Before you was the Convent of the Sisters of Saint Anne. In 1882, we could admire a brand-new building in the Second Empire style, with a Canadian tin roof, a large gallery and balcony, a bell tower topped by a clock, and circular dormer windows.
Two nuns from the Congrégation des Sœurs de Sainte-Anne arrived in Rawdon in 1865. At the request of Abbott Hercule-Thomas Clément, the Congregation agreed to send Sisters Marie-Xavier and Marie-Mathilde to teach young girls. In the early days, it was a primary school for girls, and later a secondary school. It was mainly the introduction of the bilingual commercial course that made it famous in Québec, across Canada and in New England.
It can be said that the real beginnings of the Convent of the Sisters of St. Anne date back to 1867, when it was built on land opposite the Catholic church on Queen Street, donated by the Corporation of St. Patrick’s Parish. The new convent was built by Charles Magnan for $4,000. It housed twenty-five students and two nuns. By 1902, the convent was taking in an increasing number of students: 126 for 10 nuns. From 1938 onwards, the commercial course was offered in English, allowing for the recruitment of girls from several regions of Québec. Over the years, the school has trained many female students, both in the English commercial course and in the regular high school with intensive English instruction. It is said that its secretarial courses were renowned throughout the region!
Now a retirement home, the oldest part of the building was rebuilt in 2023 following a fire that destroyed it. Given its heritage and importance to the Rawdon community, efforts were made to preserve its distinctive character, while adding a touch of modernity.