They’re a part of Montreal’s residential landscape: shoebox homes, small homes often surrounded by duplexes or triplexes.
But the borough of Rosemont is fighting to keep all 561 of them.
Some have been around for more than a century – noticeable because of their flat roofs, and a window flanking each side of the front door.
“They appear mostly at the beginning of the 20th century, around the 1900’s,” said Dinu Bumbaru from Heritage Montreal.
“They are a piece of the little brick that makes up our city fabric,” he added.
Rosemont wants to pass a bylaw to protect the homes based on their historical value, while still allowing upgrades to take place.
In years past, some homes have been demolished to make way for buildings that house eight units.
Benoit Barabe has been living in a shoebox home for nine years, and has raised two children there. He says his home is at least 110 years old – and offers the benefit of privacy.
“We came across this and we just looked at it, and it was just amazing,” Barabe explained. “It’s not big, but there’s actually a backyard – so that’s what we wanted. Like a house with a backyard.”
