Monastery, Servantes de Jésus-Marie Congregation
Recognized Federal Heritage Building
Gatineau, Quebec
Façade on Laurier Street
© C. Boucher, Parcs Canada | Parks Canada, 2018
Address :
210 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Treasury Board Policy on Management of Real Property
Designation Date:
2019-06-11
Dates:
-
1902 to 1902
(Construction)
Custodian:
National Capital Commission
FHBRO Report Reference:
17-114
DFRP Number:
001056
Description of Historic Place
The Servantes de Jésus-Marie Congregation Monastery (the Monastery) is located on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River in the Hull sector of Gatineau. The Monastery is a red-brick, three-story convent complex with a flat roof and a basement. Built in three phases between 1911 and 1950, the Monastery, with a U-shape plan, has four wings— Sacré-Cœur, Saint-Joseph, Sainte-Marie and Saints-Anges—surrounding a central courtyard.
Heritage Value
The Monastery is a “Recognized” Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations and architectural and environmental values.
Historical value:
The Servantes de Jésus-Marie (the Servantes) was the only female religious community founded in the Outaouais region. Their monastery in Gatineau is tangible evidence of the establishment and growth of numerous female religious orders in Canada during the 20th century, particularly less common orders, such as that of the Servantes, dedicated to the contemplation and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (adoration of the consecrated Host). The monastery in Gatineau was the motherhouse of this cloistered order that received novices and guided them on their spiritual path toward their perpetual vows, and housed a number of functions, such as printing, binding and shoe repair services. In addition, the Servantes contributed to the local economy and to spiritual life by making the communion wafers for churches and schools and by offering parish services. The Monastery and its 1926 and 1950 additions show the growth of the order in connection with the development of the “Lower Village” of Hull during the first half of the 20th century. Furthermore, this monastery remains, at the time of its designation, the only building that has retained its vocation as a monastery of the Servantes de Jésus-Marie among the seven monasteries founded by the congregation over the years.
Architectural value:
The Monastery is a good example of the conventual architecture of the period, which was inspired by the eclecticism of the early 20th century, the spirit of the École des Beaux-Arts, rationalism, and modernity. The division of spaces echoes the spiritual journey, evoking the contemplative vocation of the religious congregation. Its U-shape plan, rooms, and fittings reflect the division between public and cloistered spaces. Its exterior has a formal and sober character while its interior is designed on a human scale with modest ornamentation. Its functional design demonstrates a rational approach that responds to an elaborate functional program that allows for the self-sufficiency of the order and its various community, vocational, spiritual, and housing functions. The materials used are humble, robust and well-selected, with more noble materials present in the spaces of great spiritual importance, notably the chapel. Of its three designers, the best known are the designers of the Sainte-Marie wing and the chapel: the firm Viau & Venne, renowned for its contribution to religious architecture in Quebec.
Environmental value:
Located near the Ottawa River and next to Jacques-Cartier Park, the Monastery is an anchoring point in a neighbourhood deeply marked by the period of de-industrialization and institutionalization. The Monastery’s proportions and craftsmanship are in harmony with its surroundings. It marks a transition between the heterogeneous urban neighbourhood and the riverside. The relationship between the building and its landscape can be described as a cloistered institutional space, laid out on the one hand for visitors and on the other hand for the private needs of the order, such as the cloister. In Hull, as in the Outaouais region, the longevity of the Servantes and their monastery for more than 100 years speaks to the cultural richness of their living heritage.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Monastery that should be respected include:
• the exterior elements that reflect the architectural practice of religious institutions, such as its formal composition, imposing proportions, clean lines, and flat roof concealed by parapets;
• the frank, solid and rational treatment of the facades expressed in the modest ornamentation, the red brick with reddish mortar, and the regularity of the fenestration, composed of large windows with arched and rectangular shapes;
• its U-shaped plan and four-winged composition, which reflects the historical development of the congregation.
The places reflecting the contemplative vocation of the religious congregation:
• the chapel;
• the places of prayer, the large organs, the separate priest’s quarters and the sacristy;
• the spaces reflecting the spiritual journey—the novitiate, the training rooms, the dormitories, the refectory, the sacristy and the crypt.
The elements in the treatment of the interior that form a whole and support the spirit of the Monastery:
• elements that contribute to the quality of natural light, including the doors with transom windows;
• the repetition of the cells, the built-in furniture and the woodwork.
The places, fittings and landscape elements reflecting the demarcation between the public and cloistered spaces:
• the parlor and grilles, the tower, meeting rooms, common rooms;
• the subtle separation between the sectors and wings;
• the interior courtyard with gardens and balconies;
• the three distinct entrances—one for the sisters, one for the public and one for the priests.