Demolition of Sainte-Madeleine Church: A turning of the page of history

A bell tower and a part of the roof: all that remains of the Sainte-Madeleine church. Physically, because in the hearts of the people of Cap-de-la-Madeleine, she is very much present.

“I made my first communion there, I got married there. It's a part of my life,” said one of the many onlookers who came to watch the demolition.

Some, such as Pierre Savard, saw its construction between 1951 and 1953. “I left with my cassock. I had to come here for mass. I had to go back to Petit Sanctuary to do another Mass! We did all this for 60 cents a week!

Each torn piece rekindles a memory, sometimes happy, others evoking sad moments like Michel Picard.

“I worked for JD Garneau Funeral Home,” he said. We did the last rites there. And then my daughter when she died. She was 3 years old, it was 1980. The funeral took place here.

City of Trois-Rivières spokesman Michel Morissette indicated a project could be announced soon.

“It's a file that has a history of litigation, so when we have a promise like the project we're about to announce, we look at it in a positive light,” he noted. On the other hand, when you see any ruins that have left their mark on the people of this region who have many memories with this church, there is a small part of nostalgia, which is obvious, but with the project. Social housing, we are turning the page to the future.

The future also holds a trace of the past as the developer promises to build a memorial element on the land with fifty stones from the preserved church. Details of its housing project should be announced within 15 days.