Le Devoir aptly summarizes the scope of the estate today: “The site in question includes the private colleges Villa Maria and Marianopolis, which respectively serve secondary and college-level students. The Bonsecours Residence, a long-term care center that houses dozens of religious sisters and employs several workers—102 people in total—is also located on the property. The estate […] also includes the Maison Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur, home to 16 sisters, as well as the organization’s administrative center.” (Le Devoir, June 21, 2023)

The announcement in June 2023 of the impending sale of this large institutional property by the Congregation of Notre-Dame raises concerns about the long-term protection of this valuable site and the continuity of its educational vocation, which has endured for over 150 years. Although historically and geographically linked to Mount Royal, the estate lies outside the boundaries of the Mount Royal heritage site/historic and natural borough and does not benefit from adequate protective status to ensure its integrity. While the site is entirely recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada (a federal designation that offers no binding protection), only the Monk House is protected under the Cultural Heritage Act, and the protective perimeter around it offers only limited oversight of its surroundings. Several important landscape elements of the estate—such as the former orchard, a rare witness to the rich agricultural history of Mount Royal’s western slope, and the open playing field—are now vulnerable to development pressures. The continued presence of Villa Maria College on the site is also at risk.

Additional information: Monklands National Historic Site of Canada / Convent–Villa Maria.