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Everyone to Parliament!

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Place Royale

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Place d’Armes

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Notre-Dame Street

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Champ-de-Mars

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Grey Nuns

Detail from an old photograph of the Grey Nuns’ convent, seen from above. Inside the convent’s courtyard wall is a garden with bare trees.

William Notman, “Grey Nunnery, Youville Street, Montréal, QC” (detail), 1867, McCord Stewart Museum, I-26332.1.

The Grey Nuns—commonly known as the Sisters of Charity—were founded in 1737 by Marguerite d’Youville to take charge of the Hôpital général de Montréal. The mission of this institution, established in the late 17th century, was to help society’s most vulnerable people: the poor, the sick and abandoned children.

Then-and-Now

The interactive feature lets you compare how a place’s architecture and urban fabric have changed over time. It works by sliding a vertical bar in the centre of the image—moving your mouse from left to right, and back again—to reveal the changes between 1848 and 2025. 1848 image: When the bar is positioned all the way to the left, you see the 3D reconstruction of 1848. It shows a large, classical-style stone building with arched windows and columns. In front of the building are barrels and crates, suggesting commercial or industrial activity. The ground is packed earth, typical of the period, and gas streetlamps line the streets. The sky is clear and blue, with birds in flight. The interactive feature lets you compare how a place’s architecture and urban fabric have changed over time. It works by sliding a vertical bar in the centre of the image—moving your mouse from left to right, and back again—to reveal the changes between 1848 and 2025. 2025 image: When the bar is positioned all the way to the right, you see the contemporary photograph from 2025. It shows an urban street lined on both sides with dressed-stone buildings, four storeys high with windows. The street is paved, and a few cars are parked along the sidewalks.

1848 image: Guy Lessard, Pointe-à-Callière. / 2025 image: Guy Lessard, Pointe-à-Callière.

Compare the 19th-century building with how it looks today. The chapel was demolished to open up Saint-Pierre Street and make access to the port easier.

Convent

Illustration of Montréal’s Hôpital Général. The three-storey hospital is built of stone and consists of a long central block with two wings.The front is delimited by a wooden-and-stone enclosure. Pedestrians move along the street in the foreground. The image is dated 1844.

James Duncan, “Montréal General Hospital (Grey Nuns), 1844”, Archives des Sœurs grises de Montréal, ASGM L001_03.

This illustration by James Duncan, produced in 1844, shows the building as seen from Sainte-Anne Market. The section to the right of the chapel—the oldest part—still exists today.

Taking Care

Contemporary photograph of a porcelain figurine depicting a brown-haired child sitting on a pot.

Jacques Beardsell, BjFj-4-4m11-150, Greys Nuns Collection.

Discovered in the latrines of the former Grey Nuns’ General Hospital, this little figurine may have been used to teach young orphans… how to use the potty.

Neighbourhood Plan

19th-century map showing the location of the Grey Nuns’ convent, between Enfants-Trouvés, McGill, D’Youville and des Commissaires streets.

Attributed à Alexander Stevenson, “Plan of the property belonging to the Ladies of the community of the Grey Nunnery”, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, CA601,S94,SS1,D5.

This plan of 1833 shows the hospital buildings (Grey Nunnery) along with, to the north, the parliament building (House of Assembly) and, on the right, the Sainte-Anne Market Hall, built to replace the market that was moved when Parliament was established there.

Grey Nuns

Old photograph of the Grey Nuns’ convent, seen from above. Inside the convent’s courtyard wall is a garden with bare trees.

William Notman, “Grey Nunnery, Youville Street, Montréal, QC” (detail), 1867, McCord Stewart Museum, I-26332.1.

Another view of the Grey Nuns’ building.