Protecting the heritage value of Mont Royal is a complicated process that the Quebec government wants to make more transparent and accessible to the public — anyone who wants to move a pebble on the mountain or change a brick in a heritage building nearby.
The culture ministry is launching a public consultation tonight on a conservation plan for Mont Royal. The plan contains about 200 guidelines that currently exist but are not in black and white anywhere. The criteria is for anything related to the heritage value of the mountain - be it architectural, natural, historical or artistic.
The ministry's director general Martin Pineault said the guidelines should answer the question, "What do you base your analysis on when evaluating a project?"
"For example, there'll be guidelines for construction and buildings — we'll explain what materials to use (in a project), what materials what to avoid," said Pineault.
This is the first time the government is standardizing the guidelines for heritage sites such as Mont Royal.
More consultations are set for next month to help tweak the plan. The written guidelines should be ready by the end of the year or early next year.
Tonight's information session takes place at 7 p.m. at the École de musique Vincent d'Indy, 628 Côte-Ste-Catherine. Next month's public consultation is November 22 at 7 p.m. at the same location.
The conservation plan is available at www.cpcq.gouv.qc.ca.