The Atwill-Morin Group inherits a contract of more than $4M for the rehabilitation of the Ste-Thérèse d'Avila Cathedral in Amos, Abitibi-Témiscamingue Français
- a delicate and exciting mission
QUEBEC CITY, April 27, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The Atwill-Morin Group has been selected by the Fabrique de la Paroisse de Sainte-Thérèse d'Amos, to realize the rehabilitation of this major piece of Quebec's religious heritage, which has already been the subject of some investments since 2019 for emergency work only.
This was announced today by the president and CEO of the Atwill-Morin Group, Matthew Atwill-Morin, who said he was proud to be able to contribute to the rebirth of this work of neo-Byzantine style that was designed according to the plans of architect Aristide Beaugrand-Champagne, and erected in 1922-1923 to replace a chapel built 9 years earlier: one of the most beautiful jewels of the architectural and religious heritage of Quebec.
"We are all the more proud that this cathedral, built in a context of colonization, is the mirror of the determination and the will of modernity of the builders of Abitibi" said Mr. Atwill-Morin, while underlining that the rehabilitation of this large-scale temple represented a sizeable challenge, because of its particular location; the building rising on a promontory, a stone's throw from the Harricana River, and dominating the city of Amos. For the company, this challenge is part of its fine expertise, which is defined as being anchored in its own corporate culture.
The challenge is significant in that," continues Mr. Atwill-Morin, "the intervention of the masons remains complex and delicate because of the characteristics associated with the influence of the ribbed dome, its arched windows inscribed within arcades and its numerous mosaics adorning the forebodies. We approach the deployment of major works with all due respect to the intentions of the time of its builders. The gutters and the eaves of the building, topped by the second largest reinforced concrete dome ever built in Quebec, will be completely replaced, adding to the splendor of this signature element not only of the town of Amos, but of the entire region.
"The work will give way to a complete dismantling and replacement of all the bricks and concrete stones that will be replicated, one by one, with exactly the same shapes and dimensions as those of the original," said Sebastien Delli-Colli, president of the subsidiary Atwill-Morin-Quebec, who will be responsible for the management of this major project. He added that the same will be true for all the architectural concrete blocks whose deterioration has been a threat to the integrity of the structure for some time.
All the windows of various shapes; fixed arched, circular, semicircular, rectangular, casement and small panes, will be restored to significantly extend their life. The copper base of the dome cap will be replaced after having suffered from repeated water infiltration over time. The president of the Atwill-Morin Group specified that he was conscious of the fact that this major rehabilitation would be a tribute to the builders of the time who, in addition to the architectural challenge, had to rely on the railroad and the boat on the Harricana River to ensure the supply of their materials, in the absence of a drivable road to reach Amos from the major urban centers; this one having been completed only in 1939.
"We are going to do everything we can to restore the pride of what has been and still is the heart of the town of Amos," concluded Matthew Atwill-Morin.
SOURCE Atwill-Morin Group
Source: Matthew Morin - President and Chief Executive Officer Atwill-Morin Group; Sébastien Delli-Colli - President, Atwill-Morin Quebec Divison; Contact: Alexandre Dumas, Vice President - Corporate Communications, NATIONAL Public Relations, 514 898-4636 (Mobile), [email protected]
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