VANIER • CEGEP & College
History of Vanier College
In 1841, Father Moreau added a group of Sisters to his Congregation. In 1847, a small group of these Sisters (Soeurs Marianites) were sent to Canada to create an educational institution for girls in the small village of Saint-Laurent.
The first school was named Maison Sainte-Marie. This school, once located on the grounds of Vanier’s E Building, would eventually evolve into two large institutions: Pensionnat Notre-Dame-des-Anges and Collège Basile-Moreau.
Both schools were replaced by Vanier College, part of Quebec’s secular post-secondary education system called CÉGEP. Vanier College officially opened for its first semester in September, 1970.
Through the Archival photos, one traces the remains of the ‘Village de Saint-Laurent’ and the chapel which was erected in 1817. We trace subsequently other discrepancies in the historical data related to the Congregation of The ‘Fathers of St. Croix’ and the Sulpicians.
Between 1832 and 1854 cholera epidemic victims were buried on this location.
This was the first convent building located on the site, was called Maison Sainte-Marie and was completed in 1847. It was run by the Sisters of Sainte-Croix. When the chapel was added in 1872-73, that specific chapel became known as Académie Sainte-Marie. Some sources also indicate that this original building may have been actually built in 1734. A wing subsequently was added to the left of the Académie Sainte-Marie (chapel). In 1889, the entire facility was renamed Pensionnat Notre-Dame-des-Anges.
In 1933, the Sisters of Sainte-Croix created a second academic institution called Collège Basile-Moreau. It was first housed in some existing locations and then expanded considerably in the 1940s and 1950s.
Reference:
Ville St. Laurent History:
https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/about/history/saint-laurent.html
