Ruins to be destroyed?

Deschênes to lose important piece of local heritage?

The countdown to the destruction of the Deschênes Rapids has, according to Lucerne councillor Mike Duggan, started. It appears the Quebec Ministry of Transport (MTQ) will demolish the hydro ruins at the Deschênes Rapids. According to Duggan, council opted to let the MTQ make the final decision regarding the dams.

“The MTQ’s decision was to demolish the ruins for public safety reasons,” said Duggan. “I’m not happy about it either, but nobody has a reasonable alternative. The walls are in an advanced state of degradation, most have already collapsed; we’re talking about the two remaining sections. If somebody had the resources to rebuild and re-deploy them as a power dam, or render it safer for water activities, I’d be very interested to work with them.  So far, it has not been the case.”

The MTQ owns the ruins and nearby land and are therefore responsible for the area’s security. In the spring of 2015, the MTQ presented city officials with different scenarios to ensure the safety of residents in that zone. Among those considered were the demolition of the ruins, the addition of riprap or the installation of a boom (barrier). For the MTQ, the safest option remains destroying the ruins; an option Deschênes councillor Richard Bégin disagrees with.

“It’s not because a homeowner does not maintain his home that we should automatically accept to demolish it. The MTQ and Hydro-Québec have not maintained the dam since they became owners in the 1970s. In the 1990s, there was a project to reactivate the dam; however, this project was eventually abandoned, as was generally the case with small power plants of this type in Quebec,” said Bégin. “It’s true that the MTQ would like to demolish this dam, but it is far from a done deal. Since it belongs to the province, Gatineau has no authority over this.”
   
According to figures provided by the MTQ, there have been 20 safety interventions in the area and six individuals have died or gone missing since 2007. Even with nearby danger signs, people still venture near the ruins.

In its 2015 budget, the city put aside $45,000 to revamp the area, but the file has languished since then, to the displeasure of some residents. “I have neighbours complaining to me about the inaction. They tell me ‘either preserve it or get rid of it!’” Duggan told the Bulletin.

According to Bégin, even if the ruins are removed, the rapids remain a dangerous area. “The site where the ruins are located is a site where the Aboriginal portaged because of the Deschênes Rapids. So, with or without a dam, this site has always been and will always remain dangerous for those who want to venture there by canoeing, kayaking, or otherwise,” added Bégin.

The hydroelectric dam at the rapids was erected in the 19th century by the well-known Conroy family. The dam powered Aylmer and the old Hull Electric Tramway. It is among the last vestiges found in the community of Deschênes of that era.

To celebrate the history and the site, the Deschênes Residents Association worked with historian Michelle Guitard in 2012 to produce a report to designate the Deschênes Rapids as a historic site. The idea was to encourage the municipality to recognize the rapids as a heritage site. Classifying the rapids as a historic site would put them under the city’s protection regulation for historic monuments, protecting them from unfit modifications and destruction, thanks to the adoption of the Cultural Heritage Act Bill in 2011 permitting the recognition of immaterial and cultural landscapes. The DRA’s demand of protecting the site remains unanswered. The MTQ was unable to answer the Bulletin’s request before going to print.