The CIUSSS Mauricie Centre-du-Québec and the Early Childhood Center (CPE) Le Cheval Sautoir will be the new residents of the Red House of the Ursuline Convent in Trois-Rivières in Mauricie.
In May 2022, the religious community handed over the iconic, listed building to the city with the promise to continue the Ursuline mission of health and education.
The first resident will therefore be the CPE Le Cheval Sautoir, located a few meters from the monastery, which will offer 44 daycare places in its new CPE “La maison rouge”.
After living there for 320 years, nuns like Sister Yvette Isabelle are happy that the little ones will now also spend their days in the monastery. “It's a joy for us! Life will continue to circulate in the house.” The CPE signed a 20-year contract with the city.
The second resident will be the CIUSSS Mauricie Centre-du-Québec with around a hundred employees for 15 years. The Department of University Education, Research and Innovation as well as employees of the University Institute for Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder will move there.
The deputy president and CEO of the CIUSSS MCQ, Gilles Hudon, explained: “Although we do not necessarily receive users, in carrying out research projects and collaborating with customers, there will be a direct benefit to the population in the short and medium term.”
A third tenant should be added: the Cégep de Trois-Rivières and its child-rearing technology. Now all that remains is to clarify the final details of the agreement with the city.
A large laboratory
The old monastery becomes a large laboratory in which all residents can work together. The director of the CPE Le Cheval Sautoir, Nathalie Hébert, is thrilled.
“What we like is that we will also be observation rooms for childhood education students, so we can’t be more focused while learning and practicing.”
For his part, Gilles Hudon adds: “With the Cégep de Trois-Rivières and the CPE Le Cheval Sautoir, we will be there for children who ever have certain intellectual difficulties to work on research projects.”
Before taking possession of the premises, asbestos removal, ventilation and fire protection work is carried out on the building, and the rooms are then renovated.
The contract awarded by the city to Entreprises Christian Arbor Inc. for this work is valued at $10.2 million. An investment of zero, according to the mayor, while the income from the leases would cover these costs.
“We are not in competition with other organizers. We arrive at a price that is still correct and allow organizations, this time government organizations, to occupy the premises,” explained Jean Lamarche.
Work to welcome CPE children in September and CIUSS staff within a year should begin in the coming weeks.