![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm-seminary-ste-therese.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI haven’t seen the inside of an airplane in what feels like a very long time (in reality it’s only been a few months). I’m ok with that. For now, I happily get into my Jeep and drive to little small town destinations around Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n
This destination was an accidental discovery. While in Blainville for a swim meet I found myself with lots of time to kill. Rather than stay at the pool, I looked for an interesting place to hang out and I found an online reference to an old nunnery.<\/p>\n
The history of the “nunnery” is elusive; this building hides its mysteries in multiple languages. I’m not sure if it was actually ever a nunnery… perhaps. It looks like a school and its history is that of a school. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In the early 1800s, the state of Qu\u00e9bec’s educational system was in tatters and the population mostly illiterate. The Protestant l’Institution Royale<\/em> system implemented by the Government was subpar and rejected by the Catholic Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois; the Education Act of 1801 and a fear of a Protestant takeover of the province made things worse. <\/p>\n In response, a Roman Catholic priest named Charles-Joseph Ducharme founded the Petit S\u00e9minaire de Sainte-Th\u00e9r\u00e8se<\/em> in Blainville in an attempt to improve education. His main objective was to prepare boys for the priesthood… with a second goal of using the S\u00e9minaire to find young Catholic school teachers who could help revamp the primary education system. <\/p>\n I can’t tell if the original building (or some form) dates from this period in time. The “nunnery” tag may come from the 1840s. The S\u00e9minaire started educating boys; but, in 1847, nuns were sent from Montr\u00e9al to build a girl’s education system.<\/p>\n The current gothic architecture building dates from the 1880s. In 1881, a fire destroyed the Seminary; it was rebuilt by 1883. Now, the building is a part of the CEGEP (Coll\u00e8ge Lionel-Groulx) network. <\/p>\n The gothic church across the street (Sainte-Th\u00e9r\u00e8se-d’Avila) makes the two buildings look like they are part of a matching set… it was built between 1885 and 1887.<\/p>\n Down the street is a cute little main strip with a great cafe, small shops, and a Christmas market.<\/p>\n The coffee shop (Les Allum\u00e9es) is a gathering place and while the town moves at a snail’s pace on the weekend, the cafe buzzes with activity and people. Families stop for breakfast and to enjoy a round of board games (there is a closet full of games). Friends meet to chat about their week and share stories. <\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/sm-2017-12-02-08.52.04-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/sm-2017-12-02-08.52.10-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/sm-2017-12-02-08.52.20-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/sm-2017-12-02-08.54.13-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/sm-2017-12-02-08.54.42-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm-2017-12-02-08.54.29-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nLes Allum\u00e9es<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm2-2017-12-02-09.25.49-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm2-2017-12-02-09.31.34-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm2-2017-12-02-09.23.31-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm2-2017-12-02-09.17.09-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm-2017-12-02-09.03.12-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wend.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sm-2017-12-02-09.14.14-400x400.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"