Morrin | Past and present > Restoration Project

The LHSQ is presently restoring the heritage site that will house the Morrin Centre, a cultural portal designed to educate the public about the historic contribution and present-day culture of English-speaking communities in Quebec City.

Originally designed as a gaol by François Baillairgé in 1808, the building was transformed to house the LHSQ and Morrin College by architect Joseph-Ferdinand Peachy.

In 1989, the City of Quebec acquired the building in order to restore this heritage monument. The English-speaking community of Quebec met with mayor Jean-Paul L'Allier and the idea of creating a cultural centre was born. Important restoration of the exterior facade, as well as significant archeological digs, took place in 1992-1993. This work was financed by all three levels of government. Further work led to the creation of the chaussée des Écossais, the Scottish Causeway, at the turn of the millennium, a wonderfully landscaped promenade in front of the building.

In October 2000, the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec took on the management of the cultural centre project. An important amount of work has been invested since then in terms of fundraising and planning for the eventual centre. Staffing has progressed from four employees to over a dozen. Funding for the project is being supplied by all levels of government, several foundations, businesses, and devoted individuals. The City of Quebec has shown its commitment to the Society's project by turning over the heritage building to us on December 7, 2004 through the signing of a 99-year lease.

The Morrin Centre is one of the major projects now in preparation for the celebrations of Quebec City's 400th Anniversary in 2008. This new cultural resource developed by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec is supported by, and dedicated to, the citizens of Québec, its visitors, and the descendants of the many families that have once called this place their home.

Funding for this project is being provided by the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec, the City of Quebec and various private sources.

Restoration Project Update

Stay up to date on the restoration of our heritage site by consulting the project update below.

Friday April 25^th 2008

Phase II begins

We have received all the necessary funding to begin Phase II. Public funds from the Commission de la capitale nationale and private funds from the Fondation Bagatelle will help round up available amounts to complete the work.

Phase II restoration work began in late March. Menuiserie Pouliot is presently working on the top floor, plastering the walls, and will soon begin painting. These rooms, which were used as workshops during the prison period, and as offices and apartments in later years, will be converted to office space. This is an urgent need with our eleven full-time staff in cramped quarters, others spilling onto the library balcony, and additional student jobs planned for the summer.

Wiring for our computer and Internet network is also being set up. This will allow us to have wireless access in the library and College Hall, among other things.

Tuesday June 19^th 2007

Confirmation of federal funding: Phase II

We received confirmation for phase II federal funding today. This places in a financially secure position to begin the actual work. Summer will be spent preparing phase II. The actual work should begin in the fall.

Tuesday February 20^th 2007

Confirmation of provincial funding: Phase II

We received confirmation for phase II provincial funding one day short of the Quebec elections declaration. The pledge is lower than our initial demand, as funding for universal accessibility is no longer eligible from the Ministère de la culture et des communications. In other words, the provincial government financed an elevator shaft during Phase I but now claims it cannot fund the elevator. We will continue to seek out public funds for the elevator as universal accessibility is an important component of our project.

Friday September 1^st 2006

Inauguration of Morrin Centre

The former College Hall and Classroom for Classics hosted the official inauguration cocktail of the Morrin Centre today. Over 135 people were in attendance, including Ralph Mercier, representative of the City of Quebec, and Steven Blaney, federal deputy. The event attracted people of all generations, ranging from older denizens of the Society to younger people who had come to listen to the music of Clément Jacques and Randall Spear. People were impressed by the charm of the new green velvet curtains, college-era colours, and newly varnished floor. This inauguration marks the halfway point in our restoration project, which will be continued throughout Phase II in 2007.

Friday August 11^th 2006

Doors, doors and more doors

Dozens of doors are currently being reinstalled all around the building. Some of these doors are reproductions of earlier models that had to be refashioned to meet fire safety standards. The doors are now being stained or painted for the reopening, with false finishes added to the metallic frame when necessary.

Saturday July 8^th 2006

Library reopening

The LHSQ library reopened after nearly a year and a half of reduced operations in the Kirk Hall. The centre was packed for the ceremonial opening, which included speeches, breakfast, and surprise appearances by Alice in Wonderland. Readings from local writers and performances from the Quebec Art Company took place in the afternoon. Members were pleased that the newly restored rooms had lost none of their Victorian charm.

Monday June 5^th 2006

Finishing up for the reopening

All the new pipes and wires in the building have been plastered over and the contractors are busy repainting walls as well as staining and varnishing floors. Most of the finishes chosen correspond to the original colours in the building between 1867 and 1920. Fine Portuguese tiles are being laid down in the four new bathrooms. The library reading room is now ready to be stacked up with books. A first shipment of approximately 350 boxes of books arrived at the library today. Staff and volunteers are busy sorting through these boxes for the big reopening.

Saturday April 22^nd 2006

Finishing up the dirty work

The dirty work inside the building is almost complete. Rewiring a 200-year old heritage building with four-foot thick stone walls is a complex exercise. Grooves must be cut and plastered over when completed, which may cause structural problems if not done carefully. Some of the new sprinkler system pipes are nearly a foot in diameter. Figuring out where to put these new systems was a real puzzle. In some cases new wooden cabinets similar to existing college-era ones will be built to conceal this equipment. The puzzle continues when making connections outside, as archaeological vestiges must be taken into account. The Morrin Centre team is now hard at work choosing finishes for the surfaces, which will soon be plastered over.

Wednesday January 25^th 2006

Beginning of major restoration work

Tenders for Phase I-Part II of the Morrin Centre project were made public last Friday. Four construction companies submitted their proposals, with only slight price differences between them. Construction Marc Drolet had the lowest price and will be hired to work on the building. Our priority is to complete structural, mechanical and electrical work first. Meanwhile, the Morrin Centre team is working on purchasing the appropriate equipment, furniture and lighting systems. Partnerships for the restoration of furniture and artifacts are also being consolidated.

Saturday November 26^th 2005

Call for proposals

The call for proposals for the major work to take place on the building was published in the papers today. Interested contractors will visit the site on December 5 and submit their proposals early in the new year.

Thursday November 24^th 2005

Archaeological discoveries

The archaeologists made some interesting discoveries under the floorboards of former caretaker Mr. Muise’s apartment. A series of foundations laid out according to a different floor plan were found. These may date from the Royal Redoubt, which stood on the site before the prison from 1712 to 1808. It may also have been a vegetable cellar from the prison era. A report of findings will be published soon and will hopefully provide answers.

Monday November 21^st 2005

Meetings and Negotiations

Our day began with a meeting at the Ministère de la culture et des communications where we learned more about spherical photography, a technique that allows us to document architectural spaces from all angles. The day continued as we met the engineers from CIMA+ and the architect over lunch. Modifications to the plans were proposed. We then met people from the Commission de la Capitale Nationale du Québec to discuss a possible collaboration for lighting the site. This day of meetings ended with a site visit by representatives from the Commission des Biens Culturels, who need to approve the project as the building is classified on the provincial level.

Tuesday October 18^th 2005

Finalizing the plans and specifications

The final plans and specifications are almost done. A planning meeting was held this morning with the electromechanical engineers (CIMA+) and their subcontractor in lighting and audiovisual systems (Dufour ressources créatives). This allowed us to determine the fine points of interior lighting, audio-visual installations, ventilation systems, as well as phone lines, internet connections, and intercoms. Our objective was to conceal contemporary infrastructure and ensure dramatic staging of our rooms using local lighting sources that will enhance the warmth and charm of our spaces.

Thursday September 1^st 2005

Selective demolition: summer 2005

Menuiserie Pouliot was hired to do selective demolition work, which took place in August and September. This work revealed many surprises hidden beneath the planks, including some intriguing bones! The archaeologists have been called in and are on the case. The pink carpeting was removed from the library floor, exposing a beautiful red pine floor that will enhance the reading room’s warmth with a little sanding and varnishing. The work completed this summer gives us important information about the building’s condition, enabling the architects (Boudreau-Fortier-Ramoisy-Tremblay) and engineers (CIMA+, Génivar) to better plan their interventions on the site.

Wednesday May 25^th 2005

Moving, engineers and code requirements

The Society has been busy over the last few months. This culminating in a series of moves to empty out our historic building. The engineering firms CIMA+ and Génivar were hired to oversee structural and mechanical planning. The preliminary plan for meeting fire code and accessibility requirements aroused considerable discussion that led to inventive solutions. We are trying hard to ensure that the introduction of modern equipment does not compromise the eloquence of the building’s heritage values.

Thursday January 20^th 2005

Choosing the architects

The architectural consortium of Boudreau Fortier Ramoisy Tremblay was hired to oversee restoration work. Michel Boudreau knows the building inside-out, having worked on exterior restoration in 1992-93. He will head the project. We now have enough money to complete the first phase of our project. This includes bringing the building up to fire, safety and accessibility code, restoring the library rooms, the College Hall, the Classics classroom, and the main entrance hall. We are still looking for money for a subsequent phase that will allow us to restore our two cellblocks and open them up for visits. Architects and engineers will be working on plans for the next few months. Most of our books, archives, and artefacts are now packed.

Literary and Historical Society of Quebec

Web Site: Jennifer Simard