École Sainte-Thérèse

Built in 1912, Sainte-Thérèse School opened as a branch of Saint-Joseph Convent in Alma in 1943. The direction was entrusted to the Congrégation de Notre-Dame and Sister Sainte-Madeleine-de-Provence (Germaine Chagnon) was its director. In September, there were one hundred sixteen registered students. In 1952, a fire broke out in the school; the building was damaged and classes were interrupted for three weeks. Some years later, the building was declared unsafe and was closed. In 1955, the School Commission decided to build a new two-storey, eight-classroom school for two hundred forty students. The construction was completed only in January 1956. To remedy the lack of space at the beginning of the school year, the director implemented a “shifts” system at Saint-Pierre School, a branch of Saint-Joseph Convent. Depending upon their schedules, the students attended morning or afternoon classes. On January 23, 1956, the new Sainte-Thérèse School was officially inaugurated. The “shifts” system ended and two hundred thirty-nine students were transferred into the new building, filling it to capacity. The school was blessed by Father Roland Dufour, curate in Saint-Joseph Parish. At the beginning of the following school year, the growing number of students forced the School Commission to reopen the decommissioned school in order to receive the Grade 1 students.

The city was developing rapidly. This resulted in a rapid increase in the student population. The School Commission decided to enlarge the school by adding four classrooms. Work began in August 1958. In September, four classrooms were set up elsewhere – in Marguerite-Bourgeoys High School and the former Sainte-Thérèse School. In October, construction was completed; the school now had twelve classes and three hundred sixty-one students. In September 1959, registrations were again on the rise and the School Commission was forced to set up a classroom for Grade 1 girls on Gagné Street; in November, a new classroom was opened in the teachers’ room. The number of students reached three hundred eighty-one. That same year, a specialized musical theory teacher was assigned to teach from Grade 3 to Grade 7. In 1960, with four hundred twenty-six registered students, a fifteenth classroom was set up on Sauvé Street. In 1962, the direction of the school was entrusted to lay personnel.

NB: This text was written using documents found in the archival holdings in our possession and does not constitute a complete administrative history of the teaching establishment.