Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles mayor and candidate Caroline Bourgeois wants to create a public square on the site of the Chapelle de la Réparation in time for the 350th anniversary of Pointe-aux-Trembles in 2024.
"The 350th anniversary is a key moment for Pointe-aux-Trembles to reconnect with our past and propel us into the future. What better place to do this than the site of the Chapelle de la Réparation? It is a privileged place that is dear to many citizens of our borough who gather there to access the woods. I would like to enhance this site so that it lives up to its historical importance for Pointe-aux-Trembles."
Owned by the Capuchin friars, the site of the Chapelle de la Réparation was founded by Marie de La Rousselière. It is located at the end of the boulevard that today bears her name, and which links the Boisé de la Réparation, the Pointe-aux-Prairies nature park and the St. Lawrence River. Its history is intimately linked to the development of Pointe-aux-Trembles. In addition to the Chapelle de la Réparation, there is the Padre Pio Hall and a huge under-used asphalt area. It is part of this large asphalted area that the mayor wishes to improve with a public square as a legacy of the 350th anniversary of Pointe-aux-Trembles.
"I see it as a gathering place, where citizens can naturally meet for their activities. We would create a public square that could host cultural events and would animate this grandiose site with immense potential. We also plan to plant trees and flowers to beautify this space, while preserving a parking space to meet the needs of the site."
A site to transform and preserve
The Way of the Cross in the Boisé de la Réparation and the Scala Santa are one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Quebec, along with the Oratoire-Saint-Joseph-du-Mont-Royal.
(Montreal) and the Notre-Dame-du-Cap Shrine (Trois-Rivières). Last August, the Capuchin Friars celebrated the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the Shrine (1896-2021) and the 100th anniversary of the presence of the Capuchins (1921-2021) at the Chapelle de la Réparation.
