Project at old Royal Vic should not thwart efforts to find possible unmarked graves, report says

Montreal's public consultation office is recommending that McGill University's plans to redevelop part of the former Royal Victoria Hospital move forward, but not without some key changes. 

A report released Tuesday by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) outlined 31 recommendations for the $700-million project to transform part of the hospital into an academic centre.

Overall, the OCPM is in favour of the plan, but its report takes into account concerns that the redevelopment could hinder efforts to find unmarked graves of Indigenous children on the old hospital's grounds.

In March, a group of women called the Mohawk Mothers filed a civil suit in the Superior Court of Quebec demanding the suspension of the redevelopment plans for the former hospital pending an investigation into that possibility. Their claim will be heard in court next week. 

They believe the site may house archeological remains from the first pre-colonial Iroquois village.

They also believe, based on testimony, that there may be Indigenous children buried near the Allan Memorial Institute following CIA-funded brainwashing experiments conducted by Dr. Ewan Cameron between 1954 and 1963.

The OCPM says those claims should be investigated and the process should be made public.

"[Regarding] the possible presence of some ancient or more recent burials, for the commission it's very important that it's treated with the utmost respect and deference," said Isabelle Beaulieu, president of the OCPM.

The report also urges McGill to relinquish the natural space and wooded area north of the hospital in order to integrate it within Mount Royal Park.

Beaulieu says there's a "very big attachment" to the mountain and to the heritage of the Royal Vic site. 

That's why her report says the preservation of that heritage must be part of the project, which means maintaining heritage buildings and not adding new office towers that would hinder views to the mountain. 

The OCPM also recommends that the city keeps using the site as a shelter until the downtown homeless shelters satisfy the demand.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Royal Vic was converted into a temporary refuge for people experiencing homelessness.

The OCPM presented its recommendations to Montreal's city council. The council would need to approve two key zoning changes in order for the project to become a reality.

The university is looking to begin demolition and decontamination in 2023. Project completion is set for 2028. More than 2,400 people participated in the public consultation, which took place last fall.