Group hopes to save Montreal church

A group of concerned citizens is vowing to save a century-old church in Montreal's east end that is home to one of the largest pipe organs in North America.

The Trs Saint Nom de Jsus church in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve was ordered closed by fire officials in 2009.

The provincial government has refused to classify the church as a heritage or cultural site, and the archdiocese of Montreal announced last week it was hoping to sell the land.

However, the church houses a Casavant Frres organ built nearly 100 yearsago, and on Monday, a group of local residents and business owners met in an attempt to save the building and the organ.

Historian Robert Cadotte called the church "a castle." He and others at the meeting agreed losing the church and the organ would be a huge loss.

"Having this church demolished would be terrible for the history of this area and Quebec generally speaking," said Daniel Turp, MNA for Mercier.

However, the archdiocese says keeping the church is too expensiveand it no longer wants to pay the $100,000in annualheating and maintenance costs.

The archdiocese has proposed tearing down the church and turning the site into public housing.

However, the mayor of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve has made it clear city council will not grant a permit for the building to turned into public housing.

Costly moving bill

The Archdiocese of Montreal did not return calls from CBC News on Monday, but it has said anyone who wants the organ is more than welcome to itas long as they can pay the $1-million it would likely cost to move it.

Philip Crozier, who has played the Quebec-built pipe organ, said moving the priceless instrument would ruin it.

"[The church is] a very good concert venue, it's very much usable and why destroy it? Why remove [the organ] when it's already here?" he said.

Theconcerned citizens who met Monday promised to fight the church's demolition, saying with a bit of public money the church could be transformed into a concert hall.

A benefit concert to save the church is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. on Oct. 22 at College Maisonneuve.