The Government of Canada has confirmed that affordable housing will be constructed in an outdated prison in Laval, Quebec. Quebec Lieutenant and federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos announced in a press release on Saturday that the St. Vincent penitentiary would be given to the Canada Lands Company by the end of 2025 for the construction of a housing project and community spaces. The St-Vincent penitentiary will be transferred to the Canada Lands Company for development by the end of 2025 as part of the federal Public Lands for Homes Plan, which aims to turn surplus and underused public lands into affordable housing options. The Canada Public Land Bank was launched in August 2024. David Sedell/Global News According to the release, “The disposal process’s due diligence will be completed by Correctional Service Canada in April 2025.” It will be developed in a way that will benefit Canadians economically and socially. This is one illustration of how our government-wide strategy is addressing the housing crisis in the country.” Stéphane Boyer, mayor of Laval, stated, “This is the first step in making it official that the site will be redeveloped, and that’s excellent news.” “This is a file we’ve been working on for years, and it was the priority topic of our first meeting between Prime Minister Trudeau and myself.”
The Sisters of Providence Sacred Heart Convent once stood on the site of the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary, which was constructed in 1873. The land for a reform school was purchased by the Government of Canada East in 1861.
This former prison in Quebec will soon become affordable housing
