In 1979, the congregation of the Sœurs de Notre-Dame de Charité du Bon-Pasteur (Sisters of the Good Shepherd) left their imposing monastery in downtown Montreal, and it stood vacant. Built nearly 150 years earlier, in 1847, Bon-Pasteur was one of the rare extant examples of a 19th-century French-inspired convent complex. The elegant four-storey greystone main building, with its gable roof, housed a public chapel designed by Victor Bourgeau, one of the leading architects of the time.

Within these walls, for more than a century, the sisters welcomed hundreds of “poor” and “maladjusted” young women, teaching them trades and helping them reintegrate into society. In recognition of its social and architectural heritage, the Bon-Pasteur complex was designated a historic monument in 1979. Six years after the congregation’s departure, however, the building remained abandoned.

The City of Montreal entrusted the repurposing of the complex to a young team ready to take up the challenge: the Société immobilière du patrimoine architectural de Montréal (SIMPA). Instead of approaching the reconstruction as a single large project, the team shrewdly conceived of several smaller real-estate projects with a single overarching vision.

This approach ensured the successful redevelopment of the various parts of the complex, a successful social mix, and a viable financing structure. Co-existing within this heritage complex are a cultural centre, a daycare centre, a seniors’ residence, a concert hall in the converted chapel, a housing co-op, offices, and spaces for community groups.

Héritage Montréal has supported the requalification project of the Bon-Pasteur Monastery and is an occupant of the premises since 2003.

The success of a repurposing project of the scale of the Bon-Pasteur project proved the viability of giving a second life to large heritage complexes, ensuring the preservation of their architectural integrity and allowing a wide variety of organizations to benefit from the space in an innovative manner.

Although projects of such complexity pose major technical, financial, architectural and legal challenges, they guarantee the preservation of emblematic buildings, while assigning them active roles to play in the social and urban fabric and responding to present-day issues in our city and our neighbourhoods.

A major fire occurred on May 25, 2023, at approximately 4:30 p.m., at the Monastère du Bon-Pasteur. The fire originated on the roof of the chapel and spread to several wings of the former religious complex. More than 150 firefighters from the Montréal Fire Department were mobilized, and firefighting operations continued for nearly 48 hours. The incident led to the evacuation of approximately thirty residents and workers. Damage caused by both fire and water was considered significant. According to information provided by authorities, the fire was reportedly caused by the overheating of a generator chimney passing through a wooden structure. The building remains unoccupied, with windows boarded up and a temporary roof in place. Reconstruction work has not begun due to unresolved financial negotiations, ongoing legal proceedings between certain parties, and the complexity related to the site’s heritage value and ownership structure.