Mister Thuribe Tremblay
Mister Thuribe Tremblay (ca. 1880-1946) Ten-year-old Thuribe Tremblay is the first child admitted to the Hôtel-Dieu de Nicolet orphanage in 1889 and will regularly spend his holidays at the Métairie Saint-Joseph. While completing his classical education at the Nicolet Seminary, he is hired by the farm in 1900. The first years of work are difficult: […]
Sister Laurette Rivard
Sister Laurette Rivard, s.g.m. (1913-2009) Originally from farming parents in Nicolet, Laurette Rivard joins the Grey Nuns of Nicolet in 1931 and is first assigned to the Métairie farm. Already working the land and caring for farm animals from a young age, she consolidates her agricultural knowledge with a four-year correspondence course from the Union […]
Sister Fernande Dumont
Sister Fernande Dumont, s.g.m. (1922-1998) Born to farming parents in Bécancour, the young Fernande leaves school at the age of 14 to work on the family farm. After joining the Grey Nuns in 1944, she is a gardener at the Saint-Joseph during the summer and spends the winter months spinning and weaving. Over the years, […]
Mister Pierre Lampron
Mister Pierre Lampron Originally hired in 1962 as a farm hand at the Métairie Saint-Joseph, Mr. Lampron continues after its sale in 1966 as a handyman for the Grey Nuns of Nicolet an additional forty-five years! Mister Pierre Lampron posing in the dairy, 1964. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet)’s Fonds, L054-I-Album 1 […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, A Prosperous and Model Farm
A Prosperous and Model Farm From its beginning, the farm provides food and milk to the Hôtel-Dieu of Nicolet and the Christ-Roi Orphanage. In 1918 there are 318 residents including Nuns, orphans, children, elderly, and lay employees at the Hôtel-Dieu itself; this increases rapidly to nearly 373 residents at the Hôtel-Dieu in 1940 and nearly […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, A Dairy Farm
A Dairy Farm Employees at the stable, 1931. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet)’s Fonds, L054-I-Album 1-page 14. From left to right: Misters Thuribe Tremblay, Martial Chauvette, W. Richard, Sévère Paquin, Adrien Chauvette (son of Mister Martial) and Charles-Edouard Verville Sister Claire Lauzier, s.g.m., 1940. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, A Poultry Farm
A Poultry Farm Sisters Claire Lauzier, s.g.m. and Fernande Dumont, s.g.m., busy taking care of the turkeys, 1946. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet)’s Fonds, L054-N5E Sisters Claire Lauzier, s.g.m. and Fernande Dumont, s.g.m., busy caring for the little chickens, 1946. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, The Beginnings
Métairie Saint-Joseph, Nicolet The Beginnings The Sisters of Charity of the Hôtel-Dieu of Nicolet, a sister congregation of Montréal, acquire in 1895 the farm of Charles McCaffey, becoming owners of four-hundred acres of land, several outbuildings and a maple grove of 1,400 trees. It is located some twenty acres from the Hôtel-Dieu of Nicolet itself. […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, The Maple Grove and Sugar Shack
The Maple Grove and Sugar Shack In 1905, three additional acres of land are purchased along with all the equipment necessary to produce maple syrup, increasing the maple grove by over 750 buckets! A proper sugar shack is built a few years later around 1908 and remains in operation until the farm is sold in […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, Development
Development Dévelop-pement Various modifications and improvements on the farm demonstrate its successfulness and the Nuns concern for good management practices: better lodging for the farmer and his family, the construction of an ice-house and a larger stable-barn provided with electricity, expansion of the henhouse in 1918, acquisition of 130 acres of neighboring land and outbuildings […]
Métairie Saint-Joseph, In the Fields
In the Fields Workers in the field, 1939. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet) Fonds, L054-I- Album 1-page 14B. 1-Jean-Louis Genest, 2-Louis-Georges Dufresne, 3-Laurent Lemire, 4-Almanzar Lamothe, 5-Roland Dufresne, 6-Wilfrid Gélinas Mister Bourgeois, employee working in the field, 1940. Photography: author unknown. Grey Nuns of Montréal’s Archives, Métairie Saint-Joseph (Nicolet)’s […]