Women’s Education - Institut familial Chanoine-Beaudet in Saint-Pascal de Kamouraska: interview with Sister Marthe Charron

Inventaire du patrimoine immatériel religieux du Québec.
Women’s Education - Institut familial Chanoine-Beaudet in Saint-Pascal de Kamouraska: interview with Sister Marthe Charron

Sister Marthe Charron outlines the evolution of l’Institut familial Chanoine-Beaudet in Saint-Pascal de Kamouraska that was run by the Congrégation de Notre-Dame.



She begins in 1897 when Father Alphonse Beaudet, parish priest of Saint-Pascal de Kamouraska, approached the Congregation about creating an institute. Seven years later, in 1904, after receiving training from the Ursuline Sisters, Sister Anne-Marie Fournier and a companion arrived at l’Institut and created a well structured program which included culinary arts, sewing, infant care and weaving.



In order to respond to the ever increasing demand for additional formation for primary school teachers, l’Institut offered summer courses and training; the teachers from the arts and training school also took advantage of it.



In 1941, in order to conform to the requirements of l’Université Laval, a Bachelor’s degree in Domestic Science was created. The courses were offered in Saint-Pascal for ten years before being moved to Quebec City where the pool of professors and students was much greater. During the 1960’s, l’Institut was replaced by a high school ministering to the neighbouring parishes.