The Canada Malting complex on the Lachine Canal in Saint-Henri was built in 1904. On the west side there are terra cotta silos. The cement silos on the other side were added in the 1940s, and were used to store barley. The barley was germinated and dried in the buildings that lined Saint-Ambroise Street. The malt produced from this barley was distributed to distilleries and breweries. When the Lachine Canal closed in 1970, the company was able to transport its malt by train only. In the 1980’s the building was abandoned when costs became too high to do so. The site was moved to the Port of Montreal. The building was sold to another company but sadly closed in 1989 when the CN stopped serving the area factories. The ancient terra cotta silos are now protected as part of the Lachine Canal National Historic site. The sheds atop the complex were mysteriously painted this past October, one bright pink, and one an orange-red. This became the talk of the town as residents wondered who would do this?
I am lucky to have the sheds as part of my view from my studio window and so have painted them a few times throughout this past winter. I love how the bright colours in the clear sky stand out and give this building a cheery look! If you look closely, the pink house has green curtains!