Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos et Centre de recherche

Middle West Pubnico School and Convent
École des sœurs school and Convent

In September 1876, three nuns from the Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse in Halifax arrived in West Pubnico. They were Sister Mary Ignace Fitzgerald , who would served as superior, then Sister Mary John Doucet and Sister Mary Pauline McLaughlin.

However, they had to wait 13 years before the new church was built near the Convent. During this time, each morning the nuns had to make the two-mile journey, most often by foot, to get to church for mass, and travel another two miles to return to the convent. At the school, which at that time was located on the Qoggueniche or Abbott’s Harbour Road, after the modern-day telephone exchange, between this building and Josephat Surette’s house.

Even after the new and current church came into service at the end of 1891, the nuns still had to make their way to the school on Quoggeuniche (Abbott’s Harbour) Road on foot. This lasted until 1893, when, at the beginning of November, the school was hauled close to the convent, where the funeral home is located today. This plot of land belonged to Anselme LeBlanc, who lived next door. He surrendered the land on the condition that it would be returned to him or his heirs, if the school were to disappear from this place, according to his children. As there is no written evidence to this effect, the Municipality of Argyle sold the land to the parish for $25. It was vacated in 1961.

Article taken from the book Les oubliés de notre Patrimoine, by Roseline LeBlanc.

Date: 1893

Reference:  Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos 1998.22-P132

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