Neglected heritage buildings flagged in Montreal auditor general report

Preservation of the city’s heritage buildings was a top issue for Auditor General Michele Galipeau in her report for 2022.

She found the city doesn’t have full knowledge of its heritage buildings or their conservation status and notes not enough money is being invested into their maintenance.

Waiting too long can mean restorations are more costly or lead to buildings being demolished. The city has committed to a heritage action plan.

The president of the executive committee Dominique Ollivier said there will be an inventory by 2026, adding that a new bylaw gives city inspectors more tools to do their jobs.

"It's going to help improve the protective and monitoring measures that we have for vacant buildings," she said, adding it will give them a better idea of what they need to do moving forward.

The auditor general is also raising a red flag over how the city awards grants to non-profit organizations, a process she believes is poorly managed.

She couldn’t find documentation in many cases showing the funds were granted impartially and found the city doesn’t closely monitor what happens to the money.

"The non-profits do reporting, but they don’t analyze the reporting from non for profit organizations," Galipeau said.

Ollivier noted most of the months audited were during the pandemic.

"NGOs are giving services to more than 80,000 people who were in danger of being left behind. So it was very important for the city to make sure the processes were there," she said.

Moving forward, the city said it will make sure the use of public funds is properly documented.