Scaffolding will be removed from the facade of Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal – Montreal

After nearly ten years of scaffolding, Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica is preparing for the inauguration of its facade, scheduled for October 25.

Although restoration of the facade has been completed, the basilica still has several years of work ahead. About 20 percent of the necessary work has been completed, said Michel Issa, executive director of Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal.

He estimates work on the exterior of the church will take four years, but he said that figure may be optimistic. Restoration of the interior of the basilica may take another five to 10 years, he said.

Total restoration costs will add up to $100 million, Issa said. To fund this work, the basilica hosts benefit concerts, generates income from its coffee shop, Le Firmament, and holds fundraisers.

This latest fundraising campaign is based on a new idea: leaving virtual footprints on church stones.

Donors have the option to “sponsor a stone” and write a digital message on the building facade.

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“We would love to carve the stones ourselves, but unfortunately, this is a logistical nightmare that is impossible,” said Issa, adding that the process would reduce the durability of the stones.

The messages can be viewed using a mobile phone directly on the church facade via augmented reality, or elsewhere by projecting a model of the facade onto a flat surface. Issa compared this augmented reality process to that used by the viral Pokemon Go application.

People can already sponsor a stone, but the message won’t be visible until early 2027.

This renovation was expensive because it involved the entire structure of the basilica.

“All the stonework in the building needs to be strengthened and restored,” said Mathieu Verreault, the basilica’s director of tourism and operations.

“After years of freezing and thawing, the rock cracked in several places.”

The stones used to build the basilica came from an old quarry in Montreal’s Mile End neighborhood. Those placed higher were salvaged from the bottom of the mine and were of lower quality, Verreault said.

Apart from that, there are also those who are placed “in the wrong way”.

“It’s sedimentary rock, so there are layers, it must be placed horizontally. If it’s vertical, the stone is easier for rainwater to penetrate,” he said.

Some of the mortar that holds the stone in place is also replaced with epoxy, which puts more pressure on the stone.

“People did the best they could with the knowledge they had at the time, and, of course, in the long run, all of these choices – which have proven questionable over time – have led to the situation we see today,” Verreault said.

These exterior flaws also impact the interior, with water and moisture infiltration issues, for example, causing damage to painted decor.

It’s not repainted. Instead, the parish tried to glue every piece of paint back together.

“(It) is very labor intensive and time consuming, but it is best practice in cultural heritage conservation,” Verreault said.

The star-studded blue dome of the basilica is one of the parts that needs to be restored.

“We’re talking about ten-story high scaffolding, which means our concerts and tours will likely be disrupted,” which would cut into the church’s income, Issa said.

If all these efforts are not taken, then the damage will get worse and will cause more problems in the future.

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Notre-Dame Basilica ‘Stone Sponsorship’ Initiative

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