The Restoration Project

The exterior restoration work is divided into 8 phases.

Securing Phase (completed)

Securing the various facades and pinnacles with the installation of nets.

Duration: 1 year
Year of completion: 2018
 

Phase 1 (completed)

Restoration of the north facade (rue Notre-Dame), including the three sculptures in the niches on the north facade: the Immaculate Conception (representing Montreal), Saint-Jean-Baptiste (representing Quebec) and Saint-Joseph (patron saint of Canada).  

Approximate duration: 18 months
Period: July 2020 to December 2021
 

Phase 2 (completed)

Restoration of the west tower (Perseverance)

Approximate duration: 3 years
Period: August 2021 - ongoing
Estimated completion: July 2024
 

Phase 3 (in progress)

Restoration of the east tower (Temperance)

Approximate duration: 2.5 years
Period: 2024 to 2026
Estimated completion: 2026 
 

Phase 4 (not yet started)

Restoration of the east facade (rue Saint-Sulpice), including the exterior staircase area, pinnacle deformations and stone deterioration

Approximate duration: 1.5 years
Period: 2026 to 2027
Estimated completion: 2027
 

Phase 5 (not yet started)

Restoration of the south facade, including the Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur chapel

Approximate duration: 12 to 18 months
Period: 2027 to 2028
Estimated completion: 2028

Phase 6 (not yet started)

Restoration of the west facade (Sulpicians' side)

Approximate duration: 1.5 years
Period: 2029 to 2030
Estimated completion: 2030
 

Restoration work on the interior décor is scheduled to start after the completion of the exterior and is expected to be completed throughout 2 to 5 years. Most of the elements to be restored will be, in order of priority:

1. The painted decorations including the walls of the nave and rood screens, and the vaulted ceilings including gold leaf
2. Baptismal baptismal font
3. The stained-glass windows

Phase 1: Complete Restoration of Jubé 1

Estimated duration: 9 to 13 months
Surface area: Approximately 16,967 square feet

The restoration of Jubé 1 is an absolute priority due to the critical state of the painted decorations, which are deteriorating rapidly. Immediate intervention is essential to prevent irreversible losses and stabilize the most fragile elements of this section.

Work will include:

• Consolidation: Fixing plaster coatings and reinforcing their adhesion to the wooden support
• Crack repair: Fill gaps and cracks with materials compatible with the original structures
• Cleaning: Remove accumulated layers of dirt and oxidized varnish to restore paintwork appearance
• Paint restoration: Retouch damaged areas with reversible pigments and ensure the visual consistency of the decor
• Protection: Apply a final varnish to protect the work from future damage
• Documentation: Keep precise notes on each stage and the results obtained to build up an exhaustive documentary base

Main objective:

To ensure that the space can be put back into service quickly once the work has been completed, while preserving its heritage integrity. Preparations can begin immediately after contract signature, in order to meet estimated deadlines.

Phase 2 : Restauration of Jubé 2

The restoration of Jubé 2, covering a surface area of some 15,112.5 square feet, will take an estimated 9 to 10 months. 

Work will include:

• Initial documentation: Detailed surveys and photographs to analyze the condition of plaster and paintwork
• Coating consolidation: Stabilizing plaster coatings and fixing them to the wood substrate with compatible resins and fixatives
• Filling cracks and gaps: Application of suitable materials to restore surface continuity
• Cleaning paint layers: Removal of contaminants and oxidized varnish using mild solvents, starting with test areas
• Paint touch-up: Application of reversible pigments to restore the aesthetics of damaged paintwork
• Application of protective varnish: Uniform varnishing to preserve restored works
• Final documentation: Drafting of a detailed report on the work carried out, including before and after photos
   

Phase 3: Painted Decoration of Walls & Aisle Chapels

This phase will cover a surface area of approximately 8,791 square feet, and will take 9 to 12 months to complete. The main stages will be :

• Initial documentation: Photographic surveys and detailed analysis of painted decor
• Coating consolidation: Stabilization of weakened coatings, prioritizing the most damaged areas
• Filling cracks: Repairing cracks, taking care to harmonize texture and color
• Surface cleaning: Removal of dust, contaminants and oxidized varnish to restore clarity to paintwork
• Paint touch-ups: Use of reversible pigments to restore painted motifs and ornamentation
• Application of protective varnish: Final application of a suitable varnish to protect restored paintings
• Final documentation: Full report describing the work carried out, the challenges encountered and the results obtained
   

Phase 4: Restoration of Ceiling and Vaults

To avoid prolonged closure of the basilica, this phase, covering a surface area of approximately 17,430.2 square feet, will be carried out over a reduced period of 3 months, by tripling the teams of restorers. Work will be scheduled during a low-traffic period, determined on the basis of tourist data and religious activities. 

Stages will include :

• Initial documentation: Mapping and in-depth analysis of ceilings and vaults
• Plaster consolidation: Stabilization of plaster with safety nets to prevent any risk of falling
• Filling cracks: Use of compatible materials to restore damaged surfaces
• Cleaning pictorial layers: Removal of contaminants and oxidized varnish, carried out with care to preserve artistic detail
• Paint touch-up: Careful restoration of damaged paintwork, ensuring that the original motifs are respected
• Application of protective varnish: Uniformization and protection of restored paintings using compatible products
• Final documentation: Compilation of a complete report, including before and after photographs

The Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal constitutes the jewel of Old Montréal. A must-see attraction, it still plays an active role in the urban fabric of the city of Montreal. Erected between 1824 and 1829, Notre-Dame's main body is sixty-five metres long and thirty-seven metres wide. The towers were erected between 1841 and 1843 and rise sixty-five metres above the forecourt. The Basilica is a tour de force of massive masonry. Its stones are of inescapable importance to the history of Montreal.

The west tower is called Perseverance. Since 1848, it has housed one of the world's largest bells, the brass drone Jean-Baptiste, weighing in at over 10,000 kilos (eleven tons). The east tower is called Temperance. It is equipped with a ten-bell carillon. The drone and carillon bells were all cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in England. Given the advanced age of the stones (soon to be 200 years) and the significant presence of stylolites (sedimentation beds) within them, the stones this have a greater permeability during bad weather, and thus, erode. When the building envelope was first constructed in the 19^th century, there was no flashing to protect the stone architectural bands from the elements such as snow and rain. Lead flashings were belatedly installed in the 1930s. Over time, the pressure caused by natural elements created cracks throughout the masonry, particularly in the upper parts of the walls and towers.

On the west tower side, water infiltration within the massive masonry led to the displacement of facing stones to the point of creating dangerous situations that threatened the towers' integrity as well as the public's safety. These situations were the subject of temporary interventions which were kept under surveillance. The east tower has suffered severe deterioration, with numerous cracks and fractures in the stones, hollowing out of mortar joints and displacement of stones. Similar work to that carried out on the west tower will soon be undertaken on the east tower, over more than two years.

Restoration of the towers is currently underway. In addition to the repair and inevitable replacement of numerous stones, this includes the maintenance of wooden elements, such as windows and louvre-like structures placed in front of the bells to project the sound emitted by them - which need to be repaired and repainted. Waterproofing membranes are also being installed on the upper levels, metal flashings replaced, and the interior rubble of the bell towers repointed.

This masonry work requires a great deal of care and time. As the Basilica remains operational, special measures are being taken to ensure public access and worker safety. Step by step, sections of facing were removed and replaced with new limestone of the same nature as the original, which will eventually become one with the existing stone over time.

The main facade between the two towers, whose crenellated parapet threatened to collapse, has now been restored and the upper part of the wall rebuilt. The three magnificent statues, placed in the niches in 1865, were in a condition unworthy of their artistic value. With the help of the Centre de conservation du Québec, they were restored with care and finesse during the first phase of the present project, in 2021. By way of background, these statues were cast in cement, using a patented technique, by Geatano Baccerini (1825-1895) from plaster models by sculptor Charles-Olivier Dauphin (1807-1874): the Immaculate Conception (representing Montreal), Saint-Jean-Baptiste (representing Quebec) and Saint-Joseph (patron saint of Canada).

The Basilica's interior decoration was originally designed by architect James O'Donnell and was very simplistic in style. It received a second decorative program between 1872 and 1880, designed and directed by the renowned architect Victor Bourgeau in a much more elaborate Gothic style. This explains the contrast between the sober exterior and the dazzling interior with its polychrome, gold-leaf painted decoration. From the canvases to the sculptures, from the rosettes to the windows, from the polychrome decoration to the gold leaf, the restoration of the interior also required considerable financial effort on the part of the Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal.

To preserve the austere majesty of our Basilica's exterior and interior beauty, Notre-Dame needs your support. This iconic site must remain timeless as long as the history of Montreal endures.

We thank you for your generosity.