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InspirAction

InspirAction #16 : Headquarters of the Sisters of St. Anne

1950, Provost Street, Montréal

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History of the site

Published on : October 07 2020

Last modified on : November 21 2020

The Congregation of Sisters of Saint Anne has had a presence in Lachine since 1861. In 1900, the congregation purchased the Allen farm as the site to build their mother house. The sisters cultivated this vast piece of land for their works and, later, they permitted the construction on their land of various key institutions for the Lachine community, including the neighbouring Dalbé-Viau Secondary School, the Jardin des Frimousses daycare and OMHM housing.

The central pavilion of the mother house was erected in 1906, with a second wing added in 1936, and then a third in 1963. A statement of heritage significance was issued for the main building in recognition of its monumental façade.

“Our hope is for them [the Lachinois.es] to take our place. We are fading away, but we leave our heritage for them to develop, with the values we’ve sought to impart.” Sister Lucille, Sisters of St. Anne congregation

Issues, reclassification and development

When the state took over responsibility for education and as the religious community aged, it was clear to the congregation that the building had to be converted in order to ensure its survival.

The congregation did not want to see its building converted into condominiums so, in 2017, they turned their project over to the organization Bâtir son quartier, which specializes in social housing projects. The project they came up with includes converting the mother house into social housing, building a new residence for the sisters and developing units for seniors. The green spaces and the orchard to the south and west of the site will be converted into a park for Lachine residents.

This is a mixed, multigenerational, eco-friendly project rooted in the social economy. It seeks to conserve the existing buildings, and to enhance the heritage of the site as well as its social, economic and physical accessibility. Following their assembly on January 19, 2018, the Comité Jacques-Viger of the City of Montreal issued an opinion in favour of the conservation of the building according to the program presented. Nevertheless, the project was subject to public consultations.

1861

Installation of the congregation in Lachine

1906

Year of construction of the central pavilion

4

Number of phases of the requalification project

Actors involved in the project

  • Sisters of St. Anne congregation
  • Habitations La Traversée
  • Aedifica
  • GRAME (Groupe de recommandations et d’actions pour un meilleur environnement)
  • Lachine borough
  • Bâtir son quartier

Integration with the surrounding context

With this repurposing project, the site of the mother house of the Sisters of Saint Anne is being opened up more to the surrounding environment. The planted spaces in front of and to the west of the complex, and the orchard in the back will be converted into a public park. This responds to the requirement of a contribution to parks for a project of this scale, as defined in sections 117.1 to 117.16 of the Act respecting land use planning and development.

Moreover, the four-storey chapel will be converted into a multipurpose room that can be used for various activities for residents of the complex and for the broader Lachine community. The project for this convent complex therefore respects the congregation’s desire and vision to see it opened up to the community.

  • Municipality or borough

    Lachine

  • Issues

    Mechanisms for protection

    Urban Development

  • Owner(s)

    Privé: OBNL

  • Manager(s)

    Sisters of St. Anne of Québec congregation

  • Categorie(s)

    Religious

  • Construction year

    1906 (central pavilion); 1936 and 1967

  • Recognition status

    Located in an area of exceptional heritage value

Other heritage sites

Join the discussion

How do you see this Montreal site? What legacy has it left us? What future can we create for it? Where to start to get there? Who wants to participate in the project?

You have questions? Want to do more, but lack the information? Consult our toolkit to learn more about the heritage of the Montreal metropolitan area, the preservation mechanisms in place and possible actions.

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