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Cave and calvary of la Visitation

1725, Gouin boulevard East, Montréal

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Published on : May 10 2021

Last modified on : July 16 2025

The two monuments were erected in 1940 by the Brothers of Saint-Gabriel. They were once part of large gardens that included a pond and a bridge that have disappeared. The cave and the calvary miraculously escaped urban development.

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Calvaire de La Visitation

Source: Jocelyn Duff, 2020

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Calvaire de La Visitation. Photo prise le 13 août 1987

Source: Martin Dozois

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Localisation du calvaire et de la grotte. Plan de 1947

Source: Martin Dozois

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Located a hundred meters apart, they are now landlocked by tall buildings on separate lots belonging to two different owners. The cave is located on the grounds of the Laurendeau residence, on Gouin boulevard East; the calvary, meanwhile, is located on the grounds of the Ignace-Bourget residence on Fort-Lorette Street.

The calvary statues were made by the workshop of the International Artistic Union of Vaucouleurs in France. Ordered by catalog, they were shipped by boat.

The huge stones which form the base of the calvary bear the marks of traditional sawing technique. These stones apparently come from an older work that has not been identified to date. The rustic appearance of the calvary conceals an underlying bunker-style reinforced concrete structure with a modern-looking side exit.

  • Municipality or borough

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    Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough

  • Issues

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    Urban Development

    Mechanisms for protection

    Urban Development

    Mechanisms for protection

  • Owner(s)

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    Private; Public: provincial government

  • Threat(s)

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    Demand for land, speculation

    Lack of knowledge

    Demand for land, speculation

    Lack of knowledge

  • Conception

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    Brothers of Saint-Gabriel; International Artistic Union of Vaucouleurs, France

  • Manager(s)

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    Diocèse de Montréal; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

  • Categorie(s)

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    Religious

    Religious

  • Construction year

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    1940

  • Recognition status

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    Located in a recognized heritage site – Old village of Sault-au-Récollet; Located in an area of exceptional heritage value – Old village of Sault-au-Récollet

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