The dilapidated Saint-James Church in Compton is one step closer to being razed to the ground, after the municipal council recently approved the building owner’s demolition request.
Compton Mayor Jean-Pierre Charuest told The Record in a phone interview that while the municipal council has approved the demolition request, there is still the matter of going through the Ministry of Culture and Communications, as per a law put in place in 2021.
According to Charuest, any property owners seeking to destroy a building built before 1940 needs to obtain permission from the government. Once the ministry receives a request, it could take up to 90 days for the government to make a final decision, he continued.
Charuest noted that this move by the building owner, René Jubinville, has been in the works for a long time. The mayor said that the building is, unfortunately, too far gone, referring to prior inspection reports. He wasn’t shocked when Jubinville filed for a demolition permit.
