Canada Malting plant could collapse at any moment, engineering report says
An engineering report has declared the vacant Canada Malting plant in Montreal an imminent safety hazard, recommending controlled demolition. The city is currently reviewing the developer's demolition request while balancing public safety with the site's heritage status.
Why it matters
The potential collapse of a large industrial structure poses a direct threat to public infrastructure and pedestrian safety in a densely populated urban area.
The report says the structure — a mass of brick and concrete silos towering over the Lachine Canal to its south and St-Ambroise Street to its north — represents an “imminent danger” to public safety.
“Controlled demolition is the only possible, safe and rational solution to eliminate the critical danger that this building represents,” wrote the report’s author, André Houle from the engineering firm STP ING inc.
Houle is especially concerned about a facade wall, which he says has detached from the roof and is “hanging by a thread.” He’s worried about this brick facade falling onto St-Ambroise Street, where people walk and cars are currently parked.
“The only way to protect the public with this project right now is to close the street, there’s no other way,” Houle said in an interview with CBC.
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