Restoration work is underway at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal’s Old Port. It’s part of a massive project expected to take about 15 years to complete.
From masonry repairs to intricate mural conservation, some of the work requires highly specialized expertise, with restoration professionals coming from around the world to help preserve this historic landmark.
“Every day we have to come to the basilica and it’s very inspiring. We hear the organ playing, there are tourists everywhere looking at us. So it’s very fun,” said Sandrine Poirier-Boivin, the project manager of DL Heritage.
Perched on scaffolding beneath the organ, conservators from Montreal-based company DL Heritage, founded in 2015, are restoring one of the Basilica’s historic murals, tackling what they describe as one of the most complex projects they’ve ever taken on.
“It has a team of people coming from all over the world, from Latin America, from Russia, from Europe. So it’s very interesting to speak with different conservators who have different experiences,” said Poirier-Boivin.
The scale of the restoration has brought together specialists from several countries. Among them is Hana Bilavcikova, a conservator from the Czech Republic whose expertise in 19th-century murals is helping uncover the artwork’s original beauty, painted about a century ago.
“It’s this connection of different fields and different conservators is the thing which I like in this project,” said Bilavcikova.
Laurence Gagné, a fine art conservator and the co-founder of DL Heritage, said, “I’m very proud of the team we were able to put together. Each of them has their own expertise, own competencies, and they add a lot of value to the project.”
The Basilica is also attracting talent beyond the conservation field. Originally from Slovakia, Mária Budáčová came to Montreal to study music at McGill University and now practices on the Basilica’s renowned organ. With 7,000 pipes, the instrument was designed to recreate the sound of an entire orchestra.
“Have the access here to practice on this beautiful instrument is so inspiring and so helpful to any musician, any organist,” said Mária Budáčová, an organist.
Funded through donations and Basilica initiatives, the work is designed to preserve one of Montreal’s most recognizable landmarks for generations to come.
“It’s a landmark in Montreal and we’re going to deliver the landmark it should be for all the community,” said Mathieu Verreault, the tourism, activities and operations manager of the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
The $100 million restoration project, covering work both inside and outside the Basilica, is expected to be completed by 2035.
