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Saint-Vincent-de-Paul old penitentiary

160, montée Saint-François, Laval

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Published on : May 11 2021

Last modified on : July 16 2025

Alert submitted by: Wendy Latendresse

The Old Penitentiary of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul was designated a “National Historic Site of Canada” in 1990, the year after its closure. Since then, it has fallen into disrepair and neglect.

Inaugurated in 1873, the building was greatly modified and expanded, notably in the 1930s and 1940s when new wings were added. Until its closure in 1989, it remained the only French-speaking federal prison.

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Vieux pénitencier de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul

Source: Service correctionnel Canada

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The old penitentiary, abandoned for over 30 years, is frequently the subject of discussions between the City of Laval and the federal government regarding its repurposing and future. In fact, Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer met with the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, in late February 2022 to discuss regional issues, including the future of the old penitentiary.

In 2018, the organization Jeun’Est en forme commissioned the firm Convercité to carry out a diagnostic profile of the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul neighborhood, with the goal of assessing the relevance of implementing an Integrated Urban Revitalization (IUR) approach. As noted in the report, the mandate “reflects the City of Laval’s commitment to planning its territory based on in-depth knowledge of the area,” and the old penitentiary could serve as a key and defining element of that planning.

That same year, a strategic divestment process was initiated with the goal of transferring the property to Canada Lands Company (CLC). The transfer is expected to be completed sometime in 2025. The federal government aims to repurpose the building into affordable housing and community spaces.

  • Municipality or borough

    Ajouter

    CIty of Laval

  • Issues

    Ajouter

    Mechanisms for protection

  • Owner(s)

    Ajouter

    Public: federal government

  • Threat(s)

    Ajouter

    Vacant

    No upkeep

    Lack of knowledge

    Demolition

  • Conception

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    Unknown

  • Manager(s)

    Ajouter

    Federal government

  • Categorie(s)

    Ajouter

    Institutional

  • Construction year

    Ajouter

    1873, 1930s-40s

  • Recognition status

    Ajouter

    National Historic Site of Canada

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