Montreal Milk Bottle Project Preserves Past

Upgrade Shows Progress, Historic Preservation Can Co-exist

Oct 2, 2009

One often witnesses a confrontational relationship between those who want to preserve a city's history and identity, and those who push for change and economic progress.

But that’s not always the case. Businesses, government agencies and non-profit heritage groups can find common ground in replacing blighted areas with modern, productive enterprises while preserving those elements that define a city’s past and explain its uniqueness. Consider the case of Héritage Montréal, a private, non-profit organization that brings people together through education and advocacy to preserve the identity of Quebec’s largest city.

Heritage Montréal Milk Bottle Restoration Project

The group, which has identified 10 threatened heritage sites in the city, helped arrange an agreement with several companies and a group representing milk producers to refurbish a city icon: a nearly 80-year-old former water tower in the shape of a milk bottle that has been rusting due to years of neglect. The 10-meter-high milk bottle, located in Old Montreal, is a remnant of a bygone era when the food and agricultural industries were located there and morning milk deliveries to doorsteps were common.

The owners of the idle building under the milk bottle are allowing the bottle to be repainted at a cost of $200,000 in donations. Héritage Montréal says that eventually the bottle, which was designed by architects Hutchison, Wood and Miller, might be relocated to a new location due to continuing development of Cité du commerce électronique, a nearby twin-tower office complex. The unoccupied building has been used as a site for television series and films since the 1990s.

The idea behind the project is not only to protect the physical integrity of a historic object but to give Montreal residents a greater feeling of pride in their past.

Historic Preservation in Urban Areas

Publicity surrounding the milk bottle upgrade has put the spotlight on the mission of Héritage Montréal, which like other preservation groups tries to increase public awareness of issues that affect a region’s heritage. The group partners with both the public and private sectors to find solutions or make acquisitions or designations to preserve monuments symbolizing earlier eras. And it maintains a knowledge base to further advocacy efforts in the community.

Architectural Designs and Archaeological Sites

Indeed, the organization’s classifications of heritage sites can apply to any city: Sites worthy of protection include places or buildings associated with historical people or events, archaeological sites related to the region’s history, buildings with exceptional architectural value, landscapes or places of ecological interest such as forests, migratory stopovers or unusual geology.

Supporters say the goals of such organizations tend to advance when there are win-win results for those who participate: Public agencies win the good will of constituents, donating companies gain favorable publicity and heritage groups build on their credibility and track records. Preservationists point out that preservation and progress can co-exist in a way that offers societal benefits for all.

The copyright of the article Montreal Milk Bottle Project Preserves Past in Buildings is owned by Michael Carroll. Permission to republish Montreal Milk Bottle Project Preserves Past in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.