The New Town Hall

This chapter is about the Town Hall building during and after the the 2023/2024 expansion project. For details on the "Old Town Hall" see section "The Baie-D'Urfé town hall" in chapter "Then and now".

The Town of Baie-D'Urfé had investigated since 2012, various ideas for the expansion and restoration of the historic town hall building. The actual construction phase started in 2023.

Affleck de la Riva public presentation slides

Project presentation slides, Jan 19, 2021, architects Affleck de la Riva, size: 25Mbyte, 44 pages, source: the Town of Baie-D'Urfé, presentation-slides20210119.pdf

Construction plans as PDF, architect: Affleck de la Riva, size: 15Mbyte, 48 pages, source: the Town of Baie-D'Urfé, construction-plans-20230113.pdf

A video recording of Town Hall renovation project proposal given by the town together with the architects Affleck de la Riva in January, 2021 is available on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4nMj4BVWP4 presentation of the Town Hall Renovation project

Some interesting details about the building where reviled during the construction of the new town hall:

1) 2023 town hall expansion project: clapboard siding

The original clapboard siding from the farm house days is still there and it is clearly identical to the type of wood siding seen in the "Oscar-Émile Dorais picture":

Oscar-Émile Dorais residence, with clapboard siding, photo from 1911 or 1912. Source: the McCord Museum collection MP-0000.903.1

2023-05-06_1503-020-town-hall-renovation-clapboard_th.jpg

Town Hall during the expansion project, the original clapboard siding became visible, photo from the west side, there is more original clapboard on the east side and on parts of the original extension, photo: May 6, 2023

Town Hall during the expansion project, the original clapboard siding on the east side of the building. Edward Maxwell installed the cement board on top of the original farm house siding, photo: May 8, 2023

2) 2023 town hall expansion project: We can see the differnet phases and extensions

The building had already in 1911 an extension towards the water side. This extension has also clapboard siding but the 2023 construction project revield that this extension was sitting on pure cement foundations (no natural stones). The original farm house had however natural stone foundations. The natural stone foundations were previously not visible because the inside walls of the basement were covered with cement.

The main construction phases of this building:

Charles St-Denis farm house on natural stone foundations, rectangular layout, built around 1885 (color code: blue)
Charles St-Denis farm house extension, date unknown. Pure cement foundation were used. It suggest that this part has been built around 1900. The extension became later known as the "Baie-D'Urfe Post Office section". It is designated as post office in the Ground Floor Plan of Edward Maxwell. It became after 1976 the town hall kitchen (color code: green)
Edward Maxwell re-design, major artwork in the front, a small extension in the back, 1913 (color code: orange)
1976 office extension. This section is the only part of the house that had no basement, only a crawlspace, (color code: red)
2023 town hall re-desing and expansion (under construction)

I have color coded the different construction phases in the following photos (colors: see list above). It is unknown whether or not the original farm house had already dormer windows or the surrounding porch. It is possible that those where added during the "green phase". Edward Maxwell made the warp-around porch bigger and enlarged some of the windows.

Parts of the natural foundations seem to re-use older natural stone foundation walls that might have belonged to an even older house.

Town Hall, different contruction phases color coded, top view, Sep 11, 2022, photo source: Dragos Birla

Town Hall, different contruction phases color coded, view from the south west, Dec 18, 2022

Town Hall, different contruction phases color coded, view from the south east, Dec 18, 2022

Town Hall, different contruction phases color coded, view from the south east, May 05, 2023, pink arrows: natural stone foundations

Natural stone foundation walls, view from the north-east, photo: May 8, 2023

Town Hall, different contruction phases color coded, view from the south west, Apr 25, 2023, note the farm house phase clapboard siding on the extension marked in green

Foundation walls, different contruction phases color coded, view from the east, May 8, 2023

Town Hall reopens after renovation

The official inauguration was on December 5th, 2024 followed by an open house for the public on December 7th.

official Town Hall inauguration December 5th, 2024, from left to right: Francis Scarpaleggia, Tony Brown, Stephen Gruber, Nadia Bissada, Mayor Heidi Ektvedt, Kevin Doherty, former Mayor Anne Myles, Wanda Lowenstyn, Janet Ryan, Tom Thompson, Lynda Phelps, source: Town of Baie-D'Urfe

official Town Hall inauguration December 5th, 2024, guest book, source: Town of Baie-D'Urfe

official Town Hall inauguration cookie, source: Town of Baie-D'Urfe

Left to right: back of Anne Myles, Francis Scarpaleggia, Nadia Bissada, source: Town of Baie-D'Urfe

Official press release:

press-release-townhall-inauguration.pdf, PDF file, size 1.5Mbyte

Open house, Town Hall inauguration December 7th, 2024

Open house, Town Hall inauguration December 7th, 2024, view from the gallery in the back towards the water

Offices: wooden floor, modern furniture

Town Hall inauguration December 7th, 2024, view of the old part of the building

Town Hall inauguration December 7th, 2024, the old entrance is mainly decoration, the main entrance is now on the east side

Archaeological investigation around Town Hall

The site of the Town Hall is very strategically located, close to the water, a little bit higher up with a good overview over the bay. A preferred place because of its geographical location. A team of archeologist worked during the spring of 2023 on the town hall grounds and they found a number of interessting artifacts.

A team of archeologist working at Town Hall, unlike construction workers they dig carefully and slowly using small showels and bruses, May 2023

What was found here is apparently the base of a fireplace

What was found here is apparently the base of the fireplace of an older house that stood to the west of the Town Hall building

Various holes dug by the archeologists

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, an unveiling took place at Baie-D'Urfé Town Hall to present to the public, for the very first time, the artefacts uncovered during the 2023 renovations and the archaeological excavations.

Unveiling of the Archaeological Artefacts Display, Sep. 23, 2025, left to right: Mayor Heidi Ektvedt, Amelie Guindon of the archaeological company Patrimonia, Director General Nicolas Bouchard, source: Town of Baie-D'Urfe

Display of archeological samples found during the Town Hall renovation project

The arrowhead is the oldest of the pieces found, probably 4000 years old

Plate 1 next to the display

Plate 2 next to the display, List of items and description

Here the list of items and description in textual form:

- Triangular arrowhead, Cut stone, Archaic Period (4,200 to 3,000 BP) Made by Indigenous peoples using stone from southern Ontario, this type of arrowhead was sculpted and then attached to a shaft for hunting purposes.
- Part of an adze, Polished stone (sandstone), Archaic and Woodland periods (4,200 to 450 BP)
An adze is a stone tool attached to a wooden handle and used for digging, squaring, or smoothing pieces of wood.
- Tubular bead, Polychrome glass, 17th century
Glass beads were made in Europe and used as currency or as jewel and clothing adornments by Indigenous peoples.
- Circular bead, Transparent white glass, 17th-18th century Circular bead, Dark blue glass, 17th-18th century
Circular beads, Transparent glass, 17th-18th century (x4) Tubular bead, Opaque white glass, 17th-18th century
- Tableware fragment, White tin-glazed pottery, Late 17th century to 1760 Based on the blue-and-orange floral motif, this piece may have been created in Nevers, France.
- Tableware fragment, White tin-glazed pottery, Late 17th century to 1760 The painted motif is typical of ceramics produced in Rouen, France.
- Pipe, White clay, 1898
This Scottish-made pipe commemorates the 1798 Irish Rebellion led by revolutionary Wolfe Tone against the British crown.
- Marble, Unglazed white terra cotta, 1870-1920
Could this marble have belonged to one of the children of the Saint-Denis family?
- Four-hole button, Bone, 19th century
Buttons carved from cow shinbones were the cheapest and most widely used until the 20th century.
- Coin, Copper, 1805
American 1-cent coin dated 1805.
- Plate, Fine salt sandstone, 1740-1780
The rim of this English plate is moulded with decorations to resemble a piece of fine china, a luxury item!
- Bowl or terrine, Terra cotta, circa 1830
Made by hand by a Quebec potter, this item was used for food preparation.

The town released a detailed report about the archeological findings that the company Patrimonia (www.patrimonia-archeo.ca) made during their investigation on the Town Hall grounds:

Patrimonia-rapport_final-BiFI-18-Baie-Durfe_avril_2024_EN_-_Final.pdf, PDF document, size 8Mbyte

Video about the unveiling of the archaeological display at Town Hall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmgcklLvHdI, Sep 23, 2025, Unveiling of the archaeological display, Town of Baie-D'Urfé
Town-of-Baie-DUrfe-Unveiling-of-the-Archaeological-Artefacts-Display.pdf, Press release by the Town of Baie-D'Urfé: Unveiling of the archaeological display, PDF document

Mayor Heidi Ektvedt and Director General Nicolas Bouchard speak both in French and in English. Amélie Guindon speaks only in French and here is an English transscript of her speech from the above video:

And now, I will give the floor to Amélie Guindon from Patrimonia. Thank you, madam, good morning.

As part of the renovation and expansion works of the town hall, our mandate concerning heritage and archaeology was to verify the presence of archaeological resources that could potentially be threatened by the development project. Apologies for my voice, I have a little virus. During our interventions, rich and diverse archaeological resources were uncovered, allowing us to trace the evolution of the site from the first human occupations about 5000 years ago up to modern times. The objects selected for the exhibition showcase come from three periods of occupation that were documented on-site during our interventions. These objects were chosen because they are representative of their period or due to their exceptional nature.

The three periods in question include prehistory, which is the pre-colonial period with Indigenous presence that we can describe as ancient for the territory of Montreal Island; the period of contact between Indigenous peoples and Canadian colonists; and the modern period with more recent Euro-Canadian settlements.

First, it is important to understand that the archaeological richness of the town hall grounds is linked to its geographical location. It is situated on the shores of Lake Saint-Louis, which is an enlargement of the Saint Lawrence River. It is also located between two rapids: the Lachine Rapids and Saint Anne Rapids. In this context, the shores of Lake Saint-Louis become strategic stopping points, particularly suitable for camping or as temporary resting places for travelers. To understand the travel patterns of past populations, we must think of hydrographic networks such as rivers, lakes, and waterways as routes that cross the continent. In fact, when European settlers and missionaries began to explore the territory, they used Indigenous portage trails.

These routes were part of a traditional exchange network used by Indigenous groups for millennia. The earliest traces of occupation discovered on Montreal Island date back to the Archaic period, ranging from 5500 to 3000 years before the present. Known sites are typically located on shorelines at intersections of waterways, either upstream or downstream of rapids. More specifically, the stone tools discovered on the town hall grounds include flint tools that were probably used for hunting, warfare, or as knives. There was also a polished stone adze, a tool used to split, work, and dig wood. Both objects show fractures and are broken, probably discarded for that reason. The projectile point belongs to a style associated with Indigenous occupation contexts dating about 4000 years ago, placing the occupation in the Archaic period.

Another set of artifacts discovered on the site is linked to occupation contexts that highlight local exchanges between Indigenous groups and European settlers. These artifacts, dating from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, are associated with the historical "contact period." Among these objects are cut-up pieces of cauldron, European glass beads, and a fur trade knife blade, which attest to the commercial and cultural exchanges of the time, particularly in the fur trade. The establishment of the mission on the Pointe Saint-Louis at the top of the island, at Pointe Coron, started in 1680, further increased activity in the area. Following the 1701 peace treaty, the French authorities governing the Montreal Island territory allowed settlers to establish themselves on the land. Some of them even began farming directly on their properties.

Another important discovery during the archaeological interventions was the uncovering of stone foundations from a farmhouse dating back to the mid-18th century, along with what appears to be its oven. No historical plans had mentioned this farmhouse. The artifacts found in association with the house include fragments of crockery, woodworking tools, and adornments that offer a glimpse into the daily life of the Euro-Canadian settlers. The research also helped document the evolution of the site throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, including the Saint-Denis House, with archives confirming its construction around 1877. A document also mentions the reuse of wooden parts from an old house being demolished to build the new house, likely the one whose foundations we uncovered during the archaeological work. In 1912, the town hall moved into this building.

Artifacts like a smoking pipe stove, fragments of crockery, and a marble play ball provide insights into the daily life of the families who likely lived here for several generations. All these discoveries have deepened our understanding of the local occupation sequence and highlight the importance of incorporating archaeological heritage documentation at the outset of a development project. The discoveries also reflect the municipality of Baie-D'Urfe's commitment to balancing development with respect for the past. The interventions have opened small windows into the past, and the exhibition now offers the citizens of Baie-D'Urfe an opportunity to raise awareness of the archaeological resources of their territory. Thank you.

Photos of the New Town Hall building

New Town Hall building, March 2025, view from the north east

New Town Hall building, March 2025, view from the south west

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the north east

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the north

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the north west

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the east

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the north

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the north east

New Town Hall building, December 2025, view from the south east

This page contains some material copyrighted by third parties but all other content is free and available under the creative commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0).

Guido Socher,

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