquires the land of the Riverside pumping station

After years of uncertainty, the Forges de Montréal no longer have to fear for their future. The City of Montreal has entered into an agreement with the Canada Lands Company (CLC) and has become the owner of the land where the old Riverside pumping station is installed, which has housed the Forges since 2001.

The SIC ceded the land free of charge to the City of Montreal following negotiations undertaken a few months ago.

Built by the City in 1887 and located on Riverside Street, west of downtown, the pumping station occupies land that belonged to the Montreal Port Authority until it was transferred to CLC earlier this year. . The building was rented from the Forges de Montréal, a non-profit organization that promotes the traditional blacksmith trade and offers training.

In 2016, the City threatened the organization with eviction due to non-compliance with a clause of the lease. The case was settled three years later and the Forges were able to continue their activities. The acquisition by the City of the land will enable the organization to carry out the museum and training center project that it has been preparing for years.

“I am levitating. I can not believe it. It’s 20 years of hard work and there, all of a sudden, in a few months, everything falls into place, ”said blacksmith Mathieu Collette, founder of the Forges de Montréal, in a telephone interview. “What I find most beautiful about it is that after all these years, everyone is sensitized to the cause, on the same length and in agreement with the fundamental relevance of the project. The community will benefit from this place for present and future generations. “

“The wish of the City of Montreal is that the organization Les Forges de Montreal remains in the old Riverside pumping station and this, in the long term,” said Councilor Anne-Marie Sigouin in a press release.

Over the years, the Forges de Montréal have invested some $ 600,000 to maintain the Riverside pumping station. This one is also in much better condition than its twin, the Craig pumping station, located near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge.

Recall that in 2019, the traditional forge was declared as part of Montreal’s intangible cultural heritage by the City of Montreal.

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