“Miron le magnifique” That’s how poet Jacques Brault described Gaston Miron. Today we stand before the Édifice Gaston-Miron. This building carries his name. It is a tribute to a great poet.
Let’s delve into the story of this building and the man it honors. The Édifice Gaston-Miron was built between 1914 and 1917. Eugène Payette was the Montreal architect. He also designed the Bibliothèque Saint-Sulpice and Collège André-Grasset. Since its construction, the building has belonged to the City of Montreal.
For many decades, it housed the collections of the Bibliothèque centrale and the Bibliothèque des jeunes. In the 1990s, discussions arose. The Québec government and the City of Montreal considered merging the collections. They wanted to combine the Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec and the Bibliothèque centrale. Space was becoming an issue.
In 2006, the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec was created. It resulted from a merger. The Bibliothèque nationale du Québec and the Archives nationales du Québec joined forces. The new organization would house the Bibliothèque centrale’s collections.
The old library closed its doors on March 25, 2005. Major renovations followed. In early 2009, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Conseil du patrimoine de Montréal moved in. The Conseil des arts de Montréal provided rehearsal studios. These were for cultural organizations. They were located in the side wings of the ground floor. The large atrium became an exhibition space.
The firm Les architectes FABG preserved many architectural elements. They reused shelving, chandeliers, tables, and reading lamps. These were incorporated into the new design. The atrium retains its original features. The coffered glass ceiling and light fixtures remain.
On February 23, 2009, the building received its new name. Mayor Gérald Tremblay and Christine Saint-Pierre inaugurated the Édifice Gaston-Miron. The Conseil des arts de Montréal now resides here. Also, the Conseil du patrimoine and Diversité artistique Montréal are occupants. The majestic hall now serves as an exhibition space.
Gaston Miron was born in 1928 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. In 1970, he published “L’Homme Rapaillé”. This book compiled his poems and prose. It earned him several awards. These included the Prix France-Québec and the Prix Belgique-Canada. In 1983, he received the Prix du Québec Athanase-David. This award recognized his entire body of work.
Miron passed away in 1996 in Montreal. He received national honors. Besides the Édifice Gaston-Miron, other cultural buildings bear his name. The libraries in his hometown and in the Délégation générale du Québec à Paris also honor him.
The Édifice Gaston-Miron stands as a testament. It honors a poet. It also celebrates Montreal’s cultural heritage. The building achieved the Prix d’architecture de l’Odre des Architectes du Québec. It won this award from 1978 to 2011. In 1996, it received a mention in the “Conservation et reconversion” category. This was from the Ordre des architectes du Québec. As we leave, remember the words of Gaston Miron. Let them inspire us. Let them remind us of the power of poetry and culture.