Former Montreal councillor lobbies for developer over controversial plans for iconic malthouse

A former Montreal city councillor has been hired to lobby on behalf of a developer for a proposed condo at the former site of the Canada Malting Co. along the Lachine Canal in Montreal. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi)

A real estate developer has been quietly lobbying Montreal’s municipal government to authorize condo construction at the former Canada Malting Company site, and enlisting the help of a previous city councillor to that end.

The derelict plant of the Canada Malting Company in Montreal has been the subject of local controversy for the past decade. Renwick Development, which now owns the site, has been lobbying Montreal’s municipal government and the city’s Southwest borough since 2024. Lobbying under company name 9279-6283 Québec Inc., Renwick seeks to rezone the industrial site and obtain a construction permit for a condominium.