Heritage site to be sold, but Villa Maria College and residents given priority
The Congregation of Notre-Dame has announced it will put the Villa Maria estate in Montreal’s west end up for sale, while attaching firm conditions intended to protect the future of Villa Maria College and the roughly 100 sisters who live in the Bon‑Secours Residence on the property.
In a news release issued Thursday, the congregation said that two essential conditions that had previously constrained a sale have now been fulfilled: the relocation strategy for the sisters living on site and a complete analysis of the college’s long‑term prospects. Those steps, the statement says, clear the way for marketing the estate.
Lease protections and required commitments from buyers
The congregation is requiring any purchaser to respect the existing lease with Villa Maria College, which runs until July 2030. In addition, a buyer must be willing to negotiate a new lease that will extend campus operations for a minimum of two additional years, effectively preserving the school on the site until at least summer 2032.
- Lease expiry: July 2030.
- Minimum extension: two years, up to summer 2032.
- Relocation: sisters to be moved to care facilities over the next two years.
The congregation has also listed other sale criteria, including the preservation of green spaces, safeguarding the site’s heritage value and a purchaser’s commitment to the congregation’s values. Those conditions seek to balance the need for funding with community and heritage protections.
“It is our sincere hope that Villa Maria College will continue its mission for as long as possible,” said Sister Ona Bessette, leader of the congregation, according to the release.
Why the sale is happening
The proceeds from the sale are intended to support vulnerable students in Quebec, the congregation said. Earlier reporting from June indicated the school’s board chair, Suzanne Gouin, told trustees the college did not have the financial resources to purchase the property outright. With the relocation plan for the sisters and the college’s prospects analysis completed, the congregation deemed it appropriate to move forward.
Local reaction to the announcement is likely to focus on three intersecting concerns: the continuity of Victoria School’s successor institution on the campus, the future of a well‑known green and heritage site in the west end, and the welfare of the elderly sisters who call Bon‑Secours Residence home. The congregation’s conditions aim to address all three, but questions remain about what form a future buyer’s development might take and how tightly the preservation commitments will be enforced.
What comes next for the community
For parents, students and staff at Villa Maria College, the immediate implication is stability until at least 2030, with an expectation of continued operation to 2032 if negotiations go as the congregation requires. For neighbours and heritage advocates, the sale process will be a period to press for clear safeguards on green space and architectural conservation. And for the sisters, relocation plans — described by the congregation as transfers to facilities that provide elder care — will proceed over the coming two years.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current lease with Villa Maria College | Expires July 2030 |
| Required minimum lease extension | 2 years (to summer 2032) |
| Residents at Bon‑Secours Residence | About 100 sisters; relocation within two years |
As the estate is prepared for sale, Montrealers will be watching whether the buyer chosen aligns with the congregation’s conditions and the broader public interest in preserving a historic campus and its green acreage. The congregation frames the move as a responsible transition that protects vulnerable students and residents while allowing the order to direct sale proceeds toward charitable priorities.
