History Nuns' Island

west vancouver park on nuns island.

originally called Île saint-paul in honour of founder of montreal, paul chomedey, sieur de maisonneuve, island acquired 1634 jean de lauzon, future governor of new france. island included in expansive seigneurie of la citière on south shore of st. lawrence. in 1664 ceded island in 3 equal parts 3 prominent citizens of ville-marie: jacques le ber, sieur de saint-paul et senneville; claude robutel de saint-andré, sieur de la noue; , jean de la vigne, transferred portion jacques le ber s sister marie in 1668. in turn sold share brother, leaving island divided between seigneuries of saint-paul , la noue.

the nuns of congrégation de notre-dame acquired seigneurie de la noue in 1706. following british conquest, other seigneurie auctioned; nuns purchased in 1769, becoming sole owners of island next 250 years. ownership give island unofficial name, attested since 19th century.

the nuns farmed island, building houses , agricultural buildings, , later hired women raising livestock. owing dispute between congregation , municipality of verdun on taxes in late 19th century, island, had no fixed link island of montreal, made municipality (l Île-saint-paul) in 1899.

the nuns continued farming until 1956, when sold island quebec home , mortgage co. ltd. in same year, provincial government merged verdun in 1956. time name saint-paul had fallen out of use, , name île des sœurs officialized. nuns left in 1957.

the development of island began in earnest opening of champlain bridge in 1962. urbanization carried out metropolitan structures company of chicago, under master plan american company of johnson, johnson, , roy. phase 1 of master plan completed in 1968 when first 3000 inhabitants moved first leased 800 units. second phase, still in accordance master plan, completed following year, notably including 4 buildings ludwig mies van der rohe: 3 high rise apartment buildings, first of which, 201 rue corot, occupied in 1969, , esso filling station of same vintage. mid-1970s, significant areas south of island reclaimed st. lawrence , eclectic constructions sprung in various parts of island. unsystematic construction has continued rapidly since then.the island part of horror movie filmed on island s hotel tower called, came within a.k.a shivers, directed canadian filmmaker david cronenberg in 1975. call starliner tower in film.