Renowned architect's home will go down

The home of a renowned architect who built it and lived there for 50 years on Woodland Avenue in Beaconsfield will be demolished as per its new owner's wishes after a recent approval by city council of a demolition permit.

"At this point, we don't have the tools to protect that kind of a house," explained Mayor Bob Benedetti, adding he is uncertain of exactly how well-known architect P. Roy Wilson may have been.

Benedetti said Beaconsfield is still having a difficult time coming to a consensus on turn-of-the-century and earlier homes gaining a historical designation. "I know that in some places, and maybe we'll get to that, the recognition of a house can be based on the person who lived there, but we haven't gotten there yet," he said.

Wilson, who passed away in 2001, is one of the McGill University School of Architecture's first graduates, obtaining his bachelor's diploma there in 1924, according to the university's website.

Professor Derek Drummond, who currently teaches at the school, said Wilson was equally well-known as an artist. "We even had an exhibit at the time, I guess it was his birthday, we had an exhibit here at the School of Architecture," said Drummond. He added that Wilson showed up, appearing as a "very spry" 100-year-old.

Wilson is also known for a book of portraits he drew of remarkable homes across Quebec, called "The Beautiful Old Houses of Quebec."

According to Beaconsfield Historical Society president Barbara Barclay, he also drew up the plans for Christ Church in Beaconsfield.

Barclay and the society's treasurer Pauline Girard argued in letters to council that the home should be preserved based on Wilson's fame and contribution to Quebec culture, but that did not pass muster.

"Traditionally, in Britain, that's what would happen," Barclay said. "At the very least there would be a plaque or something."

Now that the permit has been approved, Girard said it is unlikely the society would do anything else. Appealing is only allowed up to 10 days after a public notice is announced, which in this case occurred over a month ago on June 25. Furthermore, there is no jurisprudence for the society to refer to. "There is no bylaw to help us," Girard conceded.

The property's new co-owner, George Malikotsis, said the house, which was built in 1951, was in pretty bad shape when he and his wife bought it two years ago.

"Unfortunately, the house has been left to disintegrate because nobody's been living in there prior to us buying it," Malikotsis said.

Though Beaconsfield rejected the first plans for a new home presented at its last council meeting, Malikotsis was confident about newer plans going through.

He added he would be very careful about making sure the new home would architecturally fit in with the rest of Woodland.

"It took us a while to submit a plan because we were aware of the difficulties of building in this area," he said.

He added he had inquired about the home having any historical value to city hall before deciding to buy it.

Chronicle, Jacques Pharand