The Sisters who own Villa Maria\u2019s historic Mount Royal estate are formally putting it up for sale \u2014 and the college that leases part of the land may now have a path to survive \u2014 in the latest turn after years of bitter dispute over the site\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
Under the plan announced Thursday, Villa Maria College, which has occupied the land for more than 170 years, will have the right of first refusal on any offer the Congregation of Notre-Dame is prepared to accept. Any outside buyer would also have to honour the college\u2019s existing lease, which runs until July 2030, and negotiate a further agreement lasting at least until the summer of 2032, according to the Sisters.<\/p>\n
The future of the school, which educates about 1,800 students in French and English and employs about 200 people, has been contested since 2023, when the congregation announced it intended to sell the property after Villa Maria\u2019s lease expired \u2014 only not directly to the college itself.<\/p>\n
The college ultimately went to court seeking either to force a sale to the school or require a public bidding process, but the case was dropped this year after the congregation replaced the college\u2019s board.<\/p>\n
A June 26 report by the college\u2019s newly appointed board ruled out moving the school elsewhere. The congregation had said it would not proceed with a sale until it had examined Villa Maria\u2019s prospects and found new accommodation for about 100 Sisters living on the property.<\/p>\n
An agreement has now been reached to move the Sisters gradually between 2026 and 2028 to a residence equipped to care for older adults.<\/p>\n
College to assess whether a purchase is possible<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Gazette, Suzanne Gouin, who became chair of the college\u2019s board in March, welcomed Thursday\u2019s news, saying the arrangement would give Villa Maria time to assess its finances and explore a possible purchase.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an opportunity that the congregation is giving to Villa Maria to ascertain its financial capabilities and to come up with options,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Still, Gouin said it was too early to know whether the school could afford to match an eventual offer because the market value of the property remains unknown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The board, which was appointed in March, will convene a special meeting Friday, she added.<\/p>\n
\t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n
D\u00e9sir\u00e9e McGraw, the Liberal MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Gr\u00e2ce and a Villa Maria graduate, also welcomed the announcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve now stabilized the situation by extending it by two years,\u201d she said. \u201cThe students who are applying this year know that they\u2019re going to be graduating from this school in this place.\u201d<\/p>\n
McGraw said putting the property on the market before Villa Maria\u2019s lease expires would also give the college time to prepare a bid \u2014 something previously not possible under the congregation\u2019s previous plan, which would have seen the sale beginning after the lease ended.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVilla Maria now has a fighting chance,\u201d McGraw said on the college being able to stay on its current grounds. \u201cBefore, it was a death sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heritage protections and Vatican approval will shape the sale<\/p>\n
In a statement Thursday, the Sisters said offers for the 1.7-million-square-foot estate would be judged on more than price.<\/p>\n
Prospective buyers must also commit to protecting the site\u2019s heritage character and green spaces, and respecting the congregation\u2019s values.<\/p>\n
Any transaction will require approval from the Vatican.<\/p>\n
The congregation said the net proceeds would be placed in an endowment supporting vulnerable students in Quebec\u2019s public elementary and secondary schools.<\/p>\n
How do you feel about this story? Write to me at hnorth@postmedia.com<\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bd211689c712b58cda5a717ca21eddc0c1d2ff556031357b6fe97b9b327e4b7e.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n