Élisabeth Bruyère
Encyclopedia
Élisabeth Bruyère or Bruguier (March 19, 1818 – April 5, 1876) was the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Bytown
and opened the first hospital there and the first bilingual school in Ontario
.
She was born Élisabeth Bruguier in L'Assomption
in Lower Canada
in 1818. Daughter of Jean Baptiste Charles Bruguier and Sophie Mercier.
In 1839, she joined the Sisters of Charity
of the Hôpital Général of Montreal, also known as the Grey Nuns.
In 1845, she was asked to set up a community of the Sisters of Charity at Bytown. With three other Grey Nuns, she established Roman Catholic
schools, hospitals and orphanages there. In 1854, the community in Bytown became independent of Montreal.
Although the Sisters of Charity cared for people of every religious denomination during the typhus outbreak in 1847, a Protestant General Hospital, later the Ottawa Civic Hospital, was opened in 1850. The Sisters of Charity were also responsible from 1870 to 2001 of the school which became today the Collège Saint-Joseph de Hull
in Gatineau
, the city's girl school and one of two private secondary institutions.
The community opened other houses in Ontario, Quebec
and New York
state. The hospital opened in Bytown later became the Ottawa General Hospital. The Sisters of Charity also established facilities for the aged, opening the St. Charles Old Age Hospice, later the Residence Saint-Louis.
She died in Ottawa
in 1876.
The Élisabeth Bruyère Health Centre, located on the former site of the Ottawa General hospital, is named after her. For over 150 years, the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa were a cornerstone of health care in Ottawa.
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
and opened the first hospital there and the first bilingual school in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
She was born Élisabeth Bruguier in L'Assomption
L'Assomption, Quebec
L'Assomption is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the L'Assomption River. It is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of L'Assomption. It is located on the outer fringes of the Montreal urban area....
in Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in 1818. Daughter of Jean Baptiste Charles Bruguier and Sophie Mercier.
In 1839, she joined the Sisters of Charity
Grey Nuns
The Order of Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Order of Sisters of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian order of Roman Catholic religious sisters...
of the Hôpital Général of Montreal, also known as the Grey Nuns.
In 1845, she was asked to set up a community of the Sisters of Charity at Bytown. With three other Grey Nuns, she established Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
schools, hospitals and orphanages there. In 1854, the community in Bytown became independent of Montreal.
Although the Sisters of Charity cared for people of every religious denomination during the typhus outbreak in 1847, a Protestant General Hospital, later the Ottawa Civic Hospital, was opened in 1850. The Sisters of Charity were also responsible from 1870 to 2001 of the school which became today the Collège Saint-Joseph de Hull
Collège Saint-Joseph de Hull
College Saint-Joseph de Hull is a private school for girls in Gatineau, Quebec, near the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Jacques Cartier Park...
in Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, the city's girl school and one of two private secondary institutions.
The community opened other houses in Ontario, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state. The hospital opened in Bytown later became the Ottawa General Hospital. The Sisters of Charity also established facilities for the aged, opening the St. Charles Old Age Hospice, later the Residence Saint-Louis.
She died in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1876.
The Élisabeth Bruyère Health Centre, located on the former site of the Ottawa General hospital, is named after her. For over 150 years, the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa were a cornerstone of health care in Ottawa.