Maison Jean-Lapointe ultimately only had to pay $9 million to become the owner of all the land, gardens and buildings of the Institut Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil in Montreal.
The organization founded by the late actor and singer announced last spring that it had decided to relocate its activities there. Until now, the selling price of the huge property on Boulevard Gouin Est in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville district has never been announced.
However, according to the deed of sale signed before a notary just before Christmas on December 21, 2023, the former four-story convent, built for the community in 1953, received $9 million from Maison Jean-Lapointe. This price is 10% lower than the value of $10.04 million assigned to it at the last municipal assessment.
The institute's grounds (in the middle of this photo), surrounded by mature trees, cover an area of approximately 100,000 square meters. It lies east of the Viau Bridge, which spans the Rivière des Prairies between Montreal and Laval. Google Earth
In an interview, the general manager of the house, Anne Elizabeth Lapointe, appreciates how lucky she was to be able to become the owner of this house for such a price. Is she happy with that? “Yes, absolutely,” she replies. But we have to understand that as a non-profit organization (NPO) we could certainly never have paid more.”
The monastery occupies a massive 9,215 square meters (or about 100,000 square feet) of land between Boulevard Gouin Est and the Rivière des Prairies, which separates Montreal from Laval on the north shore. The Sisters of Good Council, a congregation founded by Marie Gérin-Lajoie in 1923, settled there upon completion.
A final sale
The sisters could “very likely” have sold at a better price if they had accepted competing offers from private developers, recognizes the daughter of Jean Lapointe, now general director of La Maison.
“That’s what the sisters tell us; They agreed to sell at a lower price because it was important for them to continue their mission, Ms. Lapointe explains. With La Maison Jean Lapointe [comme acheteur] allowed them to agree to sell something cheaper. And no, it wasn’t a long negotiation.”
According to documents seen by Le Journal, Maison Jean-Lapointe has already paid $4.5 million to the Institut Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil de Montréal for the acquisition of 649 and 665 Gouin Est boulevards. The balance of $4.5 million must be paid no later than December 31, 2024, or five days after the sale of the building (111, rue Normand), which the Maison has owned and occupied for a decade in Old Montreal the company is paid.
Anne Elizabeth Lapointe, General Director of Maison Jean-Lapointe. The Jean Lapointe House
In an interview, Maison Jean-Lapointe's general manager hardly seems bothered by the situation. A purchase offer for an as yet unknown amount has already been accepted. All that remains is to complete the sale as soon as the future buyer is able to complete the transaction.
Coming work
Meanwhile, the organization is already preparing its arrival in the former religious building, measuring 30,347 square meters over four floors, located a few minutes' walk from the Henri-Bourassa metro station. Although the building has been “very well maintained” by its former residents, the new owner plans to invest “a few million” dollars in the work before moving.
In addition to administrative offices, conference and meeting rooms as well as various care, consultation and therapy rooms, the house plans to build no fewer than 28 double and single rooms with a total of 52 beds on two floors. However, due to lack of space or lack of interest, the chapel, which the nuns attended for decades, will not survive the work, the general director tells us.
If everything goes as planned, the team of around sixty employees at Maison Jean-Lapointe should move to their new premises in autumn 2024 and winter 2025.
As for the nuns, most of them moved in the fall. They live in the Les Pionnières residence in the Saint-Laurent district, where other sisters from seven other religious communities also live.
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