Inhabited by members of the same family and a few tenants, this quintuplex in the Pointe-Saint-Charles district of Montreal has a very feminine history that dates back to the days of the stables.
We do not know everything about the past of this unusual building, but we know that it is linked to the destiny of independent women. By acquiring it in 2008, driven by a will that she has difficulty explaining, Céline Bouthillette became the third female owner, at least according to the title deeds that historical research carried out by a friend allowed. to find. First there was Ida Prud’homme, then the sisters Alice and Élodie Duquette, who bought it in 1941. Over the years, they lived there with their mother and their nephew and niece. It was from the latter, who became heiress on the death of her aunt (at 101 years old!), that Céline Bouthillette acquired the five-unit building.
“It was a bit of an obsession buying it,” she says. It sold out in three days. There were five offers, I was the fifth. It’s not my style to be stubborn. Usually, for me, shopping is more rational than emotional. But here, I wanted to. »
For her two children, Maude and Vincent, and her, it was above all a family project. Having sold the family home, Céline Bouthillette rented an apartment in the Petite-Bourgogne district. She was looking for a building that they could live in as a trio, each in their apartment. Shortly after, her sister Lise, then newly retired, decided to leave her home in kind to find her sister in town. They now share the large main apartment which spans two floors, plus a basement. Maude, Vincent and his wife Kate live on the third floor. The clan thus perpetuates the bigenerational vocation that had been given to the property by the Duquette sisters.
Although, according to what their niece told the Bouthillettes, this house had known nothing but happiness, they first had to use their imagination to project their own there.
Old wallpaper on the walls, shabby kitchens and bathrooms, non-existent landscaping: the property needed some love. When asked if they saw the potential from the start, they hesitate and burst out laughing. “It took vision,” summarizes Vincent Bouthillette. “And a bit of innocence,” her mother continues. Today, we think it was a good decision, but once we got home, we saw that it was a lot of work. There was nothing broken, it was just a lot of love. »
And sorting since almost all the goods of the old property had been left behind. Several old pieces of furniture, some of which they reused, boxes of books, sewing machines, period photos, a wedding dress and a christening dress and even a letter from a cousin who had gone to war.
It was around 1890 that the oldest part of this building was built, which today has five apartments divided into two volumes. They are located on either side of a carriage entrance which was once used for the passage of horses. When Céline Bouthillette moved in, the stable – the last one in Pointe-Saint-Charles, according to her – still stood in the yard. “It was impressive,” recalls Lise, Celine’s sister. Everything was intact with the stalls. We could have brought horses in here! »
The building served as storage for the previous owners. The roof showing signs of subsidence, the family decided to partially dismantle the stable. Some beams have been recovered to create a lounge area in the inner courtyard where a galvanized steel tank serves as a swimming pool. A three-season terrace also serves as a clan meeting place.
Part of the $500,000 invested by the owner since its acquisition was used to green the inner courtyard, install an irrigation system and transform it into a real oasis in the heart of the city. Clematis, lilac, wisteria and hibiscus bloom the space which is regularly visited by birds. Extending over 8421 square feet, the land has an area not typical of the sector. There is even a garage with seven parking spaces.
The land having an implantation rate of 70%, there would be the possibility of building additional housing at the rear. “At the borough, we were told that the lot could be divisible into two or three,” says Valérie Léger, real estate broker at Groupe Sutton Clodem.
Although they are open to any possibility, the Bouthillette secretly dream of passing the torch to another family. “It went from one family to another to ours, it’s still impressive, such an old property that has had only three owners [of whom we are aware], remarks Maude Bouthillette. Emotionally, I would like it to remain family. »
If the family wants to pack their bags, after having invested so much effort, it is mainly to drop off in a place where Céline Bouthillette and Lise can live in an apartment without stairs. A place where they can grow old, all together.
Asking price: $3,499,000
Description: Building with five apartments, of different sizes, spread over three floors. Three of the five accommodations will be available to future buyers, including the main accommodation, restored with care to retain the original cachet. Arranged on two floors, in addition to a basement, it has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Located a five-minute walk from the Charlevoix metro station.
Municipal assessment of the building (2023): $1,707,300
Building dimensions: 14.92m x 15.03m (irregular)
Land area: 8421 ft2
Property tax (2023): $10,039
School tax (2023): $1188
Potential gross revenue: $149,400
Real Estate Brokers: Valérie Léger and Matthieu Le Moëligou, Sutton Clodem Group
