Tribute from Government of Canada
October, 29th, 2010 - On behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Claude Carignan, Senator, unveiled a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating the national historical significance of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph. ''The Religieuses hospitalières de Saint-Joseph transposed and perpetuated an ancient hospital tradition founded on the Christian faith that significantly marked the history of Canadian hospitals. They were leaders in nursing in French and English Catholic Canada. In Quebec, they were the undoubted leaders among Catholic communities in the drive for professionalization in the early 20th century. The educated, pioneering sisters sought to combine their apostolate with progress in science and medicine. They were leaders in teaching, with nursing schools having an impressive reputation and being among the first open to female lay students. They laid the foundation of a hospital system in Canada and became one of the few religious communities to establish substantial and lasting operations in more than one province.'' (Full text)