Félix Leclerc museum draws criticism from neighbours

The residents say that while they too cherish the memory of Leclerc, who died in 1988, the area surrounding 186 Chemin del'Anse, the Vaudreuil-Dorion home where he once lived, can not accommodate bus loads of visitors.

The residents presented their petition last Wednesday during an MRC meeting into a proposed designation changed for the heritage house and surrounding land.

The following day during a press conference held at Vaudreuil-Dorion’s city hall the Société de sauvegarde de la mémoire de Félix Leclerc revealed its three-phase plans to restore the farmhouse into a living museum and art centre.

Society member Andrée Duranleau said the home will be restored “exactly as it was during the time of Félix Leclerc.”

The living room where Leclerc relaxed will be restored as will his bedroom and that of his son.

The grounds will also be beautified by an architectural landscaper.

In addition, the house will be enlarged when its back wall is removed and a large interpretation centre added.

A second building near the home will be demolished and rebuilt to include at least four art studios that can be rented.

That portion of the project will help fund the museum.

Future plans could include building a theatre behind the home, though the ambitious phase could be at least 10 years away, says the society.

Leclerc began his career at the farm, composing many of his songs and poems there.

The renowned chansonnier lived in the small waterfront home for more than a decade in the 1960s before leaving for France where he achieved international fame.

When the society purchased the home in 2006, it began efforts to raise money to finance a project that would protect the heritage house, while celebrating Leclerc’s work and life.

Duranleau says the group also aims to foster creativity by allowing other artists to work there, and possibly host future theatre events.

But residents, including those living right next door to the home think the area can not support such a big project.

Immediate neighbours Marie Belle-Isle and her husband Roger Hinse, submitted a 250 person petition to the MRC last week during a public meeting.

Belle-Isle says the couple repeatedly asked the society and town to explain the project to no avail and finally had to pay a lawyer $3,000 to discover that a museum could be built right next door.

“I’m not against the memory of Félix Leclerc,” said Belle-Isle, adding, “He lived in three houses in Vaudreuil-Dorion. It’s okay to have a (a commemorative place) but why here?”

She and others would like to see the home moved to a more suitable location, or see a cultural centre built in town to celebrate its many local artists.

Vaudreuil-Dorion mayor Guy Pilon feels the neighbours are upset for nothing. The museum will be small and designed to accept only a certain numbers of visitors at a time, he says.

Pilon pointed out that the society is going to invest more than a half a million dollars into what is now a run-down home.

In order for the Leclerc project to proceed, the MRC must grant the land on which it sits a cultural designation.

Five other homes would be included in the change, including that of Belle-Isle and Hinse.

The MRC is expected to okay the move later this summer, while Pilon says the town will hold a referendum on the issue in the fall.

The Société de sauvegarde de la mémoire de Félix Leclerc in Vaudreuil-Dorion can be reached by calling 450 424-9177. For membership call 514 453-9786.