Sister Marguerite Hudon
Sister Marguerite Hudon, s.g.m. (1918-1974) Marguerite Hudon is born on November 1st, 1918 into a large family in Rivière-Ouelle, county of Kamouraska. After entering the Grey Nun novitiate in 1940, she works for seven years as a cook at the Motherhouse and the Saint-Charles Farm. Assigned to the Châteauguay farm in 1949, she dedicates herself […]
Motherhouse, The Vegetable Garden and the Orchard
The Vegetable Garden and the Orchard Located between Saint-Mathieu and Guy Streets, the vegetable garden and orchard occupy an area of approximately two acres. Until the 1960s, many Nuns work there assisted by hired labourers. A wide variety of vegetables and fruits are grown but despite the abundant harvests it is not enough to feed […]
Saint-Charles Farm, A Prosperous Farm for Almost 50 Years
Saint-Charles Farm, Montréal (Côte-de-Liesse) A Prosperous Farm for Almost 50 Years With part of the proceeds from the sale of land at Pointe Saint-Charles, in 1907 the Grey Nuns acquire a parcel of agricultural land in the Côte-de-Liesse municipality. Subsequent acquisitions increase the property to a total of 575 acres, aptly named the Saint-Charles Farm […]
Saint-Bruno Farm
Saint-Bruno Farm Located in what is today downtown Montréal, the Saint-Joseph Hospice was on the verge of expropriation for a new Grand Trunk Railway station when the start of the Great War put the project on hold. That same year, 1914, the Hospice is gifted a 135 acre farm in the village of Saint-Bruno, county […]
Châteauguay, The Orchard
The Orchard Marguerite d’Youville is said to have planted the first apple tree in the orchard. Many of its branches are grafted onto other trees in order to perpetuate the original fruit. In 1935, there were more than 250 apple trees in the orchard expanding yearly. Today it is a certified organic orchard, with a […]
Farms in New France and the General Hospital (18th-19th Centuries), The Charon Brothers’ Properties
Farms in New France and the General Hospital (18th-19th Centuries) As with most religious congregations in New France, the Grey Nuns of Montréal have a vegetable garden on the premises of the General Hospital, part of a compound that includes several outbuildings located on the Pointe à Callière. Its cultivation ensures a supply of fresh […]