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This kind-hearted woman left her mark not only on the history of Varennes and Montreal, but also on that of social services in Canada. The Sainte-Marguerite-d’Youville Sanctuary, located in her hometown in the Montérégie region, presents Les filles de Marguerite pionnières dans l’Ouest (Marguerite’s Daughters Pioneers in the West), which recounts the difficult journey of four Grey Nuns to Red River (Winnipeg) in 1844 as well as the beginnings of the Sisters who founded numerous settlements in Western Canada.
You can also follow Marguerite d’Youville’s work to the Manoir d’Youville, where she tended fertile lands to feed the sick. Located on Saint-Bernard Island and part of the former seigneury of Châteauguay, this historic site is notable for housing one of the oldest mills in North America, dating back to 1686.
If you’re interested in the history of this order, you’ll love the Musée des Ursulines de Trois-Rivières. Through guided tours, you’ll learn that they founded the city’s first school for girls and its first hospital. Be sure to explore the permanent exhibition Over 300 years of history, which showcases the rich material, memorial and archival heritage of this community of women who dedicated their lives to educating young girls and caring for the sick.
In Québec City, the Pôle culturel du Monastère des Ursulines is also a great place to learn more about these women — nuns, teachers and, at times, artists, writers and scientists. The permanent exhibition Grandir chez les Ursulines (Growing up with the Ursulines), opening April 30, 2026, highlights the Ursulines’ contributions to the development of modern schooling and the advancement of women’s status in Quebec, through a collection of over 580 objects and archival documents.
Founder of Montreal’s first school and of the Congregation of Notre Dame, Marguerite Bourgeoys is an audacious and tenacious woman who welcomed immigrants and forged respectful ties with the First Nations, leaving Quebec a priceless legacy. The Marguerite Bourgeoys Historic Site in Montreal presents, among other things, the permanent exhibition Meet Marguerite, which pays tribute to her through a thematic tour that includes an archaeological site and an 18th-century stone vault.
In addition to the exhibition, you can visit the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys, a testament to her dedication and commitment to the community.
Sharing an acknowledgment as co-founder of Montreal along with Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance was also the founder of the city’s first hospital. At the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, you can immerse yourself in the history of Jeanne Mance and the nuns of the Hospitallers of Saint Joseph by visiting the exhibition Exploring a hospital heritage. Witness the evolution of medicine and the role of nurses and learn about the health crises that affected Montreal.
The Monastère des Augustines in Québec City is the place to explore the history of this order that created the first hospital on the continent, north of Mexico: the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec. Through a journey that blends heritage and well-being, the permanent exhibition Resonances. From Their Lives to Ours invites visitors to let the story of the Augustinian Sisters resonate within their own lives. You’ll discover their dedication to caring for the sick and their communal way of life through a selection of objects drawn from a collection of over 60,000 artifacts from their 12 monastery hospitals.
To complement your visit of the exhibition, stop off at the Centre Catherine-de-Saint-Augustin, located in the historic church of the Augustinian monastery. This place of spirituality is dedicated to the memory of this Augustinian nun, whose responsibilities included caring for the sick and for the nursing staff at Hôtel-Dieu de Québec. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about this woman that members of the First Nations called Iakonikonriiostha, which means “she who beautifies the soul and makes the heart warmer.”
