It was cold and stormy, Caraquet Mayor Bernard Thériault recalls of the March night in 1992 when the town’s historic convent went up in flames.
“We all recall — we were all there,” said Thériault. “The roads were more or less closed because of the storm.”
Despite the fire that destroyed the building that night, the ruins still serve as an important community space where events are often held and art is sometimes hung in the old windows.
In the spring, however, it was brought to the town’s attention that because the stone walls of the ruins are slowly degrading, there’s a risk of falling stones.
“It was recommended to secure the perimeters, or the surrounding of the building, in order [to make sure] that no people will have access to it,” he said.
So the town put fences around the building.
According to the town’s website, the Caraquet Convent is designated a local historic place for its educational and religious history. It’s also recognized for its architecture and ruins.
The website says the convent opened its doors in 1874 under the direction of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame. In 1905, a three-story expansion was made of dressed stone and in 1947, a second wing made of wood was built.
It goes on to say the convent stopped teaching in the 1970s, when part of the building started to be used for community projects, until the fire in 1992.
The website says the ruins of the central part of the convent are of particular heritage value because the sawn stone is from the construction of the first stone church in Caraquet, built in 1817 and located east of the convent.
For long after the fire, Thériault said the ruins were protected by a heritage group, but a process is underway to transfer that responsibility to the town.
Rebuilding not an option, says mayor
He that the grounds of the convent are filled with thousands of people during the annual Acadian festival, set to start on the long weekend, which is why it was important to have the perimeter of the building secured with fences as soon as possible.
Thériault said the community of Caraquet has a strong attachment to the culture and heritage held by the ruins, and it’s clear that rebuilding it is not an option. Instead, he said it’s evident people would like to see the building’s remains used to be part of something else.
“We know that we will keep the presence of that convent there forever, we hope, but we’re not exactly sure what could be done at this point,” he said.
“It’s right in the middle of the institutional section of the town — the church, the school, the cultural centre, the town hall, the new recreational centre — so this is where we want to keep the memory of the religious orders that brought education, culture and language teaching in this community for 150 years.”
This story was originally published in CBC News on Aug. 3, 2024.
Hannah Rudderham Portfolio 