Soraya Martinez Ferrada, candidate for mayor of Montréal and leader of Ensemble Montréal, announced Tuesday afternoon that a future Ensemble Montréal administration would preserve the Cité-des-Hospitalières site while ensuring that its original mission is maintained.
Acquired by the City of Montréal in 2017, this section of the property located in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough is currently occupied by organizations active in community work, health, culture, and social innovation. Unfortunately, Projet Montréal and the Plante-Rabouin administration have shown a lack of leadership, causing this major and innovative project—driven by its occupants—to stagnate.
An Ensemble Montréal administration will make every effort to secure funding by drawing on government grants, philanthropic contributions, and fundraising campaigns, while establishing a dedicated governance model for the site. Classified as a heritage site by the Government of Québec, the Cité-des-Hospitalières stands as a testament to the foundational role of women in the city’s history.
A Project at the Crossroads of Heritage, Health, and Culture
The proposal put forward by the Religious Hospitallers is supported by committed partners such as Aux trois sentiers, Brèches, and the Archives and Collections of the Hospitallers. Together, these current occupants envision giving the Cité a promising and inspiring future for Montréal, while honoring its founding mission: to heal, welcome, and inspire.
This project would include:
- A community palliative care hub, offering end-of-life care outside a hospital setting;
- A space for interdisciplinary creation and dialogue centered on arts, philosophy, spirituality, and social issues;
- A heritage interpretation center highlighting the contributions of women and religious communities to Montréal’s public health.
Founded by Jeanne Mance, co-founder of Montréal, the organization of care for Montréalers has been carried out since the 17th century by the Hospitallers of St. Joseph. Since 1871, the Cité has served as both a self-sufficient living environment for hundreds of nuns and as a nursing education site for thousands of Quebec women. Today, it remains a symbol of Montréal’s heritage and must be fully recognized for the legacy of compassion and care woven by the visionary women who shaped it.
Quotes
“The Cité-des-Hospitalières is a site with an exceptional past and an equally promising future for Plateau-Mont-Royal. As an administration, we must be a present and reliable partner and secure the funding needed to preserve this heritage gem while returning it to the wider Montréal community.”
— Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Candidate for Mayor of Montréal and Leader of Ensemble Montréal
“Working to protect the mission of the Cité-des-Hospitalières means preserving the very soul of Montréal — a city founded on mutual aid, faith in humanity, and solidarity. The built heritage and the mission of the Hospitallers must not be separated; they form a living whole to be carried forward.”
— Jean Beaudoin, Candidate for Mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal, Ensemble Montréal
