The Correctional Service Canada announced the transfer of the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary in Laval, Quebec, to Canada Lands Company (CLC) by the end of the year.
CLC is a self-financing, federal Crown corporation specializing in real estate and development, and attractions management. CLC will collaborate with Correctional Service Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada with disposal due diligence requirements, including heritage and environmental considerations.
The penitentiary opened in 1879 and ceased operating as a federal correctional facility in 1989, when it was declared a surplus asset; it was the only facility of its kind that was entirely French-speaking. It was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990 and added to the Canada Public Land Bank last November.
CLC’s plans for the site were not announced. In a press statement, Canada’s federal government only said the property “will be further developed to benefit Canadians.”
“We have reached a key milestone in the transfer of the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary grounds,” said Minister of Public Safety David J. McGuinty. “The Vieux-Pen is part of our city’s history, and it will soon be back at the service of our community. Our priority is to ensure that its new purpose meets the needs of the area’s residents, in particular by making the land available for the construction of affordable housing and community spaces.”
Photo: Correctional Service Canada
