The oldest convent in the country, it is of vital importance to Canada’s medical, religious and social history.

March 19, 2025                         City of Québec, Quebec                 Parks Canada

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada, and the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Member of Parliament for Québec, announced the designation of the Hôpital-Général de Québec Monastery as a national historic site under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration. 

The Hôpital-Général de Québec monastery, located at the intersection of the Saint-Roch and Saint-Sauveur neighbourhoods in the city of Québec, is a large convent complex dating back to the 17^th century built on the former property of the Récollets. In 1692, Bishop Jean-Baptiste de La Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier (1653–1727) acquired the Récollets’ monastery and founded a general hospital, open to the poor, the sick, the infirm, and the aged. In 1693, he entrusted the management of this hospital to the Augustines de la Miséricorde de Jésus, a community of cloistered nursing sisters who were already responsible for the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec.

This convent complex was occupied continuously by the Augustinian Sisters since 1693 and is an excellent example of their hospital work. Inspired by European tradition, the Augustinian monastery buildings are a remarkable illustration of the evolution of architecture and building techniques in Canada since the second half of the 17^th century. Having been spared the bombardments of the Siege of Québec of 1759 and having never experienced a major fire, the buildings are still in their original condition. The ensemble of buildings is in a remarkable state of conservation, constituting a site of architectural and artistic heritage preservation of outstanding importance.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present. 

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