National Historic Site

THE FORMER CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF JESUS & MARY

The Sisters of Jesus and Mary came from Sillery, Quebec in 1916. The main building opened in 1918 and the North and South wings were added in 1926. The Convent served as both a school and a residence for the nuns and female boarders. During the 1960s, enrolment exceeded 700 students! 

The convent is over 75,000 square feet and four storeys high. It features a Mansard roof with dormers, a rose window, Claybank bricks, Tyndal stone, and a cupola-like school bell. The chapel in the North wing is a must see and wonderful place to host a wedding reception, market, or community event. 

The convent operated as a public school until 2015. Currently under the care of the Town, the main floor is home to the Gravelbourg Community Music Centre, the Gravelbourg Artisan Co-op, three creative studio spaces, several aesthetic services, and a yoga studio. The Town hopes to find a way to repurpose this magnificent building. 

Convent tours are available year-round. Please contact the museum at (306) 648-2332 or (306) 648-7030.

For all other inquiries, please contact the Town of Gravelbourg at (306) 648-3301. 

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION CO-CATHEDRAL NOTRE DAME L'ASSOMPTION

Gravelbourg is well-known in the region for its Ecclesiastical Buildings National Historic Site which includes Our Lady of the Assumption Co-Cathedral Notre Dame l’Assomption, the Bishop’s Residence, and the former Couvent Jesus-Marie Convent. Constructed in 1919, the Cathedral is renowned for its striking Claybank brick exterior, Tyndal stone, beautiful murals, and stained glass windows. The murals depict the stations of the cross, the sins of the world, and the life and death of the Cathedral’s original patron Saint, Philomena. And who was the artist? None other than Monsignor Charles Maillard, the resident priest. Between 1921 and 1931, Msgr. Maillard transformed the interior of the Cathedral into a work of art that is truly exceptional and unexpected in southwest Saskatchewan.

Tours available year-round. Contact Louis Stringer at (306) 650-8228.

For more information on the Gravelbourg Ecclesiastical Buildings National Historic Site of Canada, please visit Canada's Historic Places.