Marguerite Bourgeoys is an emblematic figure whose story is inextricably entwined with that of Montreal. Arriving in the city — called Ville-Marie at that time — in November 1653, she went on to notably establish a school, found the Congregation of Notre-Dame-de-Montreal, be responsible for the construction of the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours and welcome in girls arriving from France to prepare them for life in the colony. Since 1952, the Marguerite Bourgeoys Centre has been dedicated to making her life and work known to the public, but also to advocate her canonization.
The nun was made a saint in 1982, and the sisters of her congregation working at the Centre still continue their educational mission to this day. But back then, the place was rarely visited, and in 1995, they mulled over the idea of relocating the centre from Westmount Avenue, to somewhere closer to the birthplace of the Notre Dame Congregation. "They set their sights on Old Montreal, because that's where their founder worked," explains Stéphan Martel, an historian and the manager of the museum's resource library and archives. "They also found an interesting place in a location near the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys in 1655. For them, the place has a lot of meaning."
