Youville Manor
498 Bd D’Youville, Châteauguay, QC J6J 5T9
Monday to Friday: 9am to 12pm – 1pm to 4:30pm
Weekends: closed
The founder of the Sisters of Charity (Grey Nuns of Montreal), Marguerite d’Youville, used it to cultivate highly productive land to feed the sick. The Manoir d’Youville site is located on Île Saint-Bernard, a former Châteauguay seigneury. This historic site, with one of the oldest mills in North America (1686), boasts an enchanting setting on the banks of the Châteauguay River and Lake Saint-Louis, as well as a wildlife refuge.
History of the site
Marguerite d’Youville, founder of the Sisters of Charity (Grey Nuns of Montreal) acquired the Châteauguay seigneury in 1765. This seigneury was the religious congregation’s most important site after the Montreal General Hospital. The highly productive land was farmed to feed the sick.
Over the years, this picturesque site on the banks of the Châteauguay River and Lake Saint-Louis saw its manor house built of wood around 1683 by Sieur Le Moyne, replaced by a stone structure in 1774. Some of the site’s attractions provide an opportunity to discover a little of its history.
These include one of North America’s oldest mills, built around 1686 by Sieur Le Moyne, and a former dairy now transformed into a bistro.
The entire eastern part of the island has been ceded to the Quebec government, so that it can be protected in perpetuity while remaining accessible to the public as a wildlife refuge.
Manoir d’Youville is a remarkable heritage site that links the history of the religious community to that of the Châteauguay region. It has also become a resort with a unique character, notably in its approach and range of services.