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 Convent of Notre Dame-des-Anges - Tignish, PEI Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 46° 57.245 W 064° 02.206
20T E 421111 N 5200583
In the grounds of St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church, this large former convent, now Heritage Inn, is northwest of the church, its five prominent dormers making it easily identified.
Waymark Code: WMPP3Y
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Date Posted: 09/29/2015
Views: 2
Opened October 14, 1868, Notre Dame-des-Anges (Our Lady of Angels) convent was operated by the sisters of the Congregation de Notre Dame of Montreal, a sisterhood which was founded in 1658 by Sainte Marguerite Bourgeois. It was initially a convent and girls' school and later began accepting boys to the school as well. The school operated until 1966, the convent until 1991.
In 1993 the former convent was carefully and painstakingly restored and repurposed into a multi-use meeting and accommodation facility and named the Tignish Heritage Inn. Today it is operated as a partially wheelchair accessible 17 room inn surrounded by expansive gardens. The inn offers essentially all of the services and amenities one would expect to find in a well run semi-rural upscale inn.
Some of the services offered by the inn:
• 17 guest rooms (all with private bath)
• honeymoon suite
• access to kitchen & laundry facilities
• cable TV/alarm clock radios
• partially wheelchair accessible
• 30' x 40' conference room
• wireless high speed internet connection
• cots
• walking gardens
• bike rentals
In the mid 1860s, the people from Tignish and surrounding areas were becoming increasingly aware of the need for better educational facilities. Bishop Peter MacIntyre made a promise to the parishioners that as soon as a convent was built in the community, he would make sure that some sisters from Montreal would come to live there to teach.
The people of the area began at once to construct the convent, building it of brick manufactured right in Tignish. Two years later, Bishop MacIntyre wrote to Montreal to inform the sisters that the building was ready for them.
Classes in the convent were opened on October 14, 1868 with fourteen pupils, three of whom were boarders. The building functioned as a private girl’s school for fifty-four years at which time it become a public learning institution.
Classes were taught at the convent until January 1966 when the building closed its classrooms. After ninety-seven years as an educational institute, the convent took on a calm and quiet atmosphere. The space formerly occupied by the students, like the rest of the building, was very tastefully redecorated to serve as living quarters for the resident sisters. The convent closed its doors for good in 1991.
In 1993, Tignish Initiatives Corporation purchased the building in hopes to convert it into a multi-use meeting and accommodation facility, naming it the Tignish Heritage Inn. (The historic fabric of the building was respected when repairs and renovations were made. This resulted in the organization being awarded a 1994 Architectural Preservation Award from the Board of Governors of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation.)
From Tignish Heritage Inn
Convent of Notre Dame-des-Anges
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The brick three and one half storey former Convent of Notre Dame des Anges is located in the community of Tignish, PEI, on a treed lot near the historic St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church. The registration includes the footprint of the building.
HERITAGE VALUE
The former convent is significant for its Georgian architecture and its association with the religious heritage of the community of Tignish, PEI. The building opened on October 14, 1868 as a convent and girls' school operated by the sisters of the Congregation de Notre Dame of Montreal. This sisterhood had been founded in 1658 in Montreal by Sainte Marguerite Bourgeois. The school later admitted boys as well and continued until January of 1966. The convent continued until 1991. Recently, the building has been restored and opened as the Tignish Heritage Inn.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- the three and one half storey symmetrical facade with evenly placed windows and central entrance door
- the pitched gable roof with eave returns
- the 5 dormer windows on the front facade (a later addition)
- the solid construction of local brick
From Historic Places Canada
Full name of the abbey/monastery/convent: Convent of Notre Dame-des-Anges
Address:
206 Maple Street
Tignish, PEI Canada
C0B 2B0
Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic
Date founded/constructed: October 14, 1868
Web Site: [Web Link]
Status of Use: Converted to Other Use
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