Providence Flashbacks

Trees and barn covered in ice on the Motherhouse property, Kingston Ontario, January 1998.An office is converted into an emergency bedroom at Providence Motherhouse, Kingston, Ontario, in January 1998.This January is the 25th anniversary of the Ice Storm of 1998....

The original Holy Family Hospital, later known as Marian Villa. This house served as the hospital from 1947 to 1954.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST The Sisters of Providence opened Holy Family Hospital for the chronically ill in 1947 in an old house in the Fraserview...

Coal truck delivering coal to Providence Motherhouse in ca.1943. (If you don’t recognize this view of the front door, it’s because we are used to seeing the Administration wing to the east of the main entrance, but it wasn’t built until 1964.)BY VERONICA STIENBURG,...

Queen Elizabeth II receives flowers from seven-year-olds Debbie of Sunnyside Children’s Centre and Neil of Heathfield Orphanage (operated by the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul) on June 28, 1959 at Richardson Stadium, Kingston ON. Prince Philip Duke of...

When Sister Mary Francis of Assisi retired after 49 years of teaching, William Davis, then Minister of Education, wrote to her.

In the late 1840s the property we know as Heathfield was compiled when three smaller parcels of land, were purchased by Alex Forbes to create a 30 acre lot.

The Motherhouse and its grounds have changed a lot since 1932, but are still very recognizable! These four photographs show how the landscaping in front of the Motherhouse and the Motherhouse itself have changed over the years.

Sr. M. Henry, Sr. M. Juliana, and Sr. Mary Seven Dolors McMahon.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Numerous siblings have entered the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul over the years. Religious life was not the right fit for some of these women, but many...

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST The Motherhouse grounds have changed a lot over the years, and yet stayed the same in other ways. These two photographs show how the Motherhouse grounds, from the Main Entrance to Princess Street, have changed over a span of 62 years....

Every year at Christmas, we all enjoy the large outdoor Crib that is on display in front of Providence Motherhouse in Kingston. The Statues were purchased by Sr. Mary Roberta, General Treasurer, in 1961 and she requested that a stable be built to display the statues.