Montreal ‘shoebox’ homes highlight challenges of urban heritage preservation
MONTREAL — A Montreal borough’s quest to preserve its humble “shoebox” homes is highlighting the challenges that come with trying to balance heritage preservation with homeowners’ rights in a growing city.
Officials in Rosemont have decided to temporarily push back the schedule for passing a bylaw designed to preserve its 561 single-storey, flat-roofed homes after homeowners raised concerns about the process.
The homes were mostly built early in the 20th century, as tens of thousands of workers were arriving from the countryside to work in quarries and factories.
Unable to afford large homes, they bought plots and built modest, flat-roofed cottages along the streetcar line, leaving enough room for a small vegetable garden.