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Because History repeats itself...
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Mother House of the Sisters of Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie
1420 Mont-Royal Boulevard, Outremont
Architectural and Landscape Value
The mother house of the Sisters of Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie was built on the northern slope of Mount Royal in Outremont between 1923 and 1925. Its architects, Viau & Venne, designed the seven-storey brick building in Italian Renaissance style. It is hexagonal in plan, with two inner courtyards separated by a central block. This section has a remarkable chapel on the second floor, with architecture and décor inspired by the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The mother house was constructed in the same spirit that has prompted various other religious orders and institutions to build on the slopes of Mount Royal since the 19th century. Specifically, it is part of ensemble of institutional buildings and properties that lie between the mountain and Côte St. Catherine Road, including several erected by the Sisters of Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie. These are the Saint-Nom-de-Marie boarding school on Côte St. Catherine Road, Vincent d’Indy music school (now the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal) and Jésus-Marie college (now the Marie-Victorin Building of the Université de Montréal). In addition to these institutional buildings, Saint-Germain church, presbytery and school are close by and complement this interesting group.
Historic Value
The mother house of the Sisters of Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie stands as testimony to the surge in institutional development seen in Outremont in the early 20th century. With its imposing size, it also recalls the role played by religious orders in educating Quebecers prior to the 1960s. The congregation of Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie still carries on its teaching mission in the private sector. From 1925 to 2006, the mother house itself was used as an elementary school called Mont-Jésus-Marie. That school now occupies part of the site of the Saint-Albert le Grand monastery in the adjacent Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood.
The Threat
The congregation’s decision to return to its roots on the South Shore sparked concern about the future of this heritage site. The building’s acquisition by the Université de Montréal in 2005 seemed a hopeful sign that it would find an appropriate use as part of a comprehensive plan for the northern slope of the mountain. However, after determining that it had underestimated the cost of converting the structure to suit its needs, the university has opted to sell it instead. This decision once again raises the issue of the preservation of the building and its site, and of the part they play, together with the adjacent Faculty of Music, in a valuable grouping of architectural and landscape features within the protected area of Mount Royal.
Initiatives of Héritage Montréal
Héritage Montréal has followed this case since the Sisters of Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie first expressed their intention to move. We met with the congregation and the consultants in charge of the call for tenders in 2002. Subsequently, we remained in contact with the Université de Montréal from the time it acquired the property in 2005, as well as with the interested parties and authorities ever since. We have expressed great concern regarding the preservation of the chapel and important features of the building’s interior and exterior architecture. We have also pointed out the need for awareness of the importance of its presence in the Mount Royal landscape, and of the part it plays, along with the Faculty of Music, in an architectural ensemble of public interest that significantly contributes to the heritage and value of the north side of the mountain.
To help safeguard this site, write to us.
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