Holes in the coating, peeling paint, presence of debris; the least we can say is that the Hôtel des Gouverneurs, located in the heart of the city, no longer has the luster of its heyday.
The hotel has been closed since the first weeks of the pandemic in 2020. Since then, the owners, the Goupil family of Montreal, have not yet given any sign of life regarding the future of the establishment of 160 bedrooms.
A source close to the matter told us that the temporary closure should now be considered an indefinite closure.
The backyard of the Hôtel des Gouverneurs in Rimouski.
Photo: Radio-Canada
I wish I had a more cooperative owner
agrees Mayor Guy Caron, visibly exasperated by the situation, especially in the context where there is a lack of hotel rooms in Rimouski.
All it takes is a quick visit to the premises to see a few hitches to the building sanitation and maintenance regulations. Article 16, for example, stipulates that the exterior envelope of a building must be watertight. Article 18 specifies that the outer casing must be free of holes or cracks
.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the owners are very difficult to reach, notes Guy Caron.
” I wish Governors were reopened. I wish there was a more cooperative owner and I hope the message will be heard. »
Rodents can easily enter through many holes in the exterior coating.
Photo: Radio-Canada
We have a silence
criticizes for his part the treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rimouski-Neigette, Gilles Banville.
The Chamber of Commerce also tried to speak to the owner, but to no avail. We’re waiting to find out what’s going to happen, we have a location, but we don’t have an answer in this file.
The inventory does not only concern elected officials and traders.
During our visit to the hotel grounds, a neighbor, Carole Ouellet, was picking up some trash left by the wind and snow.
I do this for the view, for the ecology and because I don’t know who is going to do it
she says smiling on this first beautiful morning of spring.
Carole Ouellet has been living next to the Hôtel des Gouverneurs in Rimouski for a few months.
Photo: Radio-Canada
She also worries about the future of the place. We have the example of the Grande Place just next door. We don’t intend to have the same type of neighbor, that’s for sure.
The notice of non-compliance will be sent during the week. The City requires the replacement of missing pieces of wood and the repainting of the coating.
The establishment once renowned throughout the region has been losing pieces since its closure two years ago.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Luc Blanchet
If after a month the work is not carried out, a fine will be sent, specifies the mayor.
The settlement provides for a penalty of $1,000 for a first offence, $2,000 for a second, and $4,000 for a third. This is the maximum amount.
The grounds of the hotel testify to the abandonment of the premises for several months.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Potential buyers?
Without identifying them, the mayor mentions that people [se] are [montrés] interested in acquiring it or at least making a proposal
to preserve the hotel vocation of the building.
One thing is certain, it is not the Riôtel hotel chain. Matanese businessman François Rioux repeated last week that he still intends to establish a 100-room hotel downtown.
The hotel chain announced the temporary closure of the hotel for the 2020 season.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Alain Fournier
The outcome could be facilitated by a new program with a budget of $50 million to renovate and upgrade existing accommodation units. Bas-Saint-Laurent is one of the ten regions eligible for this program.
Another option could be the conversion of the hotel into a residence for the elderly. The company operates the subsidiary LUX Gouverneurs, but again, no information as to the intentions of the owners has percolated in the Rimouski environment.
The owners of the Hôtel des Gouverneurs did not return our messages.
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca