The City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue has obtained a grant from the Ministry of Culture and Communications (Quebec), through the Quebec Cultural Heritage Fund (FPCQ) and a financial contribution from the City of Montreal, for a total amount of $ 1M to allow the preservation and restoration of the Michel-Robillard house.
At the last meeting of the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue City Council, held June 8th, a resolution was adopted authorizing the continuation of the building restoration process and the preparation of plans and specifications. For this purpose, the City has retained the services of the Luce Lafontaine Architecte firm.
Once restored and converted into a reception center open to the public, Maison Michel-Robillard will be the main entry point to the Grand Parc de l’Ouest in the Montreal agglomeration, as announced on August 8th, 2019 by the mayor Valérie Plante. At the time, this announcement marked the successful conclusion of a project for which the City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue had put a lot of energy in recent years. The preservation and enhancement of natural environments, including the Anse-à-l’Orme Nature Park and its eco-territory, are now integrated into the Grand Parc de l’Ouest, fitting perfectly into the vision of the City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue to offer a quality living environment to its fellow citizens, as well as to residents of the greater Montreal region.
Located in the northern sector of the city of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the Michel-Robillard house is adjacent to the light-rail station of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM). As an entry point to the Grand Parc de l’Ouest, of which nearly 750 hectares[1] are located on the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue territory, it constitutes a determining element enabling protection and enhancement of city green spaces.
Built around 1797, the Michel-Robillard house, also known as the “Braerob Farm”, is located at 20345, chemin Sainte-Marie. It occupies an important place in the history of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and has a heritage interest as a significant witness to the agricultural occupation of the territory of the island of Montreal since the establishment of the seigniorial regime. Cited in 2014 as a heritage building under the Cultural Heritage Act, the restoration of the Michel-Robillard House will preserve the historic and heritage legacy of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
