Providence Flashbacks

Teaching in Lancaster

Teaching in Lancaster

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST The Sisters of Providence taught in Lancaster Ontario from 1923 to 1937. They lived in a cement house, known as St. Joseph’s Convent. The Sisters found it very cold in winter, telling of how they had to wear cloak and gloves to Morning...

Summer at Marillac Villa

Summer at Marillac Villa

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Every summer the Sisters go to the cottage. Here are few fun images from the 1950s of Sisters of Providence at Marillac Villa on Howe Island:Shining shoes – July 1959Enjoying the shoreline – July 1957Catch of the DayAn afternoon on the...

Movies at the Motherhouse

Movies at the Motherhouse

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST The Congregational Annals document the major events in the congregation’s history, but they also document smaller happenings in the Sisters’ lives, including what movies the sisters watched. Here are some excerpts from the Annals:...

Behind the Scenes in the Archives!

Behind the Scenes in the Archives!

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST   The first week of April is Archives Awareness Week in Ontario! With that in mind, here is a behind the scenes peak into the archives of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul. All the photographs used for the Throwback...

Solving a Small Mystery

Solving a Small Mystery

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST We came across this photograph from St. John’s School, Gananoque in the Archives. It didn’t have a date, or a good explanation of what is going on in the photograph. Based on the clothes and the cars, it might be the 1920s, and the...

Daylight Savings!

Daylight Savings!

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Daylight Savings Time (DST) was first instituted in Canada on April 14th 1918, but was canceled at the end of WWI by the federal government. Certain municipalities, including Kingston, continued with DST. The Congregation was unsure...

Teaching in Batawa

Teaching in Batawa

Farewell for Sisters in Batawa in June 1975.BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Batawa was established as a factory town by the Bata Shoe Company in 1939. Initially the children of Batawa attended public school in nearby Frankford. Father Dostol, s.j., the parish priest,...

Marble statue of Mary wasn’t always there

Marble statue of Mary wasn’t always there

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST Have you ever noticed the beautiful white marble statue of Mary above the entrance to the Motherhouse? It wasn’t always there. A niche for a sculpture was built when the entrance was constructed in 1932; however, the niche sat empty...

Exciting new treasure to the Archives

Exciting new treasure to the Archives

BY VERONICA STIENBURG, ARCHIVIST The Archives received an exciting new treasure in April: the first patient register of St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in Brockville. The Register documents the patients treated at the hospital from November 28th, 1887 to January 9th,...